Fashion-ology

Yuniya Kawamura is Professor of Sociology at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA. She is the author of Fashioning Japanese Subcultures (2012, Berg), Sneakers (2016, Bloomsbury Visual Arts) and Doing Research in Fashion and Dress, (2nd edition, 2020, Bloomsbury Visual Arts).

Preface to the Third Edition

1. Introduction
Etymology of Fashion
Fashion as a Concept and a Phenomenon
Proponents and Opponents of Fashion
Studies of Fashion in Social Science
Outline of the Book
Guide to Further Reading

2. Sociological Discourse and Empirical Studies of Fashion
Classical Sociological Discourse of Fashion
Fashion, Modernity, and Social Mobility
The Origin of the Fashion Phenomenon
Sociological Studies of Fashion since the Mid-twentieth Century
Fashion and the Sociology of Culture
Fashion as a Manufactured Cultural Symbol
Youth Subcultures in Fashion Research
Gender and Race in Modern and Postmodern Fashion Discourse
Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading

3. Fashion as an Institutionalized System: From Paris to the Mediatized World
Theoretical Framework of Fashion-ology
Fashion as a Myth Supported by the System
Different Approaches to Fashion Systems
The Beginning of the Fashion System
Fashion Production as Collective Activity
Empirical Study: The French Fashion System as a Prototype
The Decentralization of Fashion Geography from Paris to the World
Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading

4. Designers and Consumer: The Personification of Fashion
Designers in the Studies of Fashion
Designers, Creativity, and Social Structure
Legitimation of the Designer’s Creativity
The Star System of Designers
Hierarchy Among Designers in the Fashion System
The Adoption and Consumption of Fashion
Consuming Fashion as Symbolic Strategy
Social Visibility of Fashion
Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading

5The Production, Gatekeeping, and Diffusion of Fashion
Diffusion Theories of Fashion
Gatekeepers: Making Aesthetic Judgments
Diffusion Strategies from Fashion Dolls to Fashion Shows
Fashion Propaganda through Advertising
Trickle-up and Trickle-Across Diffusions of Fashion
Subcultural Commercialization as a Trickle-up Process and Legitimation
Trickle-across Theory in Practice: A Collapse of Categorial Boundaries
Social Media Influencers as Gatekeepers and Disseminators
Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading
6The Diversification and Changing Landscapes of the Fashion Systems
The Four Leading Fashion Cities and Fashion Weeks
The Second-tier Fashion Cities and Theme-focused Fashion Weeks
Youth Subcultures as an Alternative Fashion System
The Metaverse as the Latest Fashion System
Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading

7Ecological and Social Sustainability in Fashion
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Ecological Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Sustainability Certification Standards for Clothing and Textiles Productions
Governments’ Regulations on Sustainability
The Evolution of Status Symbols: From Wasteful Consumption to Conscientious Consumption
Conclusion
Guide to Further Reading


8Conclusion

Appendix: Practical Guide to Sociological Research in Fashion and Dress
Notes
Bibliography
Index