Fashion and style are often used as synonyms for each other and over generations, people have understood that both are similar. But if looked carefully both these words hold very different meanings and concepts. With the help of this article let’s clarify the difference between both.
Fashion evolves over time, but style is timeless. It is a permanent state of being that is not always correct or incorrect. It is determined by what others perceive at any given time. Style can take various forms depending on an individual’s disposition and employment. Style, for example, permeates through a writer’s literary work in the manner he writes, expresses his perspective, and communicates a notion.
What is fashion?
At every given period, fashion is the prevalent style within a certain culture. Fashion is about new trends: It refers to fashionable clothing styles during a given era. The fashion industry is concerned with current fashion trends. Fashion shows are put on by fashion houses to display attire that communicates a vision for the future of fashion.
Fashion bloggers, editors, and influencers then react to that vision with their own ideas, and merchants use all of that data to sell garments to the general public. Fashion is heavily influenced by how the latest trends are transmitted, whether through social media or fashion magazines like Vogue.
Fashion focuses on the ability to originate, anticipate, propagate, and apply a trend that forms and manages a taste for the public.
Because it is drawn to human feelings but doesn’t always have to make reason, it incorporates relativism, cyclicity, adaptability, and even irrationality.
Various philosophers have defined fashion and how humans use it to attain societal approval. They even argue that it is a method to stand out from the crowd while yet imitating what the masses are doing.
This means it combines two opposing principles. Some argue that fashion bridges the gap between an individual and the society in which he lives. It is said to be motivated by traditional cultural forms that materialise into modernity.
What is style?
Style is a person’s own method of expressing oneself, whether through dress, literary style, or architectural style. In the fashion industry, “style” is usually shorthand for “personal style,” or how a person expresses themselves through aesthetic decisions such as clothing, accessories, hairdo, and how they put an ensemble together. Style is inextricably linked to fashion.
A style is a form of self-expression. It is displayed through clothing, gestures, facial expressions, body movements, and anything else a person does. It is unique to each individual because the individual decides what is comfortable or practical for him.
Many people believe that style is something that people use to change their external appearance. However, it is a technique of expressing what a person is feeling within.
It demonstrates self-assurance and fosters mindfulness, as people must connect with their inner selves to discover their sense of style. Style, rather than following popular opinion, allows people to pursue their own opinions and control themselves accordingly.
The Primary Distinctions Between Fashion and Style
- Fashion is a method for the masses to express themselves, whereas style is a way for individuals to express themselves.
- Fashion comes and goes, but style is timeless.
- Fashion is generic and adaptable, whereas style is unique and personal.
- Style is not dependent on fashion, but fashion is dependent on style.
- Style is represented through clothing, accessories, and footwear, whereas fashion is expressed through clothing, mannerism, gestures, and other means.
- Fashion encourages consumerism, whereas style encourages thoughtfulness.
There is some overlap between style and fashion, but a reasonable rule of thumb is that style is more personal, whilst fashion is more communal. Let’s discuss a bit in deep how these so similar-sounding terminologies are different from each other.
Individual vs. collective
Personal style is something that is unique to an individual and serves as a way of self-expression. That person could be a fashion designer (such as Coco Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent) or someone from outside the fashion industry. Their style is defined by how they dress and express themselves.
Fashion, on the other hand, is concerned with worldwide trends and the fashion business. The distinction between fashion and style is becoming increasingly hazy. On the catwalk, a model is part of the fashion world. Personal style dictates how they dress at home. When they gain prominence and their personal style becomes iconic, they may launch their own clothing line, transforming their style into fashion.
Timeless vs. Trendy
Fashion is current, whereas style is eternal. Someone who is trendy keeps up with the newest fashion trends and dresses in luxury apparel. A fashionable person may or may not follow fashion trends, but they always remain true to their personal aesthetic. Personal style is more about having a feeling of self than merely following trends.
Conclusion – WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FASHION AND STYLE?
Street style, which is captured by photographers outside of fashion events, combines fashion with style. Models, stylists, and fashion editors are generally photographed wearing the outfits of the designers whose shows they are attending, but they have styled the clothes to work for real life, thus fusing fashion and style.
Fashion and style are wide concepts with many overlapping features. Fashion, on the other hand, does not revolve around style; rather, style revolves around fashion. The main distinction between the two is that fashion is for the people, whilst style is for the individual. Fashion is a type of communal expression, whereas style is unique and allows an individual to express themselves.