Democratisation of Fashion: Fashion

for All
Submitted by: Chehal Gulati, MAFMG13719 in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
of Masters in Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

Submitted to the Department of Business

31/October/2013

Pearl Academy
New Delhi

Table of contents
S.no

Topics

1 Introduction............................................................................................

Pg.no
1

2 Historical Background
Evolution of clothing
Clothing Dictated by Royalty.................................................................

3 Fashion Development
Effects of Industrial Revolution
Retailing in Nineteenth Centaury
Effect of communication on Fashion.......................................................... 5
Government Regulation of Fashion
Trend towards Casual fashion
Youth Buying Power
4 Theories of Fashion Movement................................................................

Trickle-down Theory
Trickle-across-Theory...............................................................................

Bottom-up-Theory
5 Fashions Free Culture
6 Democracy that Destroyed Fashion
7 Just Fashion..............................................................................................

8 Conclusion.............................................................................................

10

9 Bibliography..........................................................................................

11

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

The Paradox of fashion is that everyone is trying at the same time to be like, and to be
unlike, his fellow men-J.C Flugel 1930

Introduction
The term Democratisation of fashion states about fashion being available to the broader
section of society ,open to individual choice, and people have started practising it equally
and freely without any restrictions. In the early years of human being, clothing was a
matter of pride, status and a distinctive feature from one class to another. Over the last
400 years we can see a huge development in the fashion industry. Industrial revolution
has played an important role in making clothing accessible and feasible to the masses.
Fast fashion is taken as a survival strategy to cope with growing demand of the market.
While we can see that there is a decrease in exclusive designer clothing and fashion is
travelling down from haute couture to ready-wear. It has also been seen these days that
lot of Designers are combining with fast fashion giants and catching consumers
attention on the lines of affordable high-fashion. Recently, targets has done
collaboration with Missoni and Lagerfeld with H&M. (Haden, 2013) for some people,
democtrasitation of fashion could be mixing high end and low end designs. For an
example, one can wear a t-shirt from a street and wear it with a luxury brand. Fashion
and clothing has also been seen weighed on the scale of justice. Just fashion explains
and sees fashion as a society.

Historical Background
Evolution of clothing: Clothing is described as one of the basic needs of human kind.
Earlier clothing was used to protect our skin from severe climatic conditions and later on
it changed into a social phenomenon. Davis defines clothing as a type of
communication which is different from speaking and writing and he stresses that this
communication type is usually related with ego and basically related with cultural values
(gender, sexual life, social status, age) which constitutes our social identities. (Bilgen)
In the Neolithic age, early men used to cover themselves from plants (leaves and trees)
and animal skin. This signifies the functional aspect of clothing whereas slowly and
gradually shift started taking place from clothing as a necessity to clothing as a means to
express one self. This transition took place because of the epidemics, trade and changes
in civilisation.

Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

Clothing dictated by Royalty: Two classes existed in the mid seventeenth century, one
was wealthy and other was poor class. There was a difference in a way rich would dress
and poor would dress. In the ted talk show, Reynolds explains that in early 16th century
royalty wore elaborate clothing to show off their royal lineage and superiority .There
were various laws made on how a certain class would dress in order to keep the classes
distinct from each other. Elite were granted right to wear certain colours and fabrics, for
example rich could wear colours like black, purple, dark green. These colors were made
from expensive dyes which poor could not afford. On the other hand artisans had to wear
cheap dyes which would fade off with time. In the research paper of Bilgen, he describes
the type of dresses worn by both men and women. Women wore long gowns with long
sleeves and belts decorated with beautiful embroideries and stones. The characteristic
features of men clothing were tunic, tight fitted trousers, and capes and elaborated
headgears. Fabrics like velvet, silk, brocade were worn by the people lived in palaces
whereas cheap cotton, linen worn by lower class. (Frings, 1982)

Fashion Development
Effect of the Industrial revolution led to mass production: Frings explains the
significance of invention of sewing machine in 19th century. Sewing machine was one
such major invention in the history till date which has made mass production possible.
This revolution changed the face of fashion industry where ready to made apparel was
produced in large quantities.
(christman's), the authors cited a quote by William .C. Browning stating the meaning of
the term Democratisation of clothing:
And if it be true....we have provided not alone abundant clothing at a moderate cost for
all classes of citizens, but we have given them at the same time that style and character in
dress that is essential to the self-respect of a free, democratic people.
Retailing in nineteenth century: Fairs and Bazaars were the once the market place for
the customers but later on stores started to come in .There were two types of stores which
had brought fashion to the public: the specialty store and the department store. Speciality
stores were the ones where the brand or company is specialized in catering to only one
product line. Traditional handicraft store emerged itself into specialty store, which
further got popularized in the late 20th century. Departmental stores were one such
concept which brought the idea of buying different types of merchandise under one roof.
Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

It was the first time where people from all income groups could enjoy browsing and
shopping at the same time. (Frings, 1982)
The effect of communication on fashion: There was an increased availability of fashion
information going from one end to another by new communication media like mail
service, magazines, newspaper, .radio digital communication, internet, television. Media
and communication has made fashion to be seen by every person in some way.
Television was one such big influencer of fashion on public. (Frings, 1998)
Government regulation of fashion: After the Second World War, the United States
government wartime regulation restricted the use of fabric per garment. This led to the
limited use of trying and experimenting in fashion. For an example in first chapter of
fashion from concept to consumer, Frings has mentioned how government had put
restrictions on the way a certain garment would make. Hems could not exceed two
inches; there could be no ruffles and no cuffs on coats or suits for men and women; and
only one patch pocket was permitted. Zippers were not allowed; this rule fostered the
wraparound skirt. This restriction gave rise to the functional clothing for women who
can wear a masculine kind of silhouette .At that time women started working out and
playing the role of their men. Fashion remained quite stable during war years. Women
wore clothes that were functional and comfortable.
The trend toward Casual Fashion: After the Second World War, there was a search for
domestic stability, American families wanted to escape the cities and wanted to go in
suburbs where they could relax, spend some time with their families. Eventually the
fashion of elegant dress faded, the popularity of casual wear increased. American fashion
was developing its own distinctive style of easy to wear fashion.
Youth buying power: Frings stated in 1960s one major change in the history of fashion
was coming of baby boomers. They dictated their own distinctive fashion style. Young
fashion came into the picture and young crowds no longer wore couturier fashion, hence
youth fashion was huge hit spreading across the industry. Many designers during that
period designed for young youth. It was the first time fashion trickled up from
inexpensive clothes to couture.
Hence, by studying the developments in the 19th and 20th century one could make out
that everything is coming in full circle ,the industry now works on the needs of their
Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

customers. Now the fashion has gone to that democratic level where everything is made
for the people, by the people, of the people.

Theories of Fashion Movement

Three major fashion theories have been developed which helps to bridge the gap between
social classes that is, becoming in ones mind like them by wearing what they
wear. (Dikerson, 2003)
These theories are trickle-down theory, trickle across theory, trickle up theory.
Trickle-down theory: This theory is proposed by Veblen, 1963 where he explains that
fashion from the top pyramid of societal class travels down to lower pyramid. Fashion
gets trickled down slowly and gradually. First, fashion leaders allow themselves to
experiment with the new styles and then it moves down further to the middle class,
,where the style gets copied and made in comparatively lesser price than it was and then
the same style is sold in much cheaper versions .
According to the article written by Katt Gubb, he mentions that today high end
collections are taken as inspirations and are converted into affordable versions by the
high end stores. This is the trickledown theory in action where diluted version of catwalk
collection is available on the high streets.
David Walmsley, points out that trickledown theory has been the most influential in the
modern times as people who cant afford brands which costs them millions and dollars
would wait for the style to get cheaper and affordable. They are happy buying the cheap
versions of style in lot more reduced price. (Walsley, 2011)
In the article In defence of bling author Yashica Dutt has mentioned designer Rakesh
Aggarwal blaming television for the popularity of elements like sequence, Swarovski
that is being shown too much on the TV soaps .As a result it lead customers coming to
him ,bringing cut outs of the same designs and asking him to copy as it is. Bollywood
designer Manish Malhotra agrees to the fact that usually his designs are trickled down to
local stores and this trickled down versions doesnt have the same glaze as seen in the
originals. This transition of emulating states the fact of showing off and it lacks original
component in a design (Dutt, 2013)

Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

Trickle across theory: According to this theory, fashion spreads horizontally within and
across similar groups. This phenomenon was proposed by Charles W.King in 1963.
Bottom-up-theory: This theory states that fashion from street trickles up to the top end.
This theory is reverse of trickle-down theory. Greenberg and Glynn 1966, maintains that
young people are quicker and make individual styles of their own by mixing one style
with another and this fashion filters up not from young to old age but also from lower to
higher levels. (Dickerson, 2003)
In the twentieth century, fashion does not follow any trends as earlier people used to
follow a small group of innovators but today people are bringing everything together
from here and there and combining it together to form a style statement .For them
fashion has no rule book, it is anything that goes well with their look and comes in their
budget. (Doona, 2012)

Fashions Free Culture

Democratisation of fashion can be looked from one more perspective that is anybody
could copy any design and sell it as their own design .There is no copy right protection
but there is a trademark protection .Many fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Top shop
are following the strategy of copying the high fashion. In video, Lessons from fashions
free culture Johanna clearly explains that why fashion industry does not have a copy
right protection? it is due to the fact that fashion is too utilitarian and does not qualify to
have copy right protection. Johanna gives another explanation of copying where she puts
designers point of view about copying their product. Now designers experiment and
develop new ideas to make their product look different. They try making those things
which are hard to replicate and avoid making designs that are too easy. Hence, designers
cannot have copy right protection but their designs can be researched well so that nobody
else could copy. (Blakely, 2010)

Democracy that Destroyed the Fashion

In this article the author, choufan points out how fashion is going from one point to
another point and has become a point of discussion based on the rights available to each
one of us. It is being measured on the terms of democracy. The democratic aspect is
being taken as a concept by major retailers or big fashion brands where the masses have
an access to consume elite fashion or they have a choice of selecting a piece from an
Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

array of options, whereas this notion was usually reserved for those with power. Choufan
shows resentment and blames trend adaptation as a major cause. It was disappointing
and disrespectful for all the members of design fraternity where they could see their
designs getting copied and selling from the shelves at lower prices. While on the other
hand, this phenomenon has been received an approval through popular claim I have the
right to buy the clothing advertised in vogue at lower price (Choufan, 2013)
The outlook of fashion industry has changed the view of manufactures and designers
who were once concentrating on the way its need to be styled and designed .Now their
concern has been shifted to the amount of fabric used and price concern attached to the
garment. The author argues on the cheap and affordable term given to the piece of art
which lacks creativity and expression a designer puts in his long hours work. Thus,
democratisation is promoting decrease in creativity and increase in mass production. In
the name of pluralism every retailer is focusing on the singular lines where you can see
every brand is keeping the same product on same theme that too on similar prices. It will
further decline the signature style and uniqueness.
Another view, Rabklin has emphasised in his article is that providing access to
affordable clothing is a noble thought, but, this goal was forgotten long time ago by the
rise of irresponsible consumer behaviour. The price of clothing started to fall and people
were able to buy more. Author Rabklin replaces the word democratisation of fashion
with basterdisation of fashion taking designers idea and watering them down for mass
consumption. (Rabklin, 2012)
Real style is a matter of taste. And taste is a matter of experience. Just like ones tastes
in music, art or books, taste in clothes forms over time. It takes effort and knowledge.
Buying into a style, quickly and cheaply, inevitably leads to the disposability of style.
(Rabklin, 2012)

Just Fashion
Justice concerns the issues of rightness, fairness and equity.(Busch, 2012). In our
everyday life, we consume fashion in one form or the other. We all do fashion in order to
look good, to be seen amongst our peer groups, to feel ourselves safe and to project
ourselves differently. Somewhere down the line we forget our insecurities and feel that
we are at the top. Yet at the same time, we all know that it is just for some time duration.
We all would like to be in centre stage by wearing clothes that are made by well known
Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

personalities. Through those clothes some people portray themselves as wealthy and
powerful. These people are most of the time dictated by fashion leaders and they
unknowingly follow them.
According to Otto von Busch Fashion is an atomizing phenomenon in which elitism
seems so natural to us that we do not even consider its inherent injustices We as a
people think that we all have equal opportunities, choices to make and there is a fair
distribution of goods. We are somehow made to believe that we all have an access to
fashion but at the same time we are put aside from making decision ,self determining , as
the goods are already been decided and put on the stores. We feel great that we have a
choice to select our own fashion but we fail to understand that someone else has decided
for us.
Today also, many people are excluded from the realm of fashion. These people are not
only excluded on the bases of monetary funds but also size, gender, race, body type and
abilities. (Busch, 2012)
Design humanism is the exercise of design activities in order to interpret the needs of
social groups and to develop viable emancipative proposals in the form of material and
semiotic artefacts (Buonsiepe 2009: 213).
Our fashion industry largely promotes Glamorous fashion to public. Many designers
restrict themselves and design only for certain s groups. They do not design for needy,
socially backward groups. Vernok Scott a college design student in 2012 started an
initiative to design for social change. She had initiated an empowerment plan where she
wanted to design a MPWK coat, self heated, and water proof coat that transforms into
sleeping bag at night .This coat was only designed for the homeless people. This project
justifies and well goes with the idea of democratisation. Whereas, this coat will hardly
become a fashionable garment according to the standards set in the fashion industry.
There are some people who have been facing with problems like when they have to
struggle for their size and fit. Karen bowerin in 2010, have tried filling this gap in the
clothing market, to fit the requirement and needs of people with specifications. After
this, he had also created man sizes in jeans, developed lines for petite, maternity, small &
tall. Nowadays fashion is not only about being for the tall , the thin and young people but
also it has to offer clothes for round,old,short. While these people were always been
criticized for the things which they have been given by nature. (Carbone, 2012)
Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

One body that is often gets left out is the disabled or differently abled person. There is
one clothing that is never been given importance is that for a seated person. It is usually
encountered that whenever a person using a wheel chair comes to shop ,hes being seen
struggling for help when it is required .Sales people , are not been trained to provide
help to those who are in wheelchairs. That is because they have seen clothing made just
for abled person and who can dress themselves. The needs of other physically challenged
people are not met by fashion industry. However, things have started to change and new
brands, Non-profit organisations are coming up with new clothing made especially for
physically challenged. (Kenny, 2012)

Conclusion:
One of the key paradoxes in fashion is perceived equality. Yes, we can say now that
everybody can dress fashionably. This social phenomenon has been popularised by fast
fashion retailers by selling at cheap prices and eliminating the social differences around
us. Young people today can buy a lot more goods and products than their parents
.Simultaneously we can see that there are groups who barely recognise their income
levels, barely afford food. On one hand we can see things like job security, possibility to
own a house seems to have disappeared from basic list. Consumer democracy is seen in
the form of cheap goods and can be a politics of the day. Now we can dress and imitate
the one we aspire to be .Simultaneously, we can also dress distinctively to put ourselves
different from other culture and ethnicities.
Todays cheap and fast fashion is said to be accessible and mass produced for all. But to
conclude from the above essay, I would say people are still excluded, unseen, uncounted,
missed, discriminated on the bases of clothing and fashion. If fashion is to be equated
with democracy then there is a lot more to do than cheap mass production. It should
emphasise more on the needs, more on sharing the beauty of art, design with the whole
society rather than offering services to niche class.

Chehal Gulati

Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

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Democratisation of Fashion- Fashion for All

M.A Fashion Marketing
2013-2015

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Chehal Gulati

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