Fashion Design

1. Why is fashion so reflective, when it could be purely functional and behavioral? (Why do people feel an impulse to express and redefine themselves through their clothes?)
Fashion is reflective because everyone has their own distinguishable personality and style. People want to convey this to others through the types of clothing they wear. People also conform to others, and want to be included and accepted. They will wear certain clothes in order to gain approval. We humans also wear certain clothes to stand out because we inherently like attention. Certain clothes also give off a sign of economical status.

2. Jones discusses the importance of time as it relates to fashion- why does fashion change and evolve, instead of remaining static and functional?
I think fashion changes and evolves because people's personalities and interests are continuously changing and evolving. The way a person chooses to express themselves through their attire one year can be different from how they do it the next year. The styles of celebrities and people we look up to are also changing, which effects how we choose to dress. Designers cater to this. Economic times are also continually changing, which effects the price of clothes and the amount of shoppers.
People also want to be seen as modern and knowledgeable of what is current. An example from the reading to support this is when Sue Jenkyn Jones also writes, "being seen to be ahead or abreast of new styles and aware of current events can gives us the edge in an increasingly competitive employment marketplace". She then goes to discuss how certain clothing can grant people access to certain places or people.

3. Based on the reading, make a checklist of principles to consider when designing a garment.
* Price- people want to get the value for the money they are spending
* Quality- fabric and manufacture evaluation of durability. Easy-care and disposability should be taken into account.
* Fit- this is a difficult aspect because everyone has different preferences. should be aware of natural and average proportions for target market and of true fit model rather than idealized body.
*Comfort- people want to feel comfortable in their clothes.
*Relevance- should be appropriate for lifestyle, work and leisure.
*Brand- unique qualities and consistency of a brand builds up a reputation
*Convenience and Service- customers want to find what they're loking for quickly and easily.