Do you think fashion can be considered a form of art and self expression?

Question

I have been pondering the nature of art and esthetics for a while now.
I think the most interesting questions are about what things are and are not art.
Questions like are video games art? is interior design an art? is cooking and food preparation an art? And is fashion an art?

On one hand wearing clothing is a form of self expression but on the other hand clothing is something you need to stay warm and protect yourself for the elementals.

The clothing you wear tell other people a little about you without you needing to say something. It tells people what you are like as a person and what collective you identify with.
If you wear a shirt a sports team that means you are a fan of of that sport team.
If you wear a Harry Potter tee shirt or cosplay play as a character then that means you are a fan of that piece of media.
If you wear a school uniform or just a shirt with the name of the school that means you are a student form that school.
If you wear a hat with a political slogan on it then that means you are a member of that political faction.
If you are wearing a suit and tie (or a professional dress if you are female) you are saying you have money and have places to be.

Do you think fashion would be considered as an applied art?

AmandaYVR · Accepted Answer

Good question, Ryan. But this is fairly easy. You're right that it can be art but is also necessity. But there is a line (and it doesn't need to be a very sharp, distinct line.) It's the same thing as with your food example - you can eat very simple, plain food that is part of the culture but has absolutely zero creativity. It's just very basic sustenance. Or the same as a person walking into one basic store, like Walmart or Target or Home Depot, and trying to buy indoor and outdoor furniture etc. there. Also not art. Function and price.

Fashion is art. No question. But normcore is not. Wearing a cosplay t-shirt is self-expression, but self-expression is also not necessarily art. I think to even hint that these things could be art, devalues the term art.

What is, then, art? Conscious, careful, thoughtful, expressive, unique, curated selections based on thought, planning, and ultimately making choices filtered down from thousands (or infinite) options. And, creating a final product that has aesthetic beauty, and that not only that person appreciates and no one else, but others as well. Something to marvel at, to bask in, to bathe the eyes in... eye candy.

Annon_6 · Accepted Answer

As someone with a degree in fashion design and who studied art history before that, I think fashion is definitely a form of art. BUT there’s a HUGE difference between the type of fashion I would classify as art and the type that has more utilitarian purpose. A t-shirt from Target, Zara, Pretty Little Thing, Forever 21 etc is definitely not art; it’s simple piece of clothing that’s meant to serve its purpose. Its main purpose is not to be pleasant on the eye or to send out a clear message. The stuff from the runway, high end clothing, Haute couture, especially, is art. Those pieces were created with months and months of research on the inspiration, every detail is thought after and is there with a purpose, everything has a meaning and the designer is sending a message through that garment. It’s like a sculpture but with fabric instead of clay or marble. The designs for the mass production are always toned down and most of the time shape/silhouettes are basic and “normal” so average consumers would buy them.

WhiteSteve · Accepted Answer

I think it can be. Like to dress WELL is certainly a skill, if not an art. I guess it is an art, in the sense that, to do it correctly, you need to understand color wheels and complementary color combinations, you need to understand fits/cuts, there’s a knack to varying fabric textures and contrasting your patterns’ types (say like, cotton chinos paired with a denim shirt and a tweed tie) and sizes (medium-sized floral pattern on your tie combined with small microdots on your pocket square, and a sport coat with a large windowpane pattern, as an example... there’s a lot of fine tuning when get really into it).

So yeah, when you combine everyone’s individual expression with the “rules” (or the intentional disregard of those rules), you can do something traditional, or you can create something very unique, often in certain styles, and it often represents something about the “artist”, as more conventional forms of art can.

hikerunbeer · Accepted Answer

I have been pondering this lately as well. I've even gone as far as thinking that modeling is a form of art as well.

I don't think that what you wear necessarily portrays who you are as a person. You can be feeling fancy one day and throw on a bro shirt with some jersey shorts the next.

I think the best feeling is when you wear something that fits awesome and makes you feel like a million bucks. It can be from a department store or even thrifted. It doesn't matter.

To recap, I do believe fashion is an art form specially when you pick out items that work together in order to reach a specific look.

Dress in what makes you feel empowered.

PBandJ_Nerd · Answer

Yes, fashion is part of art, as well as many other things in this world. Art makes up a part of lots of the things we have now. Our houses, buildings, furniture, vehicles, makeup, video games, cartoons, books, novels, music, instruments, etc. were all made by some sort of artist (and even designed) at one point. Art isn't just limited to painting, drawing, and coloring like some people make it out to be. Self-expression is also a part of art too, as the different styles tell you about the person who made it.

Anis09 · Answer

Absolutely, in the past, different cultures use diverse materials (typical of their area) and create clothes and ornaments that tell about their culture and their representation in their society: warrior, priest, lord, etc. All that give information like the DNA about them.

Nowadays fashion shows our interest (movies, musical genders, tendencies, beliefs and is a way how we support our ideas: social (when is for raised money to a specific cause or make visible society problems), political and ecological (when you decide to buy something that is eco-friendly). Also, targeting tracking allows fashion and technology to create new experiences for people individualizing every piece of clothing. In addition, minority groups that bellow to aboriginal cultures continue using their own fabrics to maintain their legacy. re-state://background_color_rgba (0, 0, 0, 0), font_color_rgb (77, 77, 77), justifyLeft

MissDawn7961 · Answer

I am a Christian and dress like a Christian wearing tops and skirts and I am a lady as well ! others do notice the way I am dressed as in my being covered from neck to knee in womens apparel ! I do not let my shoulders , cleavage or above my knees be seen by others ! for I wear what God wants me to wear and what the bible calls - womens modest apparel - ! I was at this yard sale and this woman noticed how I was dressed and she said to me - your a religous lady aren't you - so I said to her - yes I am - ! so I guess the way I dress shows others who look at me that I am a Christian lady ! thanks

chris0977 · Answer

Not unless you make it yourself, because it's absent any creativity, or expression of self, but simply selection from presentations of limited choice present by culture, further, few study history to even gather ideas from previous generations, as inspiration, often only limiting themselves to copying what's put directly in front of them & around them.

Fashion can be a form of art & self expression, but, in modern society, this would be equivalent to a painter who has no ability to paint, buying another's art, and claiming it "self-expression".

DiscomfortZone · Answer

Have you seen what qualifies as "art" nowadays? There's some attention whore from whatever-ville actually using her period cunt blood to "paint" and people call it art. You could literally take a shit on the floor and take a selfie with it and the stupid masses would call you an artist. So yes, under those term of non-art, anti-art amd wow-I'd-be-ashamed-to-be-this-person's-parent, yes, "fashion" could qualify as "art".

errorgoodnameunfound · Answer

As much as I agree that fashion = fascism pun from the anime Kill La Kill, I could also understand people that would like fashion as form of art. That and protection from the elements are about the only good reason to wear clothes. Besides that, waaaay too much money sucked up from it.

potatoiswhoiam · Answer

No, I wouldn't say it's an art. Art requires the creation of something new and unique. At least the way I see it, there is no creation when picking an outfit.. sure, there is creativity, but you don't create a piece of art. I think designing clothes can be considered as art, but fashion of more about self expression without it having to do with art. Being artistic, maybe, but being an artist - I don't think so.

ThongQueenFlirt · Answer

The way you dress, speaks volumes to others. The colors with the style you're trying to portray may come across to some as art. When I was younger, A lot of my styles came from the 30s and 40s. People would say, Billie Holiday, and I would smile! So it can be art and self-expression. I get my point across.

CoolGuyJoe · Answer

I think fashion is an applied art and can be learned/mastered like other art forms. Think of it as decorating your body. There are many layers to it, from fabric, fit, shape, color, size, style, accessories and even preparation like ironing and starching.

Definitely worth investing time in. A persons body is a canvas, and better decorators do stand out.

Yuushiro · Answer

Yes, it absolutely can... but it can also be a way to keep warm, or show off your sexuality, or a number of other things.

For the most part, I don't think fashion is an art form, however if someone puts creative energy into it, it's a perfectly valid medium for art.

I hope this helps.

Liz_thorne · Answer

I don't know if it can be called art but it is absolutely a very important tool of self expression for many people.
Fashion is a very big, very important thing in my life, not in the sense that I follow trends but that putting together interesting outfits and coordinating my personal style could very well be considered hobbies of mine.

Unit1 · Answer

In a certain way it is a part of your self presentation - including art.
That's why you see bimbos wearing ripped pants and nerds wearing weird looking clothes and losers/hobos wearing whatever they can get their hands on.
If you do not feel comfortable wearing what you wear and how it makes you look like, then you are not presenting your true self and it likely impacts your confidence also.
I know that because I've had these problems for a long time until I made my own money.

sweet87 · Answer

If anything I think it conveys a sense of conformity, wanting to fit in and be like the rest of the crowd. I'm guilty of it too as some things that are fashionable are nice, so I think there's a good and bad side to it, particularly the throw away culture aspect of it, most clothes I buy I will get at least ten years out of, I hate wasting things and refuse to contribute to landfill so I recycle more or less everything I own once I'm finished with it.

Astarlessnightsky · Answer

I think regular casual fashion is not really a form of art, but it is definetly a form of self expression.  It is also a cultural or subcultural thing.

StephenCF · Answer

Definitely! I especially feel powerful depending on what I wear, if not who I am, that’s why I’m an advocate for timeless style (not trendy style as people look worthless in those after a few years or less) 🎩👔🕺

VanityFair748 · Answer

Of course. Not for everyone, but I tend to express myself with clothes I wear and it really entertains me choosing and thinking about how to dress up.

Flower7 · Answer

Yes, fashion can be art. It involves different colors, materials, and styles, so an outfit can definitely come out as a work of art.

AdithyaR · Answer

For some people clothes and fashion can be a form of expression. Basically the entire point of people taking careers in fashion designing cause that's how they express themselves.

Anonymous · Answer

Unless it is unusual / unique to you no.  Many people like to emulate celebrities & similar people's clothing sense so that makes them as unusual / unique or an art form as a centipede.

Liam_Hayden · Answer

Of course it can be. In fact much of fashion, just like high quality watches, requires real talent and are more artistic than many modern paintings and sculptures,

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