Relay Column: Mode as a "Way of Life" (Junko Nimura)

Tell Me What You Usually Wear. I Will Guess What Kind of Person You Are.

The above words are a twist on the famous saying by the 19th-century French historian Augustin Challamel, referencing the gourmet Brillat-Savarin. Challamel believed that "the essence of what is French is most prominent in the trends of women's clothing," and compiled the history of French clothing, "Histoire de la mode en France." He was a pioneering figure in the Annales School in that he posited that the truth lies not in chronicles of great men or royal families but in the culture of everyday human life.

In his writings, Challamel questions what mode is: "capricious and has an irresistible force." What is mode? This is not a question Challamel alone raises. Many have pondered the significance of mode before him, he states. "Mode is pursued not just by lunatics but even by sages," he notes, adding that "the wise never leap at mode first, but they also do not cling to it until the end." There are numerous famous quotes about this.

Now, what exactly is "mode" (feminine form)? My French-Japanese dictionary on my desk simply states "trend, fashion" and "fashion industry." However, when I consult the dictionary of the French Academy, the primary definition includes "(characteristic of a particular person or social group) manner, method, technique" among others. This is quite a different definition. Furthermore, the latter dictionary states "presence, manner of being (manière d'être)" (By the way, the word fashion came from England in the late 17th century and became a French term).

The etymology of the word mode is the Latin modus, meaning "method, measure, arrange." It shares roots with the term med- meaning "to heal." Indeed, both "healing" and "mode" are concepts deeply related to human existence, state, and body.

Having provided a long preamble, the original meaning of mode refers to the way of thinking, behaving, eating, living, or hobbies characteristic of a specific person or group. Ultimately, what defines a person is their mode.

The Scope of Mode as a "Way of Life"

Of course, mode also evokes thoughts of "how to wear, how to dress (manière de s'habiller)." However, mode is never a word that immediately conjures up "clothes" as objects. This is an important point. Neither mode nor fashion is simply "clothes." As previously mentioned, mode and fashion are, after all, manners and methods, and cannot themselves be consumed.

Designers and apparel factories cannot create mode or fashion themselves. Moreover, the concept of mode encompasses not only clothing, hairstyles, hats, makeup, and perfumes but also all manners of living and ways of life. Hobbies that involve immersing oneself in something or reading and reflecting on personal experiences are also valid forms of mode. Although merely eating a dish does not represent mode, the effort to eat deliciously or the sense involved in setting a table for a meal with someone is mode.

In other words, mode encompasses not just style but also social interactions and education—essentially, the "way of life." This is why "fashion magazines" in Europe feature newly released clothing alongside articles on literature and international issues. This can be seen as a 'tradition' of French women’s magazines, carried over from the groundbreaking fashion magazine "Journal des Dames et des Modes" published from the late 18th century to the early 19th century, continuing on to current publications like Marie-Claire and ELLE.