Gone are the days when “fashion” was defined by french designers whose clothes could only be bought by the elite. Designers are now following the cues of mainstream consumers and we see creativity being channeled much more into mass marketing than into clothing design. Although fashion was initially created for the privileged few, in the late 19th and 20th centuries mass production made fashion accessible to the majority.

In the 19th century, the distinctive feature of fashion was the imposition of a general pattern that nevertheless left room for the display of personal taste. The change in fashion has accelerated with the great changes in clothing that take place every twenty years.

The 20th century was characterized as the era of mass production, mass consumption and mass media. Mass fashion has become a form of popular aesthetics and a means of self- improvement and self-expression. Advances in technology and materials used in the production of clothing have made items more comfortable, cheaper and attractive to a greater proportion of the population. At the beginning of the 20th century, mass consumption of fashion clothes increased in the sphere of fashion promotion and advertising, leading to unlimited diversification. The fashion industry has become more complex and fashion ranges have been shortened to ten years.

Today, major changes in fashion often occur, but choices and selections have increased so mainstream fashion is one choice among many, including recycled clothing, vintage clothing, and wearable art. Furthermore, easily recognized fashion rules such as strict proportions, hem lengths and silhouettes now relate more to a group’s particular look than a stylish look for everyone.