Abstract
Fashion as a research field has become complex and diverse in recent years. Yet, there have been few attempts to discuss fashion studies from a consolidated point of view. This article addresses this void by revealing the three “Clothing and X” methodological approaches that have transformed fashion studies to date, namely, “Clothing and Consumerism,” “Clothing and Body,” and “Clothing and Media.” This is followed by a consideration of tasks for further sociological inquiries.
First, this article presents the “Clothing and Consumerism” approach, which discusses the phenomenon of vogue in fashion from two aspects and results in the taxonomical breakdown of fashion studies. Subsequently, the section on “Clothing and Body” reveals how, within the movement, phenomenological views that assumed the body as a source and objectified clothing, coexisted with attempts to discuss the historicity of clothing and discover the formalized body. Finally, it demonstrates that the “Clothing and Media” outlook focuses on the role of magazines concerning fashion and the demography of their readers.
Having canvassed the three methodological approaches in fashion studies, this article argues that future sociological inquiries of fashion must not only consolidate and reflect on these approaches but also advance beyond the form of “Clothing and X” and discuss the sociality of clothing and its changes.
