Conspicuous Consumption of Fashion - Essay Example

CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION OF FASHION of Introduction Conspicuous consumption is defined by Lehnert (2000) as “the display of wealth by individuals with an aim of achieving a state of prestige or class”. Therefore conspicuous consumption of fashion can be described as the display of clothing as a means of attaining a certain status within the society and demonstrating how wealthy one is. Throughout the evolution of fashion, clothing has been used to show off wealth and thus symbolize power. With the changes which are evident in the history of fashion we ask ourselves if we still partake in the conspicuous consumption of fashion. This essay traces the history of fashion in relation to conspicuous consumption in order to determine if this concept is present in the modern culture and find out the motivation behind the use of fashion to display wealth and status. According to Cassell (2000), conspicuous consumption of fashion is not a new concept because it can be traced back into the ancient tribal times. During this period, the elite within the society displayed various fashions to demonstrate their social class and thus distinguish themselves from the ordinary people. The history of conspicuous consumption and the developments in fashion was very competitive and it is attributed to the modern culture within the consumer society as explained by Woodruffe-Burton (1998). In the French empire, the rule of Louis XIV was characterized by conspicuous consumption of fashion and people showed off their wealth through the clothes they wore. The concept of conspicuous consumption of fashion is illustrated by the queen of France, Marie Antoinette who had the largest wardrobe in Versailles which was filled with expensive clothing as a status symbol of her wealthy and power. Feitelberg (2005) explains that the invention of handbags late in the 18th century clearly shows how fashion is valued in the society as “a symbolic tool for status and class”. Highly decorated handbags were carried around to achieve a certain desired level of prestige and wealthy. Figure 1: Marie Antoinette Lehnert (2000) assets that the history of fashion reached its peak in the 19th century when cloth designs and fashions from France and London were used to separate people according to social classes. Decorative dressing by women in the upper social class was common in the society. A lot of money was spent by the wealthy on decorative fashion which were colorful with good designs and ostrich feathers being used to symbolize a higher social status. The development of fashion was parallel to the social status early in the 20th century as explained by Feitelberg (2005). During this period, magazines on fashion were very common and they were purchased and consumed by the elite. There were also fashion shows which involved demonstration of expensive and colorful fashions by reputed fashion designers across the world. The fashion trends in Paris for example influenced the world cloth industry and the clothes one wore were used to distinguish the wealthy from the poor. Developments in technology early in the 20th century necessitated production of images and photographs which displayed various fashion designs. Cassell (2000) says that there was a high demand of fashion magazines throughout the world cities. These magazines were however associated with the rich and wealthy. Jewelry was also used to symbolize wealth and social status and was worn by women for beauty and showing off in public places. Expensive outfits were worn by men and women who were considered fashionable and there was extravagant expenditure in clothing and jewelry. According to Feitelberg (2005), the social desires of the society remain the same and thus the changes in the history of fashion have not changed the use of fashion as a tool of symbolizing social status. Cassell (2000) says that “the modern society still practices the conspicuous consumption of fashion even in greater dimensions than before”. As opposed to the ancient times when clothes were made manually by hand, the modern clothing and fashion industry uses technology such as advanced sewing machines to produce garments of various qualities and costs to suit the needs of people from various social classes. Technology has enabled increased production of clothing of various prices. Expensive clothing is associated by the wealthy. Modern retail shops which deal in clothing are often associated with a certain social class. Cassell (2000) emphasizes that the cloth production and retail industry is segmented to cater for various members of society in accordance to their ability to afford specific clothing and jewelry. Conspicuous consumption of fashion in the modern times is demonstrated by the images in the media. Celebrities and rich people are presented in the media as symbols of fashion. The trends in fashion and the clothing industry have been influenced by celebrities and what they were is considered fashionable. According to Woodruffe-Burton (1998), the evolution of fashion experiences period when older fashions are considered more fashionable. Older designs of clothes and jewelry are used by the wealthy and the famous to show their financial abilities. Rich women in the political, music and movie industry for example exhibit wearing of jewelry which would not be afforded by ordinary people. All these examples illustrate the concept of conspicuous consumption of fashion in the modern era. Figure 2: Artist Paul Wall Demonstrating Modern Fashion Extravagance in the purchase of clothing is common in the modern times as it were in the ancient periods. With technology in the clothing industry, the wealthy are able to order custom made garments at high costs. Special designs are thus easily made to meet the needs of the rich as compared to the ordinary people who purchase standard clothes because of their affordability. Woodruffe-Burton (1998) assets that “just like in the old empires where women and men spent a lot of money on expensive clothing as a status symbol, individuals in the modern times are seeking uniqueness in extravagant purchase of custom made clothes”. Cloth designers in the modern times are using technology to reduce the cost of producing clothes in terms of time and money. As a result, the clothing industry is a highly profitable business venture because of the reduced cost of production and high prices of clothes. Lehnert (2000) explains that branding is a concept of the modern clothing industry which demonstrates the height of conspicuous consumption of fashion in the current times. There are brands of clothes which are meant for the reach and are worn to attain prestigious status and to show off wealth. Branding makes some clothes to be very expensive and thus cannot be afforded by ordinary people and thus showing how the fashion industry has been influenced by the conspicuous consumption. Furthermore some jewelry stores are branded with prestigious and expensive jewelry which cannot be afforded by people in the lower social status. Feitelberg (2005) asserts that in the present times, there are many forms of conspicuous consumption of fashion as compared to the ancient times. The forms in which wealthy people show off their prestigious lifestyles include performance of cosmetic surgery, manicure and pedicure. Financial abilities have made celebrities change their skin color to meet the social class expectations which is associated with fame, wealth and status. A lot of money is paid for removal of body hair even air transplantation for bald individual. These procedures are very expensive and are thus associated with the wealthy. Moreover, fashion has been glorified through fashion and talent shows with models demonstrating features of clothing which are considered ideal and fashionable. There are special features in the modern fashion industry which act as symbols of status. These services include pre-ordering, private sale and limited sales. Some clothing outlets provide special services for VIP customers. Additionally with technology, online ordering is possible and clothes can be bought from abroad in the comfort of one’s own home. Online magazines on fashion are easily available and can be accessed through online subscriptions. However, it is notable that the modern conspicuous consumption in fashion has been enabled by the easily available credit facilities from banks and people are able to afford expensive clothes and jewelry for prestige. Conclusion The history of fashion has demonstrated developments since the ancient times but the concept of conspicuous consumption of fashion is being experienced significantly even in the modern times. Extravagant expenditure in fashionable clothing is a societal behavior which is associated with class and wealth. The ancient French empire for example was characterized by social class with prestigious fashions with was used to show off wealth and seek prestige. The advancement in technology has enabled the growth in the modern fashion industry and as a result special features have been provided for the wealth such as special orders and VIP services which are associated with higher social class. Moreover, the rich and famous have influenced the fashion industry because what they wear is considered fashionable. References Cassell J.B 2000, The Visible Self: global perspectives on dress, culture and society. Fairchild. p. 34-42 Feitelberg, R 2005, Fashion history here to stay at fit. WWD, 190 (106), 8. Lehnert, G 2000, A History of Fashion in the 20th Century. Konemann. pp. 67-73 Woodruffe-Burton, H 1998, Private desires, public display: Consumption, postmodernism and fashions "new man". International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 26(8), 301 Read More