extremely fickle andtransient because “the very character of fashion demandsthat it should be exercised at one time only by a portion ofthe given group” (Simmel 302). This transient character-istic guarantees that the upper class, the ones in societywho have enough means to follow fashion, remain in a groupby themselves because as soon as the lower classes begin toimitate the upper class fashion, the upper class changes thefashion. Like Simmel, Fuglesang also holds that fashion is usedto unify and isolate. She states, “Women dress for eachother as well as for themselves” (109). The women whoattend the wedding celebration “dress for each other” toobtain approval from other women but they also dress “forthemselves” to express their individuality. Fuglesangemphasizes this ambiguity by recounting a story of herexperience at a “kupamba” in the very beginning of thechapter. In her account, she describes women who follow themost recent local fashions and those who imitate the stylesof television celebrities by wearing “pepeo collars withfrills” and “disco highlights”. These women emulate variousstyles because it is a way for them to be different butsimilar at the same time. Why people follow fashion becomes more difficult todetermine when envy is involved. It can be a reassurance ofone’s individuality but it can also be a way of conformingto society. People follow fashion because “the fashionableperson is regarded with mingled feelings of approval andenvy; we envy him as an individual, but approve of him as amember of a set or group” (Simmel 304). Simmel’s argumentfor this is supported by his example of the rich and poorneighbors (304). The poor man feels envy toward his richneighbor while the rich man feels satisfaction from beingenvied because he is not poor. Fashion works the same way. Fashionable people know that they a...
