Fashion is the style of clothing, accessories, or appearance that's popular at a particular time. When people talk about being “in fashion,” they mean wearing what's currently trendy: maybe it's ripped jeans one year, then baggy pants the next, or a particular style of sneakers everyone suddenly wants.

Fashion changes constantly. What looked cool in your parents' childhood photos (like enormous shoulder pads or neon windbreakers) might look silly now, and what seems normal today might look strange in twenty years. That's because fashion is always moving forward, influenced by celebrities, designers, movies, and what people see other people wearing.

The word can also mean a way of doing something. If you complete your homework in a thorough fashion, you're doing it carefully and completely. Someone might arrange books in an orderly fashion or solve problems in a creative fashion.

Fashion matters to some people more than others. Some kids follow every trend carefully, while others develop their own style and stick with it. Neither approach is right or wrong: what you wear is a way of expressing yourself. The fashion industry includes designers who create new styles, photographers who capture them, and stores where people buy them.