The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Fashion \Fash"ion\, n. [OE. fasoun, facioun, shape, manner, F.
   facon, orig., a making, fr. L. factio a making, fr. facere to
   make. See Fact, Feat, and cf. Faction.]
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   1. The make or form of anything; the style, shape,
      appearance, or mode of structure; pattern, model; as, the
      fashion of the ark, of a coat, of a house, of an altar,
      etc.; workmanship; execution.
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            The fashion of his countenance was altered. --Luke
                                                  ix. 29.
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            I do not like the fashion of your garments. --Shak.
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   2. The prevailing mode or style, especially of dress; custom
      or conventional usage in respect of dress, behavior,
      etiquette, etc.; particularly, the mode or style usual
      among persons of good breeding; as, to dress, dance, sing,
      ride, etc., in the fashion.
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            The innocent diversions in fashion.   --Locke.
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            As now existing, fashion is a form of social
            regulation analogous to constitutional government as
            a form of political regulation.       --H. Spencer.
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   3. Polite, fashionable, or genteel life; social position;
      good breeding; as, men of fashion.
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   4. Mode of action; method of conduct; manner; custom; sort;
      way. "After his sour fashion." --Shak.
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   After a fashion, to a certain extent; of a sort; sort of.


   Fashion piece (Naut.), one of the timbers which terminate
      the transom, and define the shape of the stern.

   Fashion plate, a pictorial design showing the prevailing
      style or a new style of dress.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

fashion plate
    n 1: a man who is much concerned with his dress and appearance
         [syn: dandy, dude, fop, gallant, sheik, beau,
         swell, fashion plate, clotheshorse]
    2: a plate illustrating the latest fashion in dress

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

39 Moby Thesaurus words for "fashion plate":
   Beau Brummel, arbiter of fashion, beau, blade, blood, boulevardier,
   clotheshorse, clubman, clubwoman, coxcomb, dandy, deb, debutante,
   dude, exquisite, fashionable, fine gentleman, fop, fribble,
   gallant, jack-a-dandy, jackanapes, lady-killer, macaroni,
   man-about-town, masher, mondain, mondaine, puppy, socialite, spark,
   sport, subdeb, subdebutante, swell, swinger, taste-maker,
   tone-setter, trend-setter