An Analysis of Human Motivation, Choice, and Behavior in Terms of Vintage Fashion - Term Paper Example

 Who Buys Vintage Fashion and Why?: An Analysis of Human Motivation, Choice, and Behavior in Terms of Vintage Fashion Attempting to understand the dynamics of fashion oftentimes devolves into understanding human psychological needs and the means by which self identity and self actualize nation are actually crafted. Accordingly, it is easy to understand why such issues can be extraordinarily complex and require a level of understanding of human motivation and behavioral psychology that might not necessarily be leveraged elsewhere throughout the realm of fashion. Likewise, rather than merely focusing upon unique psychological motivations for a particular behavior at the expense of common sense and more direct answers, the following analysis will seek to mix both of these approaches and understand fashion motivation based upon innate human needs and desires as well as more complex psychological factors involving motivation. Ultimately, the analysis will seek to answer the question of who buys vintage fashion and why. Although seemingly a simple question, the motivating factors behind purchasing vintage fashion, wearing it, and orienting one’s life around such a paradigm is much more complex than one might initially think. It is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis and discussion will be beneficial towards answering the question and providing details concerning why this behavior and outlook/worldview is one that has continually been replicated since the earliest records and history of fashion. As indicated above, simply stating that individuals purchase vintage clothing due to the fact that they “like it” is not sufficient or nuanced answer that will provide adequate understanding in terms of purchase behavior and the underlying motivational causes that encourage it. Analysis: Before delving into the analysis, it must be understood that not all vintage fashion should be analyzed equally. For instance, the following analysis will provide a detailed listing of relevant and salient reasons, drawn from the literature, as to why individuals oftentimes choose to purchase and wear vintage fashion. However, with this in mind, it should also be understood that, for the most part, pants, shirts, tops, skirts, and other commonly worn items of a vintage nature are oftentimes worn based upon a desire to save money, the practically minded, be somewhat fearful of change, or remind an individual of the past. By means of contrast and comparison, accessories, shoes, and hats oftentimes are worn and bought as a means of disregarding current fashion trends and/or attempting to start a new trend. Naturally, there is a great deal of crossover between these two broad categories that have been thus far been elaborated upon; however, it is the express intent of this particular author to denote the fact that this differential exists and is represented in large part as a direct result of human motivational needs and the understanding of self that encourages such a behavior. Whereas the forthcoming analysis will focus a greater level of attention on unique determinants of fashion and that the choice to buy and wear vintage fashion, this broad qualifier is presented as a means of further categorizing the impetus it is oftentimes exhibited when an individual make such choices. The Connection to the Past: One of the first, and perhaps the most obvious, motivation for an individual to purchase and wear vintage fashion has to do with the fact that it ultimately reminds them of the past. In much the same way that individuals listen to classic music, from their childhood or early youth, vintage fashion serves as a means of connecting an individual to their past and providing a clear linkage of pleasant and happy memories. This is of course exhibited in many individuals that refused to change with the times and continue to buy vintage fashion as if they are trying to reclaim an element of their use and/or a particular time in their life than they viewed as the most positive and stimulating. This is a unique dynamics in terms of who buys vintage fashion; it has for each individual that is motivated by this particular facet and factor, there is a different and slightly nuanced underlying reason for why vintage fashion is purchased and to what extent. The deeply personal connection that individual makes for their past and the means by which clothing help to define this is a central and core element of why vintage fashion continues to remain relevant within the current market space and how current manufacturers, as well as resellers of previously manufactured clothing, can continue to turn a profit in a market space that encompasses literally thousands of different fashion trends within a relatively compact period of time. Another relevant factor, indicated above, has to do with the desire to set a new trend to step outside the norms of action that might exist within a given time. Fashion visionaries have long parking to the past as a means of drawing inspiration or future trends and seeking to elicit a new definition of high fashion. Evidence of this can of course be seen with respect to the way in which certain Hollywood movie stars dress in fashion that specifically draws inspiration from a time past. In many cases, vintage fashion is in fact purchased by these individuals as a means of providing the necessary elements that contribute to the entire or wardrobe that they are seeking to pull off. Quite obviously, the motivation for this particular type of behavior is extraordinarily different as compared to the motivation that was previously exhibited in terms of individuals seeking to utilize and leverage vintage fashion as a means of reminding them of their past. Nevertheless, this motivation is equally strong and is reflected throughout various levels of the fashion industry; not only in terms of individuals in society that are seeking to step outside the norm and promote a new interpretation of fashion and the means by which clothing can and should be warned. For many individuals, maintaining on the cost of fashion is not enough and seeking to be at the vanguard of a new trend is the mark towards which they strive. In this manner, even an individual that purchases vintage fashion only to realize that fashion is moving a different direction will not necessarily give up on this goal in mind continue such a purchase engagement time and time again as a means of eventually becoming relevant within the realm of fashion and having their ideas finally justified in terms of the direction which fashion is progressing and the means by which others draw inspiration from them. As can be seen from the preceding discussion, reinforcement and the means by which the personal ego is reinforced within this particular motivation is much stronger as compared to the means by which the ego is reinforced within prior descriptions of how vintage fashion behavior is oftentimes exhibited (Hansen, 2005). Whereas the entire ensemble of vintage fashion is common in terms of seeking to motivate others to interpret fashion in a different way or move the fashion industry in a different direction, accessories, hats, shoes, and other items of novelty generally make of the vast majority of items that are leveraged within this particular mode of usage. For instance, an individual that is desirous of exhibiting what they see as a natural progression area evolution of fashion and attempting to encourage others to adopt the same will not often promote a complete and entire return to a vintage look; instead, they will provide more of an eclectic interpretations – mixing elements of vintage clothing in with elements of existing fashion as a means of providing a personal twist or “take” on the means by which fashion should be understood and adopted. Another primary motivation that should not be discounted in terms of why individuals purchase and wear vintage fashion has to do with the degree and extent to which an individual views themselves as being part of a counterculture. In many ways, this particular term has partially been understood to describe a certain subset of individuals that ascribed to easily stereotyped norms. However, at its broadest definition, individuals that might define themselves as belonging to a counterculture would necessarily define themselves only based upon one element; namely, the desire to be different and to disregard current trends that are being exhibited within society (Hamilton, 2012). Likewise, the individual that utilizes this particular approach as a function of encouragement to purchase vintage fashion and to where it will not understand fashion as a means of changing interpretations war as a means of providing a clear and definitive/positive linkage to memories within their past. Instead, the individual that ascribes to this particular form of behavior is one that shares no interest in furthering the development of fashion and only has a tangential interest in the means by which they are perceived. Likewise, the desire to be different and the desire to not be identified as per the “uniform” of the masses is the definitive element that helps to define this particular individual. Whereas the overall number of individuals that ascribes this particular norm of understanding fashion is obviously quite low, it nonetheless provides a powerful group that allows for the vintage fashion industry to stay alive and to market to individuals from a broad base of world views and perspectives. Another noted group of individuals that cannot be ignored has to do with those that are solely interested in saving money. For the most part, individuals in middle-class societies around the globe expand a relatively high percentage of their annual income on clothing. This is of course partially due to the fact that families must provide for continually growing children and the continually shifting trends of fashion. However, an individual that is frugal and consciously minded in terms of the overall amount of money that they expand upon clothing will oftentimes come to the realization that this particular expense is too high (Cassidy & Bennett, 2012). As such, the understanding that is oftentimes provided is that vintage clothing and/or purchasing clothing second is a potential means of cutting this expense out entirely. This particular definition of why an individual might engage with vintage fashion is of course quite different as compared to the ones that have been enumerated upon above. Essentially, the individual that is interested in vintage fashion as a function of its frugality does not have any particular affection or attraction to vintage fashion; other than the fact that it is cheap as compared to current fashion (DeLong et al., 2005). Likewise, the interest of maintaining a high level of “chic-ness” or “fashionability” is not of interest to such an individual either; as the primary motivation and element of interest is saving money and seeking to copy expense that might otherwise be tied up with maintaining a high level of fashionability or keeping up with current fashion trends. Delving back into the psychological motivations for why an individual may purchase vintage clothing, it should be understood that there is a clear and definitive fear and rejection of change that is exhibited within the life and psychology of almost each and every individual consumer. For the most part, the means by which fashion changes does not pose a necessary to the level of fear and/or apprehension that an individual has in terms of overall life changes. However, certain individuals, the fear of change is so relevant and pertinent as to require such individuals to reject the change that fashion necessarily encourages and to embrace the “lack of change” that vintage fashion may reinforce (Gregson & Crewe, 2003). In many cases, such an outlook is not one that changes with time; instead, it may necessarily encourage an individual to maintain a certain approach to fashion and clothing that is not evolutionary and specifically focused upon a certain period of time in which they felt that a change was not exhibited. Whereas some scholars and analysts may indicate that this year of change is somehow innately tied to positive memories of childhood, there is a certain shade of nuanced between these two that has prompted this particular analyst to indicate that they are in fact separate (Bourdieu, 1984). The individual that is fearful of change may not necessarily have a positive memory or set of memories within a certain period of time that they can relate to fashion and choice. However, they may necessarily have a period in time in which they believed that change was nonexistent; further encouraging them to identify with fashion of a vintage era as reinforcing their worldview and providing a much-needed element of stability within their life. Whereas the information that has been discussed thus far within the analysis has been solely concentric upon the individual, the means by which the individual is perceived, and the way the individual perceives themselves, the last element that will be discussed within the analysis has to do with the way in which the individual consumer of vintage clothing is aware and mindful of issues relating to the planet’s sustainability and environmental consciousness (McRobbie, 1989). The past several years have indicated a renewed focus upon the need for sustainability in the production of consumer goods. Likewise, the need for recycling and the need for individuals to be mindful of their overall carbon footprint is another element of the current era that is being reinforced to a greater and greater degree. Whereas it is inherently true that not all vintage clothing is a product of an era past - much of it in fact is. As a direct result of this, there is a definitive impulse and motivation for individuals that are green and environmentally/socially conscious to purchase clothing that has already been produced and is not requiring the utilize nation or provision of additional labor and/or resources. As more and more information comes available in terms of the way in which labor within the Third World is oftentimes taken advantage of, underpaid, and required to work difficult hours, individuals that are socially conscious are necessarily encouraged to turn to vintage fashion as a means of forgoing the largess that is oftentimes inherently represented within currently produced fashion. Additionally, the means by which each pound of cotton that is grown requires gallons of water to produce and the means by which fossil fuels are required to ship textiles from halfway around the world to their immediate market space further encourages individuals that are environmentally conscious to forgo existing fashion and where vintage fashion that was produced many years ago (Silverman, 1986). In this way, a tangential benefits the local economy is provided and a more socially and environmentally consumer sees the net benefit of this particular type of behavior from many different perspectives. Last but not least, it is necessary to understand motivation of individuals for choosing to buy vintage fashion based upon an interpretation of Abraham Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs”. According to such an interpretation, the theory of human motivation is one that is expressed in terms of a pyramid that moves from a basic human needs fulfillment towards self actualize nation. Yet, rather than understanding motivation for buying and wearing a vintage fashion based upon a single strata of this pyramid, it is necessary to understand that each of the explanations that had been provided above specifically target one or more stages of this development towards self actualization (Gelder & Thornton, 2012). For instance, the individual that utilizes vintage fashion as a means of seeking to change existing fashion towards a different point of view or framework would necessarily ascribe to the hierarchy of needs based upon the highest level of self actualization; in that vintage fashion helps to define who they are and exemplifies their approach to life. By means of contrast in comparison, a more basic level of hierarchy of needs is exhibited in terms of the individual that utilizes vintage fashion as a means of providing a certain level of security within their own life. Similarly, the individual that attempts to connect vintage fashion to positive memories within their childhood would also be leveraging the “security” strata of the hierarchy of needs. Essentially, the analyst should come to the interpretation that James Laver eloquently denoted; namely that “Individual dress not only for comfort and warmth but also to indicate status, influence, socioeconomic status, and to provide a level of connection to who they are” (Kutchler & Miller, 2005). Naturally, beauty and other elements of identity are also powerfully impacted by the degree and extent to which an individual feels that vintage fashion provides useful benefits to the way in which they are perceived. Effectively, fashion, specifically vintage fashion, and the means and desires that people seek to fulfill based upon its inherent qualities is as complex as human motivation itself. From the information that has thus far been provided, it is clear and apparent that there are indeed a number of motivators for why individuals engage with vintage fashion and the ultimate benefit they seek to draw from this particular level of fashion utilize nation. Seeking to simplify the reasons for why an individual might engage with vintage fashion which obviously missed the mark and failed to accurately identify many of the motivators and underlying psychological reasons that had been elaborated upon within this brief discussion. It is for this reason that the individual analyst can accurately predict that vintage fashion will almost invariably remain an ongoing trend that is exhibited within the realm of fashion and consumer behavior. Whereas certain elements that have been described and unique human motivations for vintage fashion make mom and go with changing cultural norms and perceived interpretations of self, certain elements will remain steadfast in vintage fashion is likely to continue to grow in terms of its overall representation within the market. Finally, of all of the motivations that had been described within the analysis thus far, the one motivation that is perceived to grow the most over the coming years is in terms of the overall level of environmental and social consciousness that the consumer is currently indicating. Based upon prior exemplification of social norms of consumer behavior, it is the expectation of this analyst that vintage fashion will experience somewhat of a rebirth in the coming years as more and more individuals engage with it as a means of preserving the planet, conserving resources, and reducing the overall carbon footprint that consumer behavior ultimately causes. References Bourdieu, P. (1984) Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, London: Routlege. DeLong, M. et al (2005) ‘Hooked on Vintage!’ in Fashion Theory, volume 9, issue 1, pp 23-42. Cassidy, T. and Bennett, H. (2012) ‘The Rise of Vintage and the Vintage Fashion Consumer’ in Fashion Practice, volume 4, issue 2, pp239-262). Gelder K.and Thornton, S. (eds) The Subcultures Reader. New York: Routledge. Gregson, N. and Crewe, L. (2003) Second-Hand Cultures, Oxford, Berg. Hamilton, C. (2012) ‘Seeing the World Second Hand: Mad Men and the Vintage Consumer’ in Cultural Studies Review, volume 18, issue 223-241). Hansen, K. (2005) ‘From Thrift to Fashion: Materiality and Aesthetics in Dress Practices in Zambia’ in Kuchler, S. & Miller, D. (eds) (2005) Clothing as Material Culture, Oxford: Berg. McRobbie, A. (1989) ‘Second-Hand Dresses and the Role of the Ragmarket’ in K. Gelder and S. Thornton, (eds) The Subcultures Reader. New York: Routledge. Silverman, K. (1986) ‘Fragments of a Fashionable Discourse’ in T. Modelski (ed) Studies in Entertainment: Critical Approaches to Mass Consumption, Indiana: Indiana University Press. Read More