ABSTRACT
The weakened power of the autonomous feudal lords encouraged the development of commercial centers such as Venice, Florence, and Genoa and the establishment of the great northern ports of Bruges and Antwerp. The government at the time controlled the art and fashion worlds, and periodic changes in desired appearance became sources of wealth and prestige. A more recent example of a monarch using fashion to stimulate growth of the economy while increasing national prestige is Louis-Napoléon. The emperor wanted to encourage the well-to-do members of the aristocracy to support the economy by spending money on clothes. He also impressed upon Charles Frederick Worth, his court's couturier, that the production of fashion was essential for the well-being of the nation. Fashion encourages modification and adoption to individual needs and Fashion enables individuals to deal with themselves as persons and as social objects.
