The language of fashion- Barthes

For fashion magazine rhetoric is actively engaged in hiding the semantic nature of the link it proposes. It presents the
signifieds as qualities inherent to the form it proposes or reduces it to a simple utilitarian function.

Phrased used in a fashion magazine always tended to transform the linguistic status of the clothing item into one of
naturalness or usefulness.

The fashion magazine uses sign-functions: the function can never be separated from its sign.

The first task is to reduce the phraseology of the fashion magazine: there are simple links belonging to a single model
between signifieds and signifiers.

 Signifiers: part of the physical word, which is the clothing content, the fragment of bodily space occupied by
the clothing item (ex. A woman suit)
 Signifieds: given via written word or literature (such as romantic, cocktail party etc.)

Signifieds and signifiers of fashion clothing do not belong to the same language, but the study of the signifieds is part of
a general mythology of fashion. Conversely, the study of signifiers belongs to a semiological system.

The system proposes a chain of signifiers, without naming theirs signifieds.

With clothing, signifieds are detached from signifiers: in order to identify signifiers, I must isolate them.

2 phases of structural analysis:

1. Inventory of the signifying units (for each unit, setting up of the paradigm of pertinent opposites)
2. Syntagmatic division
3. Construction of a system

It is easier to put in the inventory links which are verbalised (where the signifier is a commentary on the image and not
the image itself, because in such links signified and signifier belong to the same language).

 Often links where the signifier is purely graphic and we must decide which is his signified; In this kind of
links, which we call demonstrative, we must look for repetitions: we notice a particular message coming back
identical and we will be able to decide its signified.

In theory we must always be able to define the object that is aimed at in a fashion meaning: it is easy in the cases where
meaning acts and the feature carrying the meaning are separated from the item aimed at.

 It is more difficult when the signifier is incorporated into the item it signifies

The third element, beyond signifier and signified is support for meaning, or object aimed by it: it takes a lot of space in
the fashion lexicon, sometimes it is not defined but often the magazine makes it clear (magazine has to do this in the
cases where meaning comes only from the level of detail; the detail is parasitical on the item and the item supports
meaning without participating in it; the item of clothing is either the object ore the support for meaning) .

The fashion magazine sometimes abandons the absolute lexicon and provides various oppositions (concomitant
variation of signs: a change of signified brings about a change of signifier so that we have at least 4 terms).

Fashion clothing is a double system.

There is a whole set of features for which the fashion magazine does not give the explicit signified, but nothing of what
is said is insignificant: the implicit signified is fashion itself and it is always permanent.