Review article

Decoding Fashion: Cultural Values and Theoretical Interpretations

Duje Kodžoman orcid.org/0000-0001-7548-3535 ; University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology, Zagreb, Croatia *

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Fashion is not only a compelling and meaningful part of culture but also a complex reflection of cultural values, theoretical interpretations and ideas. Understanding the meaning of clothing is crucial, as fashion can reveal the underlying nature of a society and its culture. This review paper presents some of the most important theoretical interpretations used to explain the phenomenon of fashion. The analysis is divided into two thematic parts: a) the linguistic distinction between fashion and clothing; and b) theoretical approaches and interpretations of fashion, which encompass Marxism and post-Marxism, structuralism and post-structuralism, semiotics, the British school of cultural studies, ontology, anthropological and sociological approaches, new visual-theoretical disciplines, and theories of fashion diffusion (trickle-down, trickle-up, and trickle-across). This literature review highlights key efforts to reinterpret cultural values through the lens of various theoretical frameworks. It concludes that the interdisciplinary nature of fashion, often falling between distinct academic fields, makes it an especially compelling subject of study for scholars.

Keywords

Clothing; Fashion Theory; Semiotics; Cultural Studies; Interdisciplinary Approaches

Hrčak ID:

328069

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/328069

Publication date:

19.12.2024.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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