The fashion industry is indeed utterly influential, and it changes so quickly that people might not even notice how much money they spend on clothes that in a few months will be out-of-fashion. Someone might be so much concerned with how they look in the eyes of others that they could probably spend all they have on a new item in their wardrobe, merely to meet some standards. Despite all this, I think that a positive perception of fashion and its influence is still possible.
To begin with, some people find fashion as a hobby. They are ready and even happy to be involved in different kinds of talk shows or meetings dedicated to clothing and design. To elaborate, for many, this industry is just their place, their comfort zone, where they can meet like-minded people and deal with beauty and elegance. I suppose that this is a great example of its positive influence. To reiterate, a large group of enthusiastic individuals develop this industry and try to do their best to reach outstanding results. What is more, those who desire to find a way to express themselves can do this via fashion, which is simply a mix of imagination and preferences of a person. Additionally, someone can earn a living from this, especially if they are good creators. Ultimately, diverse fashionable trends may be perceived differently, but, more often than not, they do not cause any damage, nor do they pose any real threat to humanity. Unlike the creation of nuclear weapons, the design of bizarre dresses is harmless and is a matter of personal opinion.
In spite of all the persuasive arguments stated above, one has to admit that the control which fashion has over people is frequently negative and even scary. In other words, the way some people treat fashion seems to be fairly unhealthy. In the extreme, many are prepared to purchase everything that they find popular and fashionable nowadays, regardless of how much it costs and whether or not they really need it. Moreover, it is absolutely irrational due to the fact that one can just buy a few quality items of a basic wardrobe that one can wear for a couple of years and then just find rare and elegant clothes, from to time to time, to create a final outfit that one will definitely like. Besides, most of us forget that the main purpose of clothes is our comfort; everybody should pay attention to this fact while doing their season shopping. So many people now are willing to buy a trendy item that might not even suit or fit them, making them feel uncomfortable, purely because they wish to correspond to some expectations and current societal norms and trends.
To sum up, I would like to say that people should understand that clothes are not that important to care too much about them, developing unhealthy attitudes and complexes. Yet, to some extent and in certain cases, the influence of fashion may be acceptable, justifiable and even beneficial.