Fashion is an informal category of dressing, behaviour, style and individuality in a certain context and at a certain time, of attire, footwear, fashion, makeup, hair style, and even body posture. In its more common usage, however, the word signifies a fashionable look generally defined by the fashion industry as what is in trend today. This is the kind of look that is stylish and fashionable, but does not necessarily conform to any specific time, age, culture or social situation. While many people use the terms interchangeably, fashion and trend are actually two different concepts.
Paris, the capital of France, is one of the world’s leading fashion cities. The fashion industry, which is now more popular than ever, has put Paris on the map as one of the top fashion destinations for tourists and fashionistas from around the world. Tourists looking for great fashion and haute couture have come to Paris with the aim of taking advantage of the numerous fashion shows and fashion weeks that take place in this beautiful city each year. It is said that the capital of France is a fashion par excellence.
Paris is home to some of the most respected designers of men’s and women’s designer clothes. The world famous couture designers carry their fashion design expertise over the Channel to give their fashionable clothes to retailers who sell them to customers. Many of these designers have to make their exclusive clothing available through private labels or limited edition events. A well known haute fashion designer is Christian Dior. The famous label began in 1947 and is still carried by many celebrities, including Dior’s current fashion advisers, Gautier and Riccardo Versace.
Besides designers, many other people play an important role in influencing what is considered to be fashionable in particular form or fashion. Professionals like fashion experts, fashion consultants, fashion designers, tailors, jewelry makers and even customers can all have an effect on what is considered to be fashionable. Shopping is always fun in Paris. Everyone seems to be in the mood to look great. In fact, there are fashion weeks in Paris that have become annual affairs. These fashion weeks are filled with fashion shows and photo shoots where the Parisians show off their latest skills and designs to the international crowds.
The Paris fashion industry is not just about clothes, it is also about accessories. Fashionable accessories include jewelry, handbags and shoes. Many of the most fashionable fashion designers in the world either begin their careers by designing their own clothes and accessories or by selling other people’s clothes and accessories. Many small fashion boutiques have opened in the major districts of Paris. These boutiques often feature unique clothing and accessories that are not found anywhere else in the city. At one time, these boutiques catered exclusively to high-fashion labels but nowadays, they often feature popular brands as well as new designs.
In the late nineteenth century, fashion design was dominated by tailors, who designed formal clothes for the rich and the affluent. However, with the growing popularity of dressmaking, which peaked during the cession of the Directory of Fashion Designers in 1875, the fashion world gradually changed. A small number of designers began to focus on fashion as a profession. They developed and improved clothes that were suited to individual needs rather than generalized styles. The development of mass production, economic globalization and the increasing influence of the Industrial Revolution made fashion designers more prominent in the nineteenth century than in earlier centuries.