Fashion essays aren’t a commonly required homework assignment. They may be required in art classes, including design and art history classes. While they are not a common required essay topic, students may choose to write about fashion in other classes. Students can write about fashion in history, sociology, and other humanities-based classes.
How to Write a Fashion Essay from Scratch
Most essays are organized in basically the same way. However, there are a few things students need to keep in mind to make their fashion essay the best it can be. This section will cover some general writing techniques that can make writing your essay from scratch easier. Follow the tips below to get started.
Pick a Topic
The first thing students need to do when writing any sort of essay is picking the topic. While this is the smallest task involved with writing a paper, it’s often one of the hardest things to do. There are hundreds of topics to choose for with any topic and writing about fashion is no exception.
One thing students need to keep in mind when writing about fashion is that they should pick a topic they can research. Writing about a famous fashion designer’s career is something that will have a lot of references to use. However, writing about an up-and-coming Instagram model might be a little difficult.
Near the end of this article is a list of ten topics students can use for their own essays or as inspiration for topics of their own.
Write an Outline
One of the best ways to avoid writer’s block when writing an essay is to have the whole paper planned out before one word is even typed on the page. Writing a paper outline can help with this. An outline helps students to organize the main points in their paper. This way, they know exactly what they are supposed to be focused on.
Students can find the layout for a basic outline by clicking this link. An outline for a possible fashion-related essay is given as an example below. It should be noted that most essays will probably contain at least three body paragraphs, while this example only has one.
Introduction
Today, make-up is a fun addition to fashionable outfits, but it has a toxic history that has leaked into the present.
Thesis statement: It’s hardly surprising that lead used to be used in make-up, as people didn’t know the risks that came with it. However, what might be surprising is that it is still used in some products today!
Body Paragraph
Main idea: Lead was used in various types of make-ups for centuries.
- Supporting evidence 1: Lead-based products were used in foundations in the past and continue to be used in some foundation today.
- Supporting evidence 2: Lead makeup poisons the wearer.
- Supporting evidence 3: Lead mixed with vinegar was used to make skin look paler.
Conclusion
Restatement of the thesis statement: While most people know that lead was used in make-up products in the past, not many people know that it is still used in some make-up products today.
Essay summary (can be several sentences): Lead is an extremely dangerous element which used to be used in make-up, like foundation. This was used to cover acne, scars, and to make the skin look lighter. However, it also caused several health problems, as it slowly poisoned the wearer.
Rough Draft
Once the outline is complete, students can move onto the rough draft. The best tip for students when it comes to a rough draft is to just start writing and not worry about the mistakes along the way. That’s what proofreading is for! Instead, just focus on writing the main ideas and meeting word count.
Proofread and Edit
The last and one of the most important steps is for students to proofread and edit their essays. Running a paper through a spelling and grammar checker, checking to see if everything is cited correctly both in-text and in the bibliography, and checking for accidental plagiarism are all things students must do before turning in their paper.
Details to Make a Fashion Essay Pop
The most important detail when it comes to writing fashion essays are the details themselves! This is especially true when students are describing clothing items. Usually, when it comes to writing essays and other academic papers, it’s best to keep the adjectives and adverbs to a minimum. However, fashion is all about the details!
When describing clothing, make-up, and other fashion items, make sure to use words that spark the reader’s imagination. The reader should be able to perfectly picture the clothing item without having to see it. Good details to add include those about the clothing’s color, material and feel, and other accenting details. If the clothing is metallic, talk about its shine, etc.
Students would do well to describe fashionable items as well as they can. However, if they fall short of this, they can always ask their professor if they can add pictures to their essay. Students should consult their assignment rubric, or professor, to see if pictures belong in-text or in an appendix at the end of the paper.
Suggested Fashion Essay Topics
Fashion writing doesn’t just have to be about describing clothing. The history of fashion, biographies of fashion icons and designers, the changes in the fashion industry are all great topics when it comes to writing about fashion. Below are a few topics (or potential titles) students can use for their essays. Students can also feel free to tweak these topics as needed:
- The 1920’s American Fashion Movement
- The Relationship Between Fashion and Culture
- How Fashion Impacts Everyday Life
- The Rise of Gender-Neutral Clothing
- Communicating Through Fashion
- South Korean Fashion Trends
- Wedding Fashion Trends
- Does Fashion Change in Cycles?
- The Differences Between Seasonal Clothing Items
- The Ethics of Clothing Manufacturing
This article contains just about everything a student needs to know about writing a fashion essay. Use the tips and the topic suggestions listed here to get a jump-start on a promising fashion essay!