Artistic Reputations

You're right - aspects of fashion are not art. They are work.

But does that mean ALL of fashion is not art? Is there not room for both - the work involved in creating the art, the work involved in styling it? That being said, if you are to assume this it means the only "true" art of fashion is that which we simply enjoy viewing, but not wearing, because the very act of wearing the art involves work on the part of the consumer, which therefore makes it non-art, at least according to your logic.

Which is funny, though, because the act of styling an outfit is creating a new piece of art from other pieces, therefore making your work as a consumer actually the work of an artist. Isn't that also, say, the same as consuming literature? The novel, the poem - they're pieces of art you need to work to enjoy by reading and, in some cases, analyzing for deeper understand. And viewing all forms of art from this perspective, isn't each individual form that much more enjoyable and appreciated after doing the work to become well-versed in their creation to more deeply understand them?

These are all just thoughts within this discussion, and I'm curious what everyone has to say.

Reading a book and putting together an outfit are entirely different levels of work.
The book is there, start to end. I don't need to hunt down pieces on eBay, I don't have to wonder whether the pieces I put together will looks as good to others (especially the "fashion police") as they do to me. And most importantly, I don't have to read any books at all. Nobody is going to judge me on that, certainly not on first glance. And if I do read books, the ones that are held in high regard by the "literacy police" don't change much, year to year. I don't have to change my tastes every season according to random dictates.

I can listen to any new music that comes out without having to mix it myself out of separate random tracks I hunt down in different shops and online sources. Some people enjoy doing mixes, for themselves or to resell. But most of the public just listens to fully-put-together songs.
Why can't fashion be like that? Truly pret a porter? Why is it up to each and every consumer to be an artist? Why must we solve a new puzzle every season, spending time and money to collect the pieces? If you enjoy it, more power to you. But I don't.