The Role of Social Media in Dress and Fashion - Term Paper Example

The Role of Social Media in Dress and Fashion of the al Affiliation Dress has been a matter of debate with many citing various reasons for its existence. The genesis of dress-codes can be traced from the historical background as practiced by various cultures. The advancement of social technology has been the platform for the transformation of dressing codes currently experienced. The western ideologies have maintained a rather dominant role in cultural value on dress codes as Kate Fox notes in Watching the English. Dress Code Dress and fashion can be worn not only to embody religion, culture, or spirituality, but it can equally be used as self-impression as well as describe the social status. For many people, dress code is an expression of identity, personality, choice and faith. It can also profoundly affect an individual spiritual self and help out someone connect to the inward self hence realizing self-identity. Marco Pallis, the author on fashion, describes the importance and meaningfulness between dress and self identity, identity and social status. Additionally he explores how clothing rates among the most significant but least evaluated sites of colonization. He is mostly interested examining clothing as a constituent of self identity, social status and spirituality identity. He writes that ‘of the numerous issues an individual practice in the quest of earthly vocations, there are none, conceivably, that are so intimately attached with the whole personality as the dress ones wears (Pallis, 2005). The foremost issue that Pallis observes is how clothing can significantly transforms an individual appearance and even the facial looks. Introduction It is everyone effort to look appealing in front of the peers, colleagues or even in the eyes of the society on any occasion be it a business or just a mere visit. What an individual look has a great impact on how the rest and the society in general perceive that person. The image impacts on well-being of a person as perceived by others. In extreme cases, dress code can lead to a lowered self-esteem vis-à-vis. It is, therefore, of at most importance if one looks appealing. There are many factors that can be used to explain the reason behind the fashions. Nonetheless, we cannot point to any individual factor as the reason why fashion exists amidst us. In one particular case, advance in social technology makes the information to travel fast than it was back then in the earlier days (Yerima, 2004). There is profound exchange of ideas, cultures, and fashions change within short period of time. A trending fashion will be all over the globe courtesy to the ubiquitous social media. It is true that social media have a greater impact particularly in the recently with adoption of ‘Instagram’, ‘whatsup’ and ‘Facebook’. Nevertheless, as much as social media plays a role in determination of fashion and style, other factors do play part as well. For instance culture defines what people beliefs in and view as morally right. It is the unwritten rules that a given society follows and passes from one generation to another. It’s against many cultures for men to wear female clothes vis-à-vis. The code of conducts would only allow acceptable behaviors (Yerima, 2004). The age is also a factor to determine tastes and preferences in fashion. It is a shared knowledge that the younger generation is more interested with fashions unlike the ageing generations. This can be explained by the level of commitment. The youths may have all the time but few resources which they can use to make sales. Similarly, fashions are trendy and require one to not only have the will but the power to buy the fashion. The financial aspect has much influence on fashion just as the same culture would influence. These factors among many other factors such taste and preferences determine and control fashion. Fashion is not all about self-impression but rather regulated and controlled by other factors despite the fact they may not appear visibly (Friedman, 2005). As Kate Fox, the author of “Watching the English: The hidden Rules of English Behaviors”, notes, dress code is more than self-impression but rather a combination of many factors. In her book, she faults, those societies that do not believes in fashion claiming that it makes no fashion statement and dress for the sake of comfort, practicability and economy as wrong-footed on the idea. We do not dress for the sake of dressing. In most of the occasions there are a number of issues that drive our dressing attitude. Every day, we are conscious of these thoughts but sometimes they do occur subconsciously. It would be hard to walk with tattered clothes in public. Fox observes the link between our dressing style and the social life. As humans, we have our expectations same as others have for us. Everyone has undeniable need for emotional bonding and social contact. As such it governs people behaviors and brings some orders in everything we do. It is reflected the same when it comes to our dressing style. The need to socialize and interact with the rest of the masses at any situation is a key issue that can influence how we dress. Watching the English The title “Watching the English” aptly describes the English and dressing code which is an important discussion when it comes to dressing codes. It is shared knowledge that there has been intermarriage of different cultures since ancient time. It is at different level as of now due to the impacts of social technology. People learn and adopt different cultures by the virtue of being exposed to others way of life. It is the same thing that has happened in majority of the societies. People have assimilated cultures from other places. In this particular case, much of the influence on dressing code is rather borrowed from the western culture. There are some reasons to believe that fact (Friedman, 2005). One fact is that the western countries became civilized before many other states. The economic development and social liberty have been first experienced in these states. Arguably, one can draw a line in their way of life from the rest of the society. Consequently, other cultures have gradually assimilated the western cultures until some of them are in risk of being extinct. A case in hand is within African society, there is a clash between western ideologies being experienced in many societies. Chinua Achebe, one of prolific writers, in his book Dead Men’s Path describes the states of cultural erosion as devastating. He notes that unless “the eagle” and “the hawk” is allowed to perch, referring to the western culture and African traditional values, conflicts will be imminent. The current inhabitants in English territory resulted from various groups seeking refuge from their homeland countries or where they were held as hostages. It is the case in most states in North America. Consequently, this has one profound effect on culture. The intermarriage and integration of various cultures has resulted in most diverse kind of culture the world has experienced. This, conceivably, explains why the western ideologies still remain popular decade after decade. It is no surprise that what many youths observe from their counterparts in the western states becomes entrenched in their mind. Fox makes an interesting observation about English dress code. She notes the English do not have a deliberated dress code. The English have a difficult, uneasy and largely dysfunctional association with clothes which is characterized by desperate needs to have dressing rules and inability to cope with such rules a trend that unhappily continues. This meta-rule explains why English are describe as having badly dressing codes and rather a very-sensitive street fashion dressing code such as high class tailoring. This would be a contrast from many of the African cultures where self-identity, social status and religion affiliation is almost perfectly described by the dressing codes. In a strict sense, English culture has from ancient time has unhappily majored in the street dress codes. The prowess is notable and with any stretch of imagination, they can influence other cultures that are still tormented between the modern ideas and traditional values. Social technology as a tool of cultural oppression George Simmel is rather specific on this issue. He argues that, fashion is mere imitation. In other words, fashion trends because other people are willing to copy what seem superior as a matter of social content. When a fashion is perceived superior, individuals would always like to own it as mean to satisfy them socially. The contentment on social status is the sheer fulfillment of these desires. Just as Fox narrates, the western cultures have dominated and influenced they code of dress other cultures and surprisingly, having the modern dress code is viewed as a rather social contentment factor. In his book, Simmel notes that the genesis of fashion narrows down to the need of having something to differentiate someone from others. As human, we crave to be distinct in our own self. The desire to change has a dis-similarity and contrast. In this regard, people will always invent in fashions to distinguish themselves from the rest. These are more of social elites who can afford the dynamic fashion. The point goes down to explain, fashion is not just a self-impression rather adequacy of resources. To some degree, the desire to adopt and imitate fashions is controlled by our mind. There might be pair of forces that pushes us beyond the point we are at any given time propelled by the tension and desire to be have what our minds perceive as fashion in this context. Simmel refers them as theoretical instincts whereby human mind is controlled by internal factors that are not seeable towards achievement of a particular taste of fashion. All these ideas are then enhanced by advent of social technology. The social media could have changed all things we have ever dreamt of in regard to fashions. Instagram, having millions subscribers has played role in dress code through its ingenious way of sharing pictures and videos. The world celebrity posts pictures donning their distinguished attire. So much effort is expended in designs and fashion of these dress codes to bring out a contrast from the rest of the society. With our idealist idea about western life, the concept of imitation creeps in the society. The social technology has been arguably the platform for social change viewed in form of behaviors and dressing code. The dominant t cultures control the masses with the erroneously thought to be the civilized. The pictures that are widely circulated in the Instagram stands as a proof of cultural erosion resulting from assimilation of the western cultures. The dying habits of traditional way of dressing are a clear testimony of success of colonization, which is essentially eradication of the cultural values by another culture. In the past, clothing played a significant role on how people were viewed as the traditional dressing style was symbolic marker towards one social status, age; spirituality and title held which is everything the western culture have corroded through the social technology platform. Dress code has even played a rather unimagined role in the industry. For instance many businesses have started different dressing policy as a way of bringing staff motivation and variety in the work life. The most practiced one is casual wear policy. This policy requires the staff to dress-down on a particular day particularly on Friday where the employees look casual and at same time professional. Some workers perceive as positive move towards employee welfare. They feel their needs catered by the company. Nevertheless, not everyone would see it as a way to motivate the employees (Friedman, 2005).. Conclusion We, as humans, have one thing in common: life. But there is so much that’s put us aside. On the outward, nothing distinguishes us more than the dressing codes. They describe our religion affiliation, self-identity and social statues (Yerima, 2004). The situation, though, was rather different in the past without the advancement in technology. The current wave of globalization and increased use of social media such as Instagram have influenced the dressing code massively. The world is shaped on what is trending on the social media. The youths have idealistic mind about the trending fashions that have consequently led to observed change in dress codes. References Fox Kate ( 2014). Watching the English: The hidden Rules of English Behaviors. Boston, London. Nicholas Brealey Publishers. Friedman-Romell, B. H. (2005). Breaking the code: Toward a reception theory of theatrical cross-dressing in eighteenth-century London. Theatre Journal, 459-479. Pallis. M (2005). Dressing-up the nation: the imposition of the dress code during the cultural revolutions in the Peoples Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Iran (Doctoral dissertation, Concordia University). Okeh, U. M. (2009). Dressing code and sexual characteristics of younger population in southeastern Nigeria. Research Journal of Mathematics and Statistic, 1(1), 14-18. Simmel George (1957). Fashion. American Journal of Sociology. Vol.5 (6), pp 541- 565 Yerima, J. (2004). Dressing Code: Who is wearing what?. The Light Bearer, 17. Read More