Chapter 1 / The Meaning of Clothing and Fashion
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extreme and unusual for the general public.
Later, high fashion ideas may be modifi ed and
copied to appeal to the majority of consumers.
They are then mass-produced and widely sold at
lower prices to become mass fashion.
Mass fashion, or volume fashion, accounts
for the majority of sales in the fashion business.
These styles are sometimes said to be
“homogenized” because they are produced in
such large quantities and accepted by such a
mass of people that they all seem to be alike,
even though they are produced and sold by
many different companies.
A design is a particular, or unique, version
of a style. A style can be put together in many
new designs by using different fabrics, colors,
trims, and combinations of ideas. A jumpsuit,
for instance, always has pants attached to a
top, but it might have long or short sleeves,
different types of collars, and different pockets
and trim. Each version is a different design of the
jumpsuit style. To move fashion forward, different
variations of garment parts are combined in
creative ways into new garment designs, 1-25.
The terms “style” and “design” are often used
interchangeably in the fashion industry. However,
they have different meanings if they are to be
used correctly.
Avant-garde clothes are the most daring
and wild designs. They are too unconventional
and startling to be considered fashions of the
times. Most features of these garments disappear
completely after a few years. Avant-garde clothes
Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Moda Management
1-24 This iridescent designer gown includes
unusual design ideas, exquisite materials,
and quality construction.
Courtesy of Parsons The New School for Design/©Dan Lecca
1-25 The length of the sleeves and shorts,
the pockets of the shorts, the black collar,
placket, and pocket of the brightly striped
shirt, and the orange top make this design
unique.