FASH 10 CLOTHING AND CULTURE

Style

A garment or product with characteristic features that separates it from other similar items. Styles of jeans, for example, include wide-leg, cigarette-leg, skinny..... A style is always a style whether it is in or not. A zip-up hoodie is always a zip-up hoodie... it may or may not be popular

Fashion

A style of clothing worn by a large percentage of the population for a period of time. Fashion is what's "in" or what's "popular" at the time. Fashion must change, otherwise the item is a classic or just clothing

Trend

A trend is a "direction" in which fashion is moving... we can say that fashion is moving in a retro-90s trend. We look at economic trends, political trends, trends in education, etc. The word is not specific to fashion

Impression Formation

During brief encounters, a limited number of cues are used by message receivers to assess the message sender. Researchers have found that clothing affects impressions. Clothing gives cues about age, race, sex, status, roles, intelligence, popularity, potential success, competence, and a variety of other impressions

Different perspectives and definitions of clothes

Fashion first involves and object.Although we focus on fashion in personal appearance (clothing, hair styling, accessories), it is appropriate to view fashion processes as more general phenomena of human behavior. Second,a fashion is a temporarily adopted object. A certain 'mode,' 'contemporary trend,' or 'prevailing style'will be adopted for some period of time, but ultimately it will be replaced. Every fashion eventually comes to an end. Third, the acceptance of fashion is based on consumers' perceptions of its social appropriateness. Some fashions may gain popularity because the are prescribed as the most acceptable objects for use in certain social situations or roles. Others might be accepted a appropriate through social conformity, 'social contagion,' or 'collective behavior' among many people who influence one another. Whatever the case, it is clear that a particular fashion is chosen because it represents what many people collectively perceive to be socially desirable behavior.

Fashion and Society

Fashion is often associated with female gender but history shows that until the early nineteenth century men appeared more fashion-conscious than women. According to European history, men wore the most luxurious clothing and showed off more of their bodies as compared to women. On the other hand women covered themselves from tip to toe so much so that because women's hair was considered seductive, they covered it after marriage. Besides gender biases, history is full of examples of how the body was distorted through painful corsets, padded doublets, bum-roll etc

Perceptions

How clothing is perceived depends entirely on the frame of reference of the person making the judgment. Different people, because of their own unique background, will evaluate clothing cues in their own manners. People who dress in a similar manner generally approve of each other and criticize those who dress differently. The wider the variation in dress, the more divergent is the impression.

Fashion, Rebellion and Resistance -

In the 20th century, "Jeans" became more wide acceptance in the society as they expressed democratic values - from allowing free movement of the limbs to non-confirming to the class identification as jeans did not reflect wealth or status. Once worn only by those who worked in the factories or ranches, denim became a fabric preferred by the youth in the 50s and 60s and mainstream consumer after that The protest against the Vietnam War (1964) introduced the world to the Hippie culture. Hippies embraced denim jeans, long hair, colorful psychedelic prints etc. They propagated the idea of love and peace and advocated simpler and easier lifestyle. Through famous musicians like Janis Joplin and Jimmie Hendrix, among many, the hippie style spread throughout the U.S. and eventually other parts of the world. In the 1970s, in London, the Punk style developed a "do-it-yourself" culture, producing its own music and clothing, thus disrupting the conventional notions of beauty approved by the bourgeois culture. To break the hegemony of bourgeois class the punk look included whatever was deemed ugly, even frightening, with safety pins, razor blades, chains, bizarre hairstyles, dyed hair etc. Even this trend was mainstreamed with the spread of the styles because of music and musicians like Cindy Lauper, Adam Ant, and Billy Idol The Hip-Hop culture was born in the United States in the 70s and 80s, and ushered it its own style trends. The Hip-Hop fashion comprised of baggy trousers, displaying the waistband of one's underwear and unlaced shoes as belts and laces were removed from prisoners in American jails in order to prevent inmates hanging themselves. As well as clothing, '80s hip-hop artists also donned incredible jewelry.

First Impressions

Many times, a person has only one chance to make a first impression. Approval or rejection results. This happens in social situations, in school competitions, and in job interviews

Why do people wear clothes?

Prehistoric people clothed their bodies over 75,000 years ago. This has been shown by the discoveries of ancient cave drawings, statues, and remains of materials used for making clothing. PHYSICAL: protection PSYCHOLOGICAL/EMOTIONAL: adornment and identification SOCIAL: modesty and status

sterotyping

Stereotypes represent an overgeneralized opinion that can influence the understanding of others.In impression formation, they are used as constant mental shorthand to categorize and sort information.Stereotypes are based on assumptions. What and how a person assumed can be critically important in the development of stereotypes. At the time of initial contact, instant assumptions are developed and become a part of an impression. Some assumptions are valid, some may bot be. Since assumptions are based on the person experiences of the receiver it is important to recognize the influence of assumption in stereotyping.

Fashion and New Millennium

The 20th century saw the 'casual Friday' practice in business offices, reflecting the victory of comfort over formality. Classic polo shirts, khaki pants, shorts, easy-fitting tops, flip flop sandals, etc. became popular. This phase even witnessed social and environmental awareness. Thus, the fashion industry promoted the creation of 'green' or eco-friendly products. Besides, all the changes, the 21st century marks an increased industrial and financial growth of the countries like India and China. This led to the emergence of non-western designers and multicultural dress styles at the international forum.

Fashion and Revolution -

The French Revolution (1789) introduced the principles of 'liberty' and 'equality' in the European, thus making popular the simple and non-elite dress style. The shift from knee-length breeches to utilitarian long trousers implies the rise in the position of working class as fashion clues traveled from masses to classes. On the other hand American Revolution (1776) led to the emergence of egalitarianism both in terms of thought and clothing. These new ideas did not last long, however. Aspiration in status is a drive for separation in appearance. Soon, the large gowns, elaborate fabrics, and ways of wearing clothing distinguished the classes once again. The industrial revolution of the 1800s-1900s led to technological advances like machine spinning, power weaving, synthetic dyes, the invention of sewing machine, etc. It made good clothing affordable and accessible to all classes and knock offs of designer items trickled into the mainstream.

Halo Effect

The halo effect results from a static first impression. It may become a lasting and unchanging impression, regardless of any future encounters with that person. The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about his or her character. Essentially, your overall impression of a person ("He is nice!") impacts your evaluations of that person's specific traits ("He is also smart!").

Fashion and Gender Identities

Till the 19th century, the role of women in social, political and economic sphere was limited. The similar trend was witnessed in the Victorian dressing style. The women of Victorian era wore crinolines (which hampered movement and slowed their gait), low set sleeves (which prevented them from raising their arms) and corsets (which not only affected their health but also caused them to faint in warm or tiring circumstances). In the 19th century, the spread of education and awareness in fashion and clothing reversed the idea of 'men act and women appear'. Gradually women became more active component of the society. During the First World War women made significant contribution, by taking up jobs. Thus their dresses became more practical including bloomers and trousers. Many working in the factories to hold their husbands' jobs, while they fought in the war, wore the clothes their husbands wore - jeans, coveralls, and other items of men's clothing. They chopped their hair and took on androgyny as their style. The shift in dressing style indicated empowerment of women. Later this exposure to the world enabled and empowered them fight for their rights, making them active both physically and politically. Once her vote was achieved, women rebelled against their traditional roles, showing that in their fashion choices, namely bobbed hair, shortened skirts and flattened chests. The flapper was a reflection of the new voice and empowerment women felt because of that achievement. The late 20th century saw the emergence of the phenomenon of 'kinderwhore', a look that challenged the model of femininity. Where conventional models of femininity involve demureness and sex continence, kinderwhore replaced the image of women as 'dangerous and sexual'. This look posed a clear challenge to gender identities as it comprised of short, frilled 'baby-doll' dress, teamed with heavily mascara-ed eyes, bright red lips and untidy hair.

Fashion and Social Status

Till the early 18th century, the authorities used sumptuary laws to regulate clothing on the basis of class. The king and aristocracy appeared in long robes and more elaborate clothing while the serfs and soldiers wore short tunics. The laws establishes who could wear what based on his/her social rank, occupation, position in society, etc. Thus fashion was defined by the rich, leaving the poor to simply copy their superior's styles. The inaccessibility to expensive clothing mirrored the inaccessibility of freedom and socioeconomic status.

Fashion and Social Identity

Women voted for the first time in the 1920s after the end of women's suffrage, a movement to give women their voices in government. As women gained this power, they shortened their skirts (to just below the knee), threw out their corsets, and cropped their hair. They partied, drank and smoked, and enjoyed their new found freedoms. The flapper style was the epitome of this new modern woman. The Women's Rights Movement in the 1960s echoed the voices of the suffragettes in the early part of the century. They fought for their rights to their own bodies, fighting for abortion rights. The sentiments of the movement also led to the introduction of the birth control pill. Women could then choose how she would, if she chose, plan for a family. This new sense of freedom led to women chopping their hair, shortening their skirts (to above the knee) and burning their bras. This flapper look-alike was promoted in fashion magazines by models like Twiggy, who looked just like a modern flapper. In the 1960's the Civil Rights Movement in America, brought a massive change in the political culture. For the first time in history, black models were featured in high profile fashion magazines. Beverly Johnson was the first black model to be featured on the cover of Vogue. Fashion styles such as the "Afro" and the Dashiki, became fashionable globally. The world proudly embraced the idea of "black is beautiful"

FAD:

a design that lasts only one season, or sometimes even less than a season. Fads tend to be at the extreme end of a design. Think of an example of a fad.

Classic

a style that lasts for several seasons, sometimes even years, and is accepted by a wide range of people.

What is the difference between clothes and fashion?

fashion is a mode of dress, etiquette, furniture.... adopted in society for the time being

Customer

someone who buys goods and services.a person or organization that buys goods or services from a store or business.

Consumer

someone who uses goods and services. A person who purchases goods and services for personal use

zeitgeist

the mood of the times.

What is Clothing?

the origins of clothing was to protect the body.It has indicated people's handicraft skills, artistic imagination, and cultural rituals or traditions. Clothing also reflects advances in technology, manufacturing and business.

Millinery

women's hats