Most people want to look attractive, at least under certain circumstances. But what is considered beautiful is also subject to variation. Ideals of beauty also change over time within the same culture, as we will see. Status or Identification with one's social group is clearly a very important purpose of dress. Fashion or style is another purpose that drives dress in some cultures.
Fashion is a process by which the accepted form of dress is transformed.
Mass fashion as it is has been termed in industrialized societies is transformed for reasons that are basically economic. Mass fashion is driven by a manufacturing and distribution system that is motivated to promote frequent changes in styles- that is, frequent changes in the definition of what kinds of dress are beautiful, or confer the desired status or group identity. Clothing Construction Historically the basic forms of clothing construction can be divided into four categories. The Roman toga, the Indian sari, and the Indonesian sarong are all garments of this type. Semifitted garments are assembled from simple shapes, usually rectangles, and seamed.