In modern society, fashion is becoming more highly valued in people’s choice of clothes. Why? Do you think it is a positive or negative development?

The fashion industry is prosperous in contemporary society and people would largely take fashion into account when picking up their clothes. I think that various reasons contribute to this phenomenon.

Above all, pursuing fashionable trend is human nature. Clothes have been playing an essential role in human being’s life since ancient times because wearing beautiful clothes can always make one feel confident and gain self-esteem.  At present, one fashion show after another is sweeping across the world annually just to give the fashion followers a clue as for what will be in fashion in the not-too-distant future. Therefore, an individual’s obsession about fashion is derived from his or her love and passion for life.

Another reason why man is fascinated by fashion lies in the fact that the choice of clothes can indicate one’s social status, family background and taste.  Clothes play different functions and one of them is to act as a role sign in a certain context. For instance, people have to dress formally in serious situations such as conference and funerals to show their seriousness. However, in various parties or social gatherings, they might dress as casually as possible to reflect their own wealth or taste. In this case, brand name clothes would be popular because people are eager to dress like those celebrities shown on the hit movies.

Personally I think this is a negative development. Firstly, too much time and money spent on fashionable clothes makes people develop a habit of spending more than they can afford. Luxurious clothes displayed in fashion show are beyond the reach of common people, so in order not to be looked down upon by others, one would borrow money and even steal money just to be able to afford them.  Secondly, fashion tends to last for a comparatively shorter period of time, and thus when clothes are out of fashion they would be thrown away. The temporary property of fashionable clothes would make individuals develop a habit of wasting.  Lastly, people might have more prejudices in terms of dressing stylishly as their attitudes towards fashion vary greatly from one to another.  A well-designed clothes with unique features may not be well accepted by others, which tends to make one upset.

In conclusion, it is feasible for people to be in pursuit of fashion in modern life, but it might not be a good idea for them to be obsessed about it excessively, which is a negative development.