Anthropological perspective

Anthropology, the study of culture and of human societies, studies fashion by asking why certain styles are deemed socially appropriate and others are not. A certain way is chosenby whom? and that becomes "the fashion" as defined at a certain time by a certain group of people as a wholecitation needed, so if a particular style has a meaning in an already occurring set of beliefs, then that style may become fashion.need quotation to verify According to Ted Polhemus and Lynn Procter, one can describe fashion as adornment, of which there are two types: fashion and anti-fashion. Through the capitalization and commoditization of clothing, accessories, and shoes, etc., what once constituted anti-fashion becomes part of fashion as the lines between fashion and anti-fashion are blurredby whom?.

Fashion and anti-fashion differ as follows: Anti-fashion is fixed and changes little over time. Anti-fashion varies depending on the cultural or social group one is associated with or where one lives, but within that group or locality the style changes little. Fashion is the exact opposite of anti-fashion. Fashion can change (evolve) very quickly and is not affiliated with one group or area of the world but spreads throughout the world wherever people can communicate easily with each other. For example, Queen Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation gown is an example of anti-fashion because it is traditional and does not change over any period, whereas a gown from fashion-designer Dior's collection of 1953 is fashion because Dior's style changes every season as Dior comes up with a new gown to replace the old one. In the Dior gown the length, cut, fabric, and embroidery of the gown change from season to season. Anti-fashion is concerned with maintaining the status quo while fashion is concerned with social mobility. Time is expressed in terms of continuity in anti-fashion and as change in fashion. Fashion has changing modes of adornment while anti-fashion has fixed modes of adornment. Indigenous and peasant modes of adornment exemplify anti-fashion. Change in fashion is part of the larger systemwhich? and is structuredby whom? to be a deliberate change in style.need quotation to verify

Today, people in rich countries are linked to people in poor countries through the commoditization and consumption of what is called "fashion". People work long hours in one area of the globe to produce things that people in another part of the globe are anxious to consume. An example of this is the chain of production and consumption of Nike shoes, which are produced in Taiwan and then purchased in North America.clarification needed. Commodities, whether running-shoes or sweatsuits, are no longer just utilitarian but have becomewhen? fashionable.need quotation to verify

The change from anti-fashion to fashion because of the influence of western consumer-driven culture can be seen in eastern Indonesia. The ikat textiles of the Ngada area of eastern Indonesia are changing because of modernization and development. Traditionally, in the Ngada area there was no idea similar to that of the Western idea of fashion, but anti-fashion in the form of traditional textiles and ways to adorn oneself were widely popular. Textiles in Indonesia have played many roles for the local people. Textiles defined a person's rank and status; certain textiles indicated being part of the ruling class. People expressed their ethnic identity and social hierarchy through textiles. Because some Indonesians bartered ikat textiles for food, the textiles constituted economic goods, and as some textile-design motifs had spiritual religious meanings, textiles were also a way to communicate religious messages.

In eastern Indonesia, both the production and use of traditional textiles have been transformedby whom? as the production, use and value associated with textiles have changed due to modernization. In the past, women produced the textiles either for home consumption or to trade with others. Today, this has changed as most textiles are not being produced at home. Western goods are consideredby whom? modern and are valued more than traditional goods, including the sarong, which retain a lingering association with colonialism. Now, sarongs are used only for rituals and ceremonial occasions, whereas western clothes are worn to church or government offices. Civil servants working in urban areas are more likely than peasants to make the distinction between western and traditional clothes. Following Indonesia's independence from the Dutch in the 1940s, people increasingly started buying factory-made shirts and sarongs. In textile-producing areas the growing of cotton and the production of naturally colored thread became obsolete. Traditional motifs on textiles are no longer considered the property of a certain social class or age-group. Wives of government officials are promoting the use of traditional textiles in the form of western garments such as skirts, vests and blouses. This trend is also being followed by the general populace, and whoever can afford to hire a tailor is doing so to stitch traditional ikat textiles into western clothes. Thus traditional textiles are now fashion goods and are no longer confined to the black, white and brown colour-palette, but come in an array of colours. Traditional textiles are also being usedby whom? in interior decoration and to make handbags, wallets and other accessories, which are considered fashionable by civil servants and their families. There iswhen? also a booming tourist trade in the eastern Indonesian city of Kupang where international and domestic tourists are eager to purchase traditionally printed western goods.

The use of traditional textiles for fashion is becoming big business in eastern Indonesia, but these traditional textiles are losing their ethnic identity-markers and are being usedby whom? as an item of fashion.page needed