Conclusion

Both fashion and power are things people can possess and larger systems. How does power dress? The question is what power? The establishment? The opposition? From the Western suit and tux to the Eastern turban and bisht, socially established men tend to dress in similar dark, full coverage clothing codes. Various types of subcultural groups modify and oppose these forms.

Woman in socially powerful positions display variation in fashion codes. Female power through clothing also evokes the questions of objectification and seduction using a feminine language of forms.

Fashion is used to reinforce and negotiate power; it can be used to unite and separate, and to command authority and attention.

There is also the potential for fashion to influence society by advancing cultural values.

In the words of Oscar Wilde, “A history of dress would be a history of minds; for dress expresses a moral idea; it symbolizes the intellect and disposition of a nation."