Abstract

The following reconstruction and critical evaluation of Georg Simmel's »Philosophy of Fashion« intends to show that until today this theory offers one of the clearest and most fruitful explanations of the modern periodical change of fashion. The close meshed knitted web of psychological, social, historical und economic factors of explanation used by Simmel allows – regardless of some lacking elements – a very instructive answer to the question, as to why fashion forms such a popular cosmos, and can easily be related to contemporary debates on fashion