Fashion and its role in our daily lives - Research Paper Example

? Tammy Sheard Mrs. Debra Jones HUM 1101 4 April Fashion and its role in our daily lives It is a fact that the world of fashion is changing at arapid speed. The consumers are always on the crossroads of choosing attires over one another since there is a lot to look out for. They cannot be certain as to whether the chosen piece of cloth or fashion accessory would be of any use, say six months down the lane. This means that the changing trends require some sort of shining armor and this is only obtainable through the fashion conscious eye of the consumers. More than this, it is the fashion retailer with added promotions and media hypes to boost up the consumer’s need to have the new piece of clothing for his own social projection. A lot of say is also from the word of mouth approach which suggests that the friends and family circles play a very positive and vibrant role in the whole equation. Furthermore, when one talks about the consumers’ needs of understanding their own self in a better manner, one must make note of the self concept which discusses a person’s understanding of his own personality and what does or does not echo his personal statements. This could include issues like his mood shifts that can happen with the changing seasons, the attachment of peculiar feelings with certain colors and going out of the way to buy a certain piece of cloth which is usually not considered a viable option when it comes to buying by the masses. Thus the self concept is quintessential since it underpins his own notions related with the fashion needs and in what manner he can best fulfill the very same (Polsa, 2011). As stated earlier, the people who are considered amongst the aspired groups by the relevant sets of consumers, who are about to make a potential purchase, are the right people to which these consumers can actually focus their symbolic wishes and aspirations. This aspired group could be consisting of those people who are looked upon at by the consumers with a sense of desire and yearning and the consumers always make sure that they buy this just to remain attached with the aspired group. When it comes to these aspired groups, one can easily understand that they consist of models, celebrities, sportspersons or just about anybody who the consumers think worthy of being hailed as something different, so much so to bring about a different in their belief system. Thus symbolic consumption forms up as a very imperative part of the whole thinking mindset of the consumers before they hope to change their fashion practices and mold their own selves in line with what should be their need and in what manner they would fulfill the very same. Rightly put, consumers of fashion are very conscious of their needs and wishes and usually they go out of their budgets to satisfy their whims. This means that there is a lot of room for strengthening the products in the best manner possible when the talk is of quality rather than mere quantity (Thorsell, 2011). Versace has adopted on to the bandwagon of having celebrity endorsements for its fashion apparels and products, much like the other well-known fashion labels that are operational all round the world. Elton John, Axl Rose, Late Princess Diana, Beyonce, The Notorious B.I.G, Elizabeth Hurley, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Halle Berry, Kate Moss, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Angela Lindvall, Carolyn Murphy, Christy Turlington, Daria Werbowy and Miriam Escott IV are some of the prominent ones to make Versace such a huge name in the world of fashion. Needless to state, when one tries to understand the rationale behind advertising in the realms of fashion it is quintessential to comprehend that fashion advertising brings with it a sense of bonding and creating linkages amongst the different social groups present within any society. The social groups to which the consumers try their best to attach with have a lot of positive say on the sale of a particular category of fashion (Mcconathy, 2001). This means that the clothes worn by the social groups of the particular consumers are very significant and they can make or break the fashion in a very small period of time. Their influence over the fashion accessories which they choose to wear or endorse is something that goes down well with the masses and the ones who like to call these social groups as their personal favorites. More specifically, we can refer to these social factions as the reference groups, meaning the referencing points for the consumers so that they can easily relate with the celebrities, sportspersons and models and so on. The influence which is exerted by these reference or social groups is immense as it can literally change the thinking mindsets of its followers which are a very positive sign. Without a doubt, the reference groups really pave the way for the successful sale of fashion items and accessories and more than that tries its hand at spreading the same fashion things within the target audiences and even within the ones who are not actually very frequent buyers of it. What is more important is the fact that people who are influenced in a very easy and cordial manner by the social or reference group are not difficult to turn away from when the relation is of the fashion outlet itself and the retention rate is also high as compared to new outlets which are tried in a very placid manner to say the least, on the part of the consumers who are fashion conscious and want to look their very best. For example, the social group which brings to point the fashion business for D&G includes Monica Bellucci, Kylie Minogue, Gisele Bundchen, Madonna, Ayumi Hamasaki and Isabella Rossellini to name a few. Since the influence is tremendous by the social group, we expect to see the products of the fashion house or outlet to spread like jungle fire within the pertinent audiences and that too without any such wastage on the part of the fashion outlet when it comes to relevant expenditures and investments. Moving ahead, the fashion brand becomes strong only when its consumers have fond memories of its experience and this can only be made possible when there is a powerful effort by the store authorities to convince the buyer that the outfit thus selected by him for the potential sale process is indeed the very best and he would actually look good after he tries it. Trying the outfit at a fashion outlet means more than half of the purchase process has already been accomplished and there needs to be a slight push by the staff so that the sale could be ended then and there (Judith, 2011). Then again, attitude formation is something that needs to be aligned in properly here since without a positive attitude, there can be no two views that the customer will indeed run away and not come back to have that vital sale which was sought after when he stepped into the fashion outlet. The attitude is also strengthened by the general feel and a sense of warmth present within the store. It remains a well-known fact that fashion and clothing needs are very necessary ingredients of a person’s desire to look good and gorgeous, and thus stand out when seen in a horde of people around him. This means that man (or woman) has always yearned for appreciation and in the quest of the very same, he tries to outdo others by putting on his very best and to look different all this while. Moreover, there are certain problems when it comes to fulfilling these needs which are easily remarked as the risks and downsides of fashion and clothing. The risks are something that suggests a person might not look really nice if he tries to imitate the person from the social group, with which he holds special affinity and wants to look just like him merely for the sake of nothing but sheer attachment. To add more on the subject at hand, decision making process starts from getting the hang of the fashion which is hit and booming when a consumer relates his own self on the lines of the social or reference group that he likes to call it his own. Then only he decides to go out and look for the outlets from where he can get his desire fulfilled from, though at a price which is affordable (Reynolds, 2011). Price is not the imperative aspect here since in the yearn to look good and be appreciated for the fashion deeds that he puts on, he is ready to bring down his budget compared to fashion desires since it is this acceptability which comes with the fashion statement that he wears and carries from place to place. One fashion retailer which is particularly precise about its clientele is Marks & Spencer where quality is everything, not only for the consumers but also for the brand itself. It is reflected quite easily in the name, sign and products of Marks & Spencer all over the world and there could be no two views when one tries the outfits or different products of this fashion label. To conclude with here, it is significant to state here that the world of fashion is moving at par with the technological regimes which are also on the move. Sudden changes in fashion make the fashion conscious individuals feel at trouble since it requires a real catching up act all the time. One needs to be really on his/her toes to remain abreast with the very latest in fashion circles. Works Cited Judith, Schrempf. Clean Clothes: A Global Movement to End Sweatshops. Society and Business Review, 6(1), 2011 Mcconathy, Dale. The Mirror of Fashion. Artforum International, 39, 2001 Polsa, Pia. An exploration of how mature women buy clothing: empirical insights and a model. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 14(1), 2011 Reynolds, Jonathan. Independent and interdependent self-views and their influence on clothing consumption. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 32(2), 2011 Thorsell, Jorgen. Innovation in leadership development. Advances in Global Leadership, 6, 2011 Working Bibliography (Prospectus) Judith, Schrempf. Clean Clothes: A Global Movement to End Sweatshops. Society and Business Review, 6(1), 2011 This source takes a keen look at the aspect of clothing and how their cleanliness is something that holds a great amount of value for the sweatshops, which are a part of the fashion realms. Mcconathy, Dale. The Mirror of Fashion. Artforum International, 39, 2001 This source is from the Artforum International where the emphasis is on the fashion understandings that have been collected over a period of time. Polsa, Pia. An exploration of how mature women buy clothing: empirical insights and a model. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 14(1), 2011 This source is from the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management where the focus is on a study of mature women as to how they make the vital purchase of clothing. There are empirical insights available within the source itself. Reynolds, Jonathan. Independent and interdependent self-views and their influence on clothing consumption. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 32(2), 2011 This source is from the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management which signifies the views as well as the influences which are upon the clothing consumption areas, patterns and respective attributes attached with the same. Thorsell, Jorgen. Innovation in leadership development. Advances in Global Leadership, 6, 2011 This source discusses how innovations have been documented within the leadership development realms and how these have meant serious success for the global leadership paradigm. Read More