In many countries, people now wear western-style dress such as suits and jeans

rather than traditional clothing.

Why is this?
Is this a positive or negative development?

It has become increasingly common in recent years for individuals globally to dress in
western-influenced clothing. In my opinion, this is a natural result of corporate and cultural
globalization and is broadly negative.

The main cause of this phenomenon is globalization. This relates firstly to culture. The
growth of the media industry generally and online media more specifically has spread
primarily American cultural values. Individuals living in distant nations watch the latest
blockbuster Hollywood movies, listen to the same singers and emulate their lifestyle choices
including fashion.
Secondly, mass production enables this homogeneity. Hundreds of years ago, consumers
had no choice other than to buy clothes produced by local artisans. Now, companies like
Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger can fabricate identical items of clothing to be shipped
globally at affordable prices, forcing many local businesses into bankruptcy.

The positive side of this trend, lower prices and potential inspiration from western fashion,
are largely overshadowed by the injurious impact on cultural diversity. For example, in many
parts of Asia, there are the rich cultural traditions of various ethnic minorities. These skilled
garment-makers follow traditions dating back hundreds of years. The clothing produced is
not only beautiful, but also more environmentally friendly and unique. However, these days
few local residents are interested as they prefer wealthy western fashion brands that
showcase their social status. The result is that the values being espoused by fashion are
material wealth and appearances rather than tradition, culture, and artistic skill.

In conclusion, western fashion trends are ubiquitous today due to the effects of
globalization and this represents a negative shift in values. Individuals should therefore
strive to ignore these trends and purchase clothes that express their culture better when
possible.