Artistic Reputations

The industries very existance is in fact a reinforcment of judging that is frankly unnecessary. And in my personal opinion you'll be judged and scrutinized based on your income rather than "fashion". That's what it comes down to, and it's a shallow way to live to be quite frank.

Interesting thought for you: one of fashion's biggest benefits is in first impressions. I agree that I think people can be very shallow when judging others, but you cannot deny the reality of first impressions in our world. In anything from fleeting seconds to quick minutes, two people meeting look at every facet of a person they can to determine how they feel about that person, whether that's if they're interested in talking with them at the bar, curious about continuing an interview for a job, or deciding what kind of treatment one receives in the service industry.

Time has solidified that those who do not care for their appearance are not treated the same as others. Is that fair? Absolutely not, but in a brief moment what would you do? This is the intersection between fashion and social psychology, when things like a potential job or date or a ticket on that next flight after yours was cancelled are on the line. And those who dress well are consistently held to higher esteem than those who don't.

The perfect example is, again, in jobs: if you were an interviewer, how would you respond in the 15 minutes you had with a potential candidate if they arrived on time looking slovenly, unkempt, with a dirty appearance and a rank odor? Sure they may be an ungodly genius in your field with an impressive resume, but perhaps one of their biggest faults is organization and time management, which is seen in how they present themselves at an interview. Would you want to hire them, especially if in this job market the next person you interview might have the same credentials but arrive beautifully put together?

[MENTION=1077]aslemn[/MENTION] and [MENTION=1257]ImagineAll[/MENTION] said it well when they highlighted fashion's subtle impacts in every facet of one's life. Just because they're not readily noticeable doesn't mean they aren't swaying someone's perception or opinion of you. Sure you can dislike that people judge based on fashion, but why not play it to your advantage by dressing well?

You like, you don't need. And the perspective of it's industry is not only on what it produces but it's attitude it presents. In my opinion the industry is no more fake/shallow/unforgiving has being an actor in hollywood. It's a huge conglormorate that says "buy this because we think it looks nice generally", there's no importance to that, like at all.

See above regarding importance, but with regards to the arrogance, I agree. Hell, I've heard from plenty of big names in the industry I worked with this summer that they especially dislike the "snobbery" and "egotism" seen within the fashion world. But there are plenty who aren't like that, and it's important to ignore someone's hubris in any walk of life. At the same time those with excessive self pride may still create amazing works of art or entertainment (see: my love, among many, for Lady Gaga), so it's also important to note the separation between hubris and creation.

Fashion is the single most socially relevant and frequently used form of art in the world, and people simply do not realize and appreciate that fact enough.

Actually I would argue that food is the most socially relevant and frequently used form of art in the world, and staunchly stand behind increasing its reputation among art forms. But I agree with fashion high up there, at either #2 or #3, for, again, its impact in almost every facet of daily interaction and personal identity.