S E L L I N G T O C O LL E C T IVE B UY E R^71
Finding h erself a gai n a n u ndi stinguish e d
membe r of th e group, D a dop te d som e new
o rnam en t ( p e rh ap s b ows on h e r sh oe s ) w hich
raise d h er agai n ab ove t h e c om mon l evel.
Unfortunat ely, he r i nferiors are boun d to copy
thi s fashion ; a n d so sh e will b e oblige d to
search fo r ano th er disti nguishing m ark.
8. Aft e r m any suc h cha nge s i t bec ome sdiffic ul t to devise a n ew distinguishin g m a rk ;
one i s forc e d to rever t t o a fa sh ion which h a d
its vogu e a l on g tim e b efore a n d die d o ut.
Havi ng b ee n q uiesc en t fo r a l on g time, some
time s a genera tion , i t p ossesse s th e el ement o f
n ovel ty in th e eye s of th e new gene ra tion and
a nswers th e p urp ose o f a n ew obj e ct of
fa shi on. In o th e r words, fa shion s m ove i n
cycl e s. Sh oe s range from wid e to na rrow
t oe s, high to l o w h eel s. Wome nās ski rts o scil
l a te b etween extrem e s o f l ength a nd sh o rtn ess,
na rrown ess an d width.
I s th ere som e favore d l ength o f tim e fo r
fa shio n cycl es? Va rious a nswe rs h ave b ee n
gi ven. B ut spec ula tio n is futil e. Th e t ru e
fa c t s c an b e sec ured only by sta ti stical investi
ga tio n.
S uch , in epi tom e, is th e in te resting story
of fa shio n in gene ral. Th e rea de r m ay apply