Fashion holds within it many reflections of what influences our culture. As fashion is much about the visuals as it is about what is tactile, is it no surprise that some of these influences are literal, such as flora or architecture. In some instances we have cultural influences such as literature or music to redirect attention while at other times it is connections to history. Much is what we see as that is the core of what fashion addresses, especially in an age where collections are being increasingly strategized to work with our social media. naturally, what we see should also be the foundation of what influences its image and form.

Some aspects like elements reflecting a current pop culture phase are fleeting (jazzercise in the 80s) while others endure (shoulder pads and oversize in the 80s). Some are recurring (minimalism) while others are perpetual. The latter can tell us a lot about a society's larger station in its evolutionary path. It can denote class distinctions, sexual mores, gender roles and cultural priorities.

The same influence can have different meanings and attachments in various periods yet its presence lets us know of an underlying theme that an issue or aspect of concern is recurring. One influence in particular, mentioned a few times already in this blog, if the embrace of all that is military. 

We have seen this infiltrate fashion for much of the 20th century, especially from around the Second World War onwards. Sometimes it is the clean orderly crispness that a uniform upholds that is embraced while at other times it is the ragged charge into battle expressed in fatigues. if military was revered for its command of respect and order in the 40s and 50s, it was reviled in the 60s and 70s as it was worn with irony as youth rejected its  presence. The militant undertones was embraced in the edgier anarchistic subcultures in the 80s 

In the years where our technology took off and the world became more available to see, the military had found a new audience marveling at its technical might. Even the camouflage had changed, becoming pixilated and in various hues reflecting different international campaigns. The support of military was found via common enemies for all to fight against: the war on terror and its impact on once-treasured freedoms. Governments looking for a new way to galvanize the public while building greater societal control capitalized on the notion of military might as the ultimate solution. 

Governments have found ways to manipulate this fear all the way back to cold war levels. Various alerts and drills keep the public on its toes, on edge for whatever threat may come while dissent is looked with suspicion as unpatriotic. An almost nationalistic undertone is being cultivated in the more mundane aspects of entertainment while military is now a mainstay in video games. And what of fashion?

The chaos of the world is combated with orderly military touches and shades of olive. Casual wear features relaxed fatigue taking inspiration form the 70s but without the political irony. We are at war, ready to defend, and the Sp[ring Summer 2016 collections still have traces of militarisms in most collections globally...too many to list.

Mankind has had a long brutal history of fighting. Perhaps the 21st century will be when we turn the tides and we can put to rest all that reminds us of war. When that happens, fashion will be the first to let us know that war is out of style.