ABSTRACT
Chapter 1 offers a general overview of the history and development of dress and fashion. It looks at the way the function of dress has changed over the centuries until today, when it is considered not only a basic human need, but also a tool of social communication and expression. Next, it defines the differences between clothing, fashion and style (communal and individual). In sum, the chapter introduces the theoretical grounds of the work, whereby dress and personal style is understood as a cultural marker and as a tool for the construction of individual and social identities.
