Fashion, Taste, and Consumerism - Essay Example

Fashion, Taste, and Consumerism Fashion, Taste, and Consumerism The Birkenstock shoes that are now popularly admired for comfortwere at one point criticized and discredited by many people. It was theorized by Birkenstock that open shoes and curved ones were better than the flat shoes. The first insole and curved shoes were made in 1902 and a great number of people did not appreciate it. The primary origin of Birkenstock was when Margot then went to Germany to seek for help on the best shoes that she could use upon which she found that Birkenstock was the most convenient ones. She then went back to California; she started selling the sandals hence making it a viable business in USA. Later in 1973, the Arizona Birkenstock sandals were made available in the market. Birkenstock shoes have dominated the market and the American (employee-group) now owns it. The company is enjoying a large market share due to their quality production of a varied category of shoes production. Employees of Birkenstock Company are now employing new skills to keep up with new demands and change of preferences in the market today. The creativity and commitment in the market has marked the survival strength of the company. Birkenstock shoes are friendly to hot weather and their open shoes are now preferred for casual wears. The study of consumption Consumption is of items are based on various theories. The Keynesian theory of consumption has it that the absolute income hypothesis depends on the current income of the country of individual to have the buying power. Some other theories have it that consumption of individuals depends largely on the behavior of people and their cultural way of life (Healey, 2007). The rate of consumption is also defined by taking comparison to the level of production. The opportunity cost often has great effects on production of local goods thus creating demand for commercial goods. According to many economists, what constitutes consumption is the products that finally reaches the market and bought by the final utilizes. Consumption is also defined broadly as the overall results for all the productions of the economic activities. The aggregate need for items increases consumption and production too. This scenario makes the company to produce more shoes since the demands in the market are great. Prices of items also dictate the rate of consumption of people. Economists hold that people make their purchases through rational and informed consideration of the items under consideration of their economic circumstances. It is assumed that the utility of consumers is dictated by their level of consumption when all other factors are kept constant. Economists often assume that the level of consumption often declines with the increase of the level of consumption. They also hold that in consumption, people prefer items that are likely to pose less risk. It is thus concluded that convenience drives peoples’ desires of making purchases. It is asserted that the pleasure derived from the present consumption is not dependent on the past consumptions and that the pleasures found in the present consumption is not influenced by any comparison of the items that had been utilized in the past and in the present. Why has it taken the academics time to take consumerism seriously? Consumerism has not been a subject of interest in the 21st century. This has been to an extent that even the field of academics has not developed keen studies into the subject. It is also important to note that the field of academia has also misunderstood and it is exceedingly misunderstanding the impact and the role of consumption in the social-economic nature of human beings. Consumption is an aspect that drives the world and therefore scholars have to develop keen study to it though it is a subject that has greatly been ignored. The first thing that makes consumerism to receive cold shoulders in the academic study is because it is seen as an ideological thing. So many factors such as political and social considerations do not give consumption significant approach as a factor that influences human existence. Consumption deficiency is not taken as a significant factor that influences proper existence of human kind. In the study of political imbalances and social variables, the consumption is also the list factor and sometimes the component of effects that is often brought into consideration. The economy, to an extent that the teaching fraternity, students, and other scholars concentrate on the market factors but greatly ignoring consumption on a factor that affect the overall human outcomes of life, affects consumption rate to some extent. The economy has lecturers, students, and the same aspect of consumption affects universities without really considering that it is the factor that affects international considerations of life. There are varied factors that affect the human functions like political temperature of the country, economic status of the overall population of the nation but there is no significant attention given to consumerism as a factor that affects life. How consumers’ choices are shaped through branding Branding gives meaning to products, through branding, producers and able to communicate meaning to their customers thereby increasing the success of the brand that is put in the market. The meaning that a product communicates to the targeted audience should be made understandable to the customer or the customer should be able to identify with the product in the market. When designing a product, the designer should be aware of the interpretation of the product by the consumer based on the aesthetics, ergonometic motives, and the symbolic communication of the product. These factors have a role to play in the product appraisal. When the intended meaning to the consumer is not clearly communicated, the product will be less appreciated by the consumer thereby doing poorly in the market. it is therefore important to brief designers of the symbolic meanings attached to the targeted customers so as to come up with products that are likely to be appreciated more in the market. The overall process through which meaning is derived from the appearance of the product is categorized as follows; first, through the appearance of the product, consumers derive some meaning that is attached to the physical appearance of the product. For instance, Birkenstocks shoes have appearance that communicates comfort to the customers. This makes customer to take this brand as the best choice of shoes in the market. Mixtures of some colors and the texture of the shoes give it some appearance and an attribute that determines its popularity in the market. The way a product is branded and its overall appearance gives the consumer and impression that will determine whether they will buy the product or not. There are different forces that push the design that is derived from the product, that is, the perception of the designers and the perceptions of the consumers of how the products should be. It is therefore important to consider the appearance of the product from the viewpoint of the consumers because they are the ones who do the purchase of products and customers will often buy things that appeal to them (Miles, 2000). People will categorize things depending on the meaning the product gives to them. These meanings dictate choices of the products and customers preferences. Brands also trigger some particular emotions in customers. For example, when a brand triggers the emotions of happiness on consumers, there is likelihood that they will buy the product unlike when they associate the brand with sad moments of their lives. Experiences stimulate a behavioral reaction that may negatively affect in their buying habit or it may motivate their fondness to the product. Brands thus influence consumers in different broad categories. First, consumers will determine whether the products have a personal connection with them, the second consideration is the social influence that the brand has on the overall population. When most people identify with the brand then it so follows that, the brand will be favored by the market and finally, social identification determines the number and the class of people who would go for a specific brand. Theories of Taste Taste is an individual’s power of choice and preference. This is the process of drawing differentiations and distinctions of style, goods of consumption, and manners. The social enquiry of taste is more about the capability of one to judge, criticize, and make judgment of the most suitable item of consumption (Brunius, 1969). According to Kant, there is not particular standard by which a good taste is determined for the majority of a given population. Kant holds that beauty or anything good is not based on anything but on a subjective feeling of an individual. Kant further agrees that there is a good thing but he points out that there is standard measure of an empirical taste. Generalization is not the best measure of a good taste and there can never be a uniform mode of description of any specific group that gives an accurate description of a good taste. This is to mean that there can never be a universal agreement of what a good taste means to a vast majority of people. Kant affirms that people’s general preferences do not justify the universality of beauty of any substance or item. Kant believes that any judgment of taste presumes consensus of particular social groups. However, judgment of a particular thing has it that a community will often bring out their shared experiences and their cultural norms and values in judging a particular thing. This however does not lock the free will of personal judgment since people still have their unique ways of posing judgments. According to Kant, fashion does not describe a good thing since fashion only has its judgment in its empirical form that is not universally appreciated (Bourdieu, 1984). According to Kant, taste has a great influence of consumption of items. Although this is true, taste and consumption have very complicated connections unlike the connection between supply and demand. References Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Brunius, T. (1969). Theory and taste: Four studies in aesthics. Sl: Sn. Healey, J. (2007). Consumerism. Thirroul, N.S.W: Spinney Press. Miles, S. (2000). Consumerism - as a way of life. London [u.a.: Sage Publ. Read More