Chapter 1 / The Meaning of Clothing and Fashion
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designers and marketers use color, texture,
line, and other aspects of design to the best
advantage, 1-16. They offer products that
creatively complement current trends.
Fashion is also a science. Most textile fi bers
are made through a combination of chemistry
and technology. New fi bers might be created
that absorb or repel moisture. The socks in
1-17 have been engineered to be absorbent,
soft, and stretchy. In the past, when technology
enabled heavy plastics to take clear dyes,
brightly colored rain boots were all the rage!
With current technology enabling extremely
fi ne fi bers to be made, tightly woven lightweight
fabrics are made into water-resistant sports
apparel, 1-18. Some cold-weather jackets are
now lined with heat-refl ecting dots that keep the
wearer warm without creating bulk.
New apparel manufacturing and retailing
methods are also based on technological
advancements. New commercial sewing
equipment might enable a certain type of sleeve
to be produced effi ciently, resulting in a new
fashionable style that incorporates that sleeve
design. Scientifi c technology continues to
revolutionize the way apparel items are designed,
mass-produced, distributed, and sold.
Private and Public
Fashion Viewpoints
On a private level, we have seen that fashion
satisfi es physical, psychological, and social
needs. Personal clothing choices are affected
by many individual responses, including how
people view themselves. Many private factors
San Francisco Fashion Week: ©Arun Nevader/WireImage
1-16 The designer of this gown, Colleen
Quen, has used design skills to create an
artistic evening fashion.
Monsanto Fibers
1-17 Science has allowed the fi bers in
these socks to have the best possible
characteristics for their use.