The cultural context of Fashion Change Fashion change exists within a broad cultural context. Changes in the cultural patterns of society involve changes in knowledge, artistic and literary styles, ideas and beliefs, and modes of behavior. Cultural influences not only affect the form which changing fashion objects take, but also affect the speed of fashion change within a society. Culture is viewed as the distinctive way of life of a group of people, or, more generally, the beliefs or customs of all people. The primary influence on the type of clothing people wear is cultural.
Clothing is one category of material expression of culture.
Since it may be observed, it serves as a tool or key for those attempting to understand other cultures, or their own. The strength of cultural traditions varies based on how deeply the tradition has been imbedded in the way of life of the culture under study and is related to resistance to change. Includes customs which are based on traditional patterns of behavior. Violations for going against formal traditions can range from arrests to social shock. These are passed from generation to generation and are very slow to change.