Top 3 Reasons Why Fashion is Important

When you hear the word "fashion," what do you think of? Some may picture skinny models walking down a runway in million dollar pieces of fabric, others may think of famous movies depicting the fashion industry. As a fashion lover, I often find the practice does not earn the credit it deserves in terms of importance. To me, fashion is an art. It's a career, a passion, a lifestyle. Here are the top 3 reasons why I believe fashion is important:

Photo taken fromfashion-design-course.com

1. Fashion requires creativity. Whether you're getting dressed in the morning or designing a collection for New York Fashion Week, putting together pieces of clothing requires a sense of creativity and passion. Fashion offers an outlet for imagination and experimentation. While some people may use music or sports as an outlet to express themselves, others can use fashion to do so. This is an extremely important aspect of self-discovery, and can even help promote self-confidence. Personally, I often find that when I look presentable, I feel better about myself. It is important to promote creativity in order to explore and comprehend the world. Fashion can help to increase opportunities, form new connections and reach new understandings. 
2. Fashion is an important aspect in culture and religion. Each country is associated with different cultural pieces of clothing. Many associate Levi jeans with American culture, as well as the Hijab with Islamic culture. In Judaism, women and men wear head coverings as a sign of modesty and to honor God. Fashion plays a significant role in human culture and religion because of its ability to physically demonstrate ideas and beliefs. 
3. Fashion depicts time. Certain pieces of clothing are associated with different time periods. I'm sure many of you, for example, associate leg warmers and neon colors with the 80's. In turn, fashion allows us to relate specific and important historical time periods with different articles of clothing and fashion styles. Trends are always shifting, demonstrating its relationship with time. 

Here is an interview with Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue, from The Colbert Report. Watch this and listen to why she believes fashion is important. Please comment with any thoughts, I would love to hear them!