Fashion; Do We Really Need it?

As Halloween comes around, there are many colorful and playful costumes around. But it doesn't take a genius to see that there are people who are uncomfortable in their costume. This brings to mind how fashion hasn't always been reasonable.

Some people see fashion as a statement, an indicator of social status, a tool. There are practical uses for protective clothing (firemen's suits, bee masks, etc.), but there are also many unnecessary qualities that people embrace. It's not sure when fashion really came about, but there are clues that they have been around for thousands of years. There have been drawings, paintings, and even a few article of clothing that has been preserved throughout history that shows us the importance of fashion.


http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/QueenElizabethCoronation.jpg
Royalty would use it as a symbol of wealth. They would adorn unnecessary ornaments and cumbersome clothing just to say, "I'm wealthy enough to wear this." Sometimes it gets so extravagant, the wearer can't even move around in their respected "fashionable clothes". But this does not matter because it shows that wealthy people don't need to do mundane daily chores and can be waited on day and night by servants.


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An extreme example of painful fashion would be feet binding in China. It was said that the smaller the foot was, the more exotic and beautiful the women becomes. Girls often start wrapping their feet at an early age, breaking the arches of their foot, and stuffing them into small decorative shoes. Parents would subject little girls, sometimes even toddlers, to this painful practice in order to be accepted into society and attract a husband.

Is it really worth it to subject oneself to pain and discomfort, just to show up the next person?