Posted by me on Ask Andy’s forum..
Fashion is about power structures/hierarchies.

( essentially ..that is )

Important for young people as a public statement of individual power …against the parental powers that have ruled their lives.
Hence the annoyance when the Parents dress like them…..THAT is against the dress code.

Important for workers to dress alike ..like soldiers..helps to stamp out the individuality that is important in the previous teen scenario.Helps large scaling of organisations.

Important to help outsiders assess the rung of the power ladder you are on, so that any converstion need not have to centre around establishing status….hence Purple for emperors….silks for nobleman ( and banned for uppity peasants as in England during the Medievil times ).

Once you’ve establised large scale order…economic benefits mean that individual will discover leisure time…time to just enjoy the clothes they wear …or others wear ..just for the sake of it…like in Andys Forums..

The teenage scenario also requires wealth and an essentially idle teen -class.( that is not working up a chimney ..but obessed with itself )

In the large scaled ‘orders’.. the idle wealthy thus created , can afford to live forever but can’t buy youth…so they pay youthful designers to help differentiate themselves from the masses that can buy cheaply and widely .( to keep the distance )….

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