Fashion is a pretty potent way to send a social message on a daily basis. The way one dresses sends a signal to others regarding the disposition of a person. It also serves as a check of social conformity. This is of course not a problem in a society that respects ones' right to individuality (within reason). Yet, it is a huge penalty in a society where conformity is important.
For example, someone dressing in a manner contrary to the climate and popular culture will most certainly draw attention. In fact, curious bystanders are likely to snap pictures of the person and spread them over the internet. That aside, in a conformist environment like high school, someone not conforming to whatever expectation the gen pop has of them is very likely to face some rather unpleasant social reprisal. I am talking about bullying.
Simply put, fashion is a sort of social confmity test. If one fails that test, there are consequences. A strong-willed individual may go fuck all regarding this, and do as they wish regardless other peoples' reactions. In reality, that is not always the case, and someone winds up victimized as a result. Undoubtedly, this self-policing is potent, and very real.
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