Can Fashion be it's own Language?

Is it true that fashion can really have its own language in our world? The answer to this is yes! Today, there is a plethora of terms that relate to certain patterns, garments, and even the construction of clothing production. Most importantly these terms happen to play a key role in how people identify what they see or make, either in the fashion industry or just when looking for the latest trend in style.

In an blog post from a fashion website, a university student studying Fashion Design soon realized in the beginning of her collegiate career that entering the profession of Fashion would be similar to adapting to a new culture. When she first started school at the age of 19, she quickly picked up on how her lecturers, tutors, and technicians seemed to have their own foreign tongue. There, material fell into a certain classification such as fabric, photos were known as images, and even something as simple as magazines became sources.

This type of language to some people is seen somewhat as pompous and snobby, and is often used by people who feel that they are experts in fashion. However, I don't really see anything wrong with the terminology used by members of the fashion community. While these may not be words used in my vocabulary, I think that they still help create communication at a greater level outside of the industry. In fact, every industry has its own terminology. For example, in the field of Medicine practice, the knuckle is actually labled as the metacarpophalangeal joint. The term Materials be a collective word for the many components of garments beside fabric such as zippers or buttons.

Having some understanding and familiarity with terms in the fashion industry can help us become more sophistocated members of society. In fact, it would probably seem better to refer to fashion as style more often and label the fashion industry as the clothing industry, all in hopes of helping people feel less alienated to the world of fashion. 



Sources:
Zoe, The Language of Fashion, July 21st 2010, https://www.coletterie.com/inspiration/the-language-of-fashion
Kate Flether, The Language of Fashion and Sustainability, March 11th 2012, http://katefletcher.com/the-language-of-fashion-and-sustainability/