A New Theory of Fashion Change: a Test of Some Predictions

Various theories of why fashion occurs are critically discussed. An alternative theory is presented which suggests that clothes are used as media of communication whose message describes the wearer. The assumption is made that the clothes actually worn are a compromise between what the wearer sees herself to be and what she would like to be, but closer to the former. To explain the spread of fashion, it is hypothesized that fashionable outfits bear a fairly consistent message which is different from that carried by unfashionable clothes. This is borne out by the results of an investigation in which female psychology students judged the wearer of 10 unfashionable and 10 fashionable outfits. The theory predicts that for potential adopters of a fashion, i.e. a group of girls unselected for fashionability, the ideal self image (ISI) will be nearer the impression conveyed by fashionable clothes than will the self image and that women who are regarded as fashionable differ in their perceptions of themselves from unfashionable women. Investigations were carried out, the results of which are consistent with these hypotheses. If these results are generally repeatable it follows from this theory that fashion change can occur either because, with the general adoption of a style its message changes, or because the average aspirations of women (ISI) change. The latter suggestion implies that fashions do as, for example, Laver (1945) has suggested, reflect the ‘Spirit of the Age’ in quite a straightforward sense.