When you think of the word fashion, what do you think? Do you think about outrageous runway outfits? Cocktail dresses? Tracksuits? Whatever your impression of fashion, it is obvious that fashion plays an important role in today’s society. We are judged by our clothing and appearance on an everyday basis, so why not make the most of our choices? Everyday, we see hundreds of people. Whether we see them on the street, at work, at school, or on television, people pass through our visual field. Fortunately or unfortunately, we judge these people.
It may be intentional, it may be unintentional, or it may be somewhat intentional, but we form opinions about people based on their style of dress. For example, a man with dreadlocks and tight jeans is likely to catch your attention. This may be a positive or negative thing, depending on your perspective, but you are likely to give him a second glance. A person’s personal style says a lot about who they are and how others portray them. For example, a person in a suit is more likely to be portrayed positively at a job interview than a person in a crumpled shirt and wrinkled pants.
A person wearing professional makeup and a dress is more likely to make a positive impression than someone in a t-shirt and jeans at a job interview. While this is all about perception, it ties in with society’s view of the importance of fashion. Fashion is often used in two primary ways: to make someone fit in or make someone stand out. It can also play both roles. For example, a person may dress in a gothic style. In a sense, this person is standing out, but in another sense, this person is using fashion to portray group membership.
In another examples, employees at a workplace may have the option to wear either work style pants of jeans to work. If a new employee comes in wearing jeans every day, it is likely that the whole workforce will follow suit in time, rather than maintaining the less comfortable pattern of wearing work pants. Or, if a few people begin to dress up regularly, others may follow the trend. It may not be intentional, but we are influenced by the fashion around us. People also utilize fashion as a way to be judged – or not be judged.
Some people dress in high-end, fashionable clothing to show that they take care of themselves and want to stand out in a positive way. Others may wear clothes that allow them to hide – plain jeans and tops that allow someone to blend into a crowd. This shows that both making a statement and trying not to make a statement actually do end up making a statement – although trying not to make a statement states that you don’t want to be noticed. Some people utilize fashion as a means of self definition. For example, for some people, brand names carry intrinsic value. A person may wear Burberry frequently.
Why? The brand makes the person feel connected to the fashion that she loves. It does not matter that the person could buy about ten shirts at Kohl’s for the price of one Burberry piece – the Burberry piece gives a person self esteem and pride in her appearance. On the other side of the coin, some people do not care about fashion, and while this is fine, does not necessarily serve the person well. People are often judged by their lack of fashion sense. Even though people may not judge others by bad fashion sense on the surface, the issue does come up in the matters of job promotions and future success.
If a person does not dress and carry themselves well, it shows a lack of pride in themselves, which may portray that a person does not care about other things as well. Fashion is a huge part of modern society. From bargain hunters to fashionistas to those who are happy in sweatpants and a t-shirt, all people have a sense of personal fashion. This fashion can include or exclude people in modern society. Fashion allows us to fit, or not to fit, in a way that we desire. http://www. bukisa. com/articles/305932_the-importance-of-fashion-in-modern-society
