The French word 'mode,' meaning "fashion," was in use by this time. The English term for something "in style" appeared in the 16th century. Concepts of style and appeal existed before 'mode'.

Cloth was used as a form of currency in trade between West Africa and the Portuguese and Dutch. Locally produced cloth and cheaper European imports were assembled into new styles to accommodate the growing elite class of West Africans and resident gold and slave traders.

Distribution of dressed dolls from France occurred around this time, and Abraham Bosse produced engravings of fashion in the 1620s. The pace of change picked up in the 1780s with increased publication of French engravings illustrating the latest Paris styles.

French styles decisively took over leadership, a process completed in the 18th century.

The looks of the French court were disseminated through prints from the 16th century on, but gained cohesive design with the development of a centralized court under King Louis XIV, which produced an identifiable style that took his name.

Clothing trends switched from flashy and expensive displays of wealth to subdued and subverted ones.

Early Western travelers to countries like India, Persia, Turkey, and China often noted the perceived lack of fashion change in those regions. However, such perceptions are generally considered untrue, as there is evidence of rapidly changing fashions in places like Ming China.

The leaders of the Qing Dynasty maintained Manchu dress, while establishing new garments for officials; while foot binding—originally introduced in the 10th century—was not preserved, women of this era were expected to wear particular heels that pushed them to take on a ladylike walk.

National styles remained very different until a counter-movement in the 17th to 18th centuries imposed similar styles once again, mostly originating from Ancien Régime France.

By this time, all Western Europeans were dressing alike (or thought they were); local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a badge of the conservative peasant.

Charles Frederick Worth opened the first authentic haute couture house in Paris. The Haute house was the name established by the government for the fashion houses that met the standards of the industry.

People during the Meiji period widely incorporated Western styles into Japanese fashion, which is considered to be a remarkable transformation for the Japanese vogue.

Vogue, founded in Manhattan, has been the longest-lasting and most successful of the hundreds of fashion magazines that have come and gone.

Fashion magazines began to include photographs of various fashion designs and became even more influential than in the past.

La Gazette du Bon Ton, was founded by Lucien Vogel and regularly published until 1925 (with the exception of the war years).

Qipao was in vogue and the style consisted of stand collars, trumpet sleeves, straight silhouettes and short side slits.

The nationalists adopted Khadi cloth as a symbol of resistance; here, Gandhi became the face of the resistance which made people spin, weave, and wear their Khadi.

Television coverage began with small fashion features. In the 1960s and 1970s, fashion segments on various entertainment shows became more frequent, and by the 1980s, dedicated fashion shows such as Fashion Television started to appear.

‘Lenin coats’ with double lines of buttons, slanting pockets and a belt came into vogue among Chinese men.

The idea of unisex dressing originated, when designers such as Pierre Cardin and Rudi Gernreich created garments, such as stretch jersey tunics or leggings, meant to be worn by both males and females.

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was a fashion icon. Wearing Chanel suits, structural Givenchy shift dresses, and soft color Cassini coats with large buttons, she inspired trends of both elegant formal dressing and classic feminine style.

Increasing affluence after World War II and, most importantly, the advent of cheap color printing led to a huge boost in its sales and heavy coverage of fashion in mainstream women's magazines, followed by men's magazines in the 1990s.

Camouflage patterns in military clothing, developed to help military personnel be less visible to enemy forces, seeped into streetwear designs.

The leg-baring mini-skirt was introduced and became a white-hot trend. Fashion designers then began to experiment with the shapes of garments: loose sleeveless dresses, micro-minis, flared skirts, and trumpet sleeves.

Fashion trends, such as sheepskin jackets, flight jackets, duffel coats, and unstructured clothing, influenced men to attend social gatherings without a dinner jacket and to accessorize in new ways.

Men's magazines covered fashion.

Camouflage trends reappeared in high fashion iterations.

Fashion Theory was founded.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held a conference calling for stricter intellectual property enforcement within the fashion industry to better protect small and medium businesses and promote competitiveness within the textile and clothing industries.

Fashion Practice: The Journal of Design, Creative Process & the Fashion Industry was founded.

Vestoj was founded.

GAP collaborated with Ellen DeGeneres for an advertisement featuring four playful young girls, with a tall White girl leaning with her arm on a shorter Black girl's head, which some viewers criticized as showing an underlying passive racism.

Jimmy Choo released an advertisement where men whistle at a model, walking on the street with red, sleeveless mini dress. This ad gained much backlash and criticism by the viewers, as it was seen as promoting sexual harassment and other misconduct.

Yves Saint Laurent faced criticism for a print ad depicting a female model in a suggestive pose, violating advertising codes related to decency and dignity.

H&M faced controversy over an advertisement featuring a Black child wearing a hoodie with the slogan "coolest monkey in the jungle."

Vibrant coloured clothing had made a comeback for women in America, France, China, Korea, and Ukraine.

The predominant colours in Britain, France and America were red, white and blue.