slave to fashion

English

slave to fashion (plural slaves to fashion)

(idiomatic) A person who is particularly concerned that his or her clothing and physical appearance conform to the current, accepted style.
- 1853, T. S. Arthur, “Going to the Springs; or, Vulgar People,”, in Heart-Histories and Life-Pictures:
  She was a girl of imposing appearance and winning manners. But this staggered him. If she were such a slave to fashion and observance, she was not the woman for his wife.
- 1998 May 4, Arlyn Gajilan, Beth Kwon, “Tales from the Ruler's Crypt”, in Newsweek:
  The orders were simple: keep it plain, keep it proletarian. Apparently, Lenin was never a slave to fashion when he was alive, so officials thought he should not be one in death.

Sometimes used in the negative form, no slave to fashion, to refer euphemistically to a person whose manner of dress is unorthodox, bland, or slovenly.