Fashion, Sociology of

Fashion is a social phenomenon par excellence. A simple sociological definition of fashion is 'being first with the latest.' Its underlying principle is revealed in the link between the modus derivatives and the term 'modern,' with its original meaning of 'now' or 'for today.' Fashion revolves around imitation and diffusion, and it applies to all domains of social life, though most of the research is on garments. The field of fashion has been neglected, but since the mid-1990s, it has attracted sociologists studying production of fashion, identity, and the body in relation to fashion. What is lacking is theory development.