1PART1THEORYOFFASHIONDESIGNLesson1WhatIsFashion?概述了流行的基本概念和特性。Fashion，whichisasoldastimeandasnewastomorrow，isoneofthemostpowerfulforcesinourlives.Itinfluenceswhatwewear，thewaywetalk，thefoodsweeat，thewaywelive，howandwherewetravel，whatwelookat,andwhatwelistento．Fashioniswhatleadsustodiscardaproductthatisstillusefulbutisnolonger“in．”①Itisalsowhatmakesussometimeswearmoreclothesthanwemayactuallyneed,andsometimeslessthanisneededtoprotectUSfromthecoldorthesun．Theintensitywithwhichchangesinfashionarefollowedbypeopleeverywhereonalllevelsofsocietyisevidenceofitssocialsignificanceanditsimpactonhumanbehavior．②Tobe“outoffashion”isindeedtobeoutoftheworld．TheLanguageofFashionManydefinitionsoffashionhavebeengivenbywiseandwittyorlearnedmenandwomen．Forexample,toOscarWilde．“fashionisaformofuglinesssointolerablethatwehavetoalteriteverysixmonths．“AndaccordingtoAmbroseBierce．“fashionisadespotwhomthewiseridicule⋯andobey．”Thoreauphilosophizedthat“everygenerationlaughsattheoldfashionsbutfollowsreligiouslythenew．”AndShakespearewrotethat“fashionwearsoutmoreapparelthantheman．”(3)FashionMeansConsumerAcceptanceAmongthecountlessdefinitionsOffashion,theonefromWebster’slatestunabridgeddictionary(theThirdInternational)comesveryclosetowhatprofessionalsmeanwhentheyusetheword：theprevailingoracceptedstyleindressorpersonaldecorationestablishedoradoptedduringaparticulartimeorseason．Themostwidelyrecognizedfashionauthority,thelateDr．PaulH．Nystrom,definedfashioninsimilarwordsas“nothingmoreorlessthantheprevailingstyleatanygiventime．”④Thus，afashionisalwaysbasedonaspecificstyle．Astyle，however，doesnotbecomeafashionuntilitgainsconsumeracceptance，anditremainsafashiononlyaslongasitisaccepted．Forexample，bowties，taperedjeans，crinolineskirts，andchemisedressesareandwillalwaysbestyles，buttheycanonlybecalledfashionsifandwhentheybecomeprevailingstyles．Itisclearlypossible，moreover，foraparticularstyletocomeinandgooutoffashionrepeatedly．Someexamplesofsuch‘‘insandouts”offashionarepeasantblouses，sheathdresses，paddedshoulders，andcircularskirts，tonamebutafew．Theelementofsocialacceptanceistheveryessenceoffashion．Acceptance，however，doesnotmeanthatastyleisnecessarilywornbyeveryoneorevenbyamajorityofthepublic．Acceptancecanbeandusuallyislimitedtoaparticulargroupofpeopleortoaparticularlocation．Forexample，whatNewYorkmenandwomenwearisoftenunacceptableinotherpartsoftheUnitedStatesthathavemarkedlydifferentclimatesormores．Furthermore，whatispopularamongaparticularageoroccupationalgroupmaynotbeacceptedbythoseofdifferentagesoroccupations．2FashionTrendFashionsarenotstatic;thereisalwaysmovement,andthatmovementhasadirection,discernibletocarefulobservers．Thedirectionsinwhichfashionsaremovingarecalledfashiontrends．Forexample,skirtlengthsmaybemovingupfromthecalftotheknee—perhapsalmostimperceptiblyfromoneseasontothenext,butgenerallyinanupwarddirection．Shortjackets，asanotherexample，maygraduallybegainingattheexpenseofhip—lengthstyles．Men'stiesmaybegettingwiderornarrower；women'sshoesmaybegettingclunkierormoreelegantlyslim；theathleticworkoutlookmaybegettingmoreorlesspopularinotherleisure-timeclothes：andsoon．Thechangefromseasontoseasonmaybeslight，buttheygenerallyhaveadirection．Theabilitytorecognizethatdirectionortrendisvitaltofashionpractitioners．Sincethes...
