How Are Fashion and Appearance Central to the Construction of Social Identities - Term Paper Example

How are fashion and appearance central to the construction of social identities? As individuals, we search for our identities, we try to find our place in society, and we want to make statements about ourselves. As history has evolved, social roles have encountered a transition from a predictable and calm order to a certain tumultuous heterogeneity. Nowadays, our place in society is not necessarily predefined by our place of birth, family and social status. On the contrary, we have to search for it, earn it, and demonstrate it to the world. In other words, we have to construct a social identity- the image we give to the world about our own personality and the way others perceive us. Fashion plays a very important role in this process, for it is a way to express our personality, to state our beliefs, to communicate our likes and dislikes. Fashion is a skilled architect for our bodies, using colours, shapes and textures to create pieces of clothing, which combined in a particular way produce, at their turn, a graspable, yet unique image of our identity. As Bennett states in Culture and Everyday Life (2005) “fashion embodies a range of symbolic values which are collectively understood within and across different social groups”. Therefore, by dressing in a certain way and creating a particular appearance for ourselves, we can send out particular messages about our character, education, financial success, interests and intentions, even sexual preferences. After all, in this fast and complicated world we have very few seconds to make an impression, this is why fashion is a key factor which will help us express all of who we are trough our style and choice of clothing. A piece of clothing can make one feel inhibited, or on the contrary, free and daring, nostalgic for the past or a visionary of the future. The right clothes can help us accomplish our goals and better interact with the people surrounding us. Therefore, given the complex nature of fashion as a central part of our society I will focus on three major aspects: feminism and the way fashion has helped women define and change their social roles and identities, youth and their use of fashion to make statements about their place in the society, as well as their personalities and in the end, intercultural exchange and the way one can create a unique style by combining fashion elements from different cultures. I will start with a short historical map out and thus begin with the Medieval times, since it is considered a period marked by darkness, rigid ideology and strict social delimitations. This is why fashion did not suffer any exceptions: clothes were used to set specific social boundaries and thus, dictate social identities. First of all, fashion was inspired at court and it included carefully tailor garments, which offered information about the social status of the person that was wearing the clothes. It included heavy dresses, which did not allow women the privilege of fast movement and which transposed into society as little involvement and obedience. The clergymen’s simple tunics were supposed to represent their penitence and modest life. The peasants’ poor dressing was a result of their placement at the bottom of the Feudal Pyramid of social order. As we slip into the modern era, towards the 18th and the 19th century, fashion still remains a wealth-dominated area. However, new social roles appear, such as public magistrates and the militia, which mark their social identity by particular clothing and uniforms. The tailoring business develops rather faster and cheaper replicas of high-fashion, designer clothes became more accessible for women belonging to lower social classes and disposing of smaller wealth. Luxury was not limited to the elite or the metropolitan any more (Breward, 1995). However, women continued to be restrained in movement by their clothes, which included the corset and the long dresses: women’s dresses were composed of large quantities of fabric and different occasions needed different kinds of dresses, factors which indicate that women were excluded from male-dominated activities and were socially and economically dependable on their husbands. This is why, “lacking other form of power, they used nonverbal symbols [dresses] as means of self-expression” (Crane, 2000). However, it is very important to mention the fact that even though women were bounded to the dress, the industrial revolution has made colours and textiles more accessible, therefore, a woman could build her social identity through her dress by insisting on unique ornamental details. Still, even this opportunity had very specific limitations: a woman could express her preferences in colour or design, but never make a political or ideological statement. At the same time, alternative to the dress, another fashionable style has developed: a style in which men’s ties, suit jackets, hats and waistcoats were widely worn by women alongside with the traditional, conservative dress. In my opinion, the alternative style is a clear reflection of women’s desire to seize power, to escape from the boundaries of their own social status by wearing pieces which strictly belonged to the 19th century male attire. These were the first, silent steps towards emancipation and empowerment, which women were gradually granted with all along the 20th century. The 20th century introduces fashion to the system of mass production, making clothes more affordable than the carefully tailored garments of the previous eras. “The twentieth century has been repeatedly characterised by cultural, social, art and design historians as the century of “mass”: mass-production, mass-consumption and mass-media” (Breward, 1995). The accessibility to cheaper materials and production alternatives has made fashion available to all social classes and has increased the rate of clothing production. Interestingly enough, this did not result in a dull sameness; on the contrary, it enabled people to create their unique, personal style and this is why women were no exception. At the beginning of the century, there was a large debate questioning the meaning and the use of the corset in women’s fashion: “Womens claims to wage work, to academic and physical education, to public protest over access to suffrage and birth control, and to pleasurable leisure activities such as dancing at tango parties all brought daily corset wear into question” (Fields, 1999). Letting go of the traditional, rigid and strict corset, women gained new social identities, characterised by freedom and involvement. One of the most important designers which helped women find new social identities was Coco Channel, who replaced the corset with elegant, but comfortable clothes; usually, among the fashion pieces designed by her one could find simple, unpretentious, yet classy suits, dresses, jewellery and perfumes, and the last, but not the least, trousers. Indeed, Coco Channel was one of the first women to wear trousers. The introduction of trousers – this specific male piece of clothing, which symbolized virility and power – to women’s fashion is considered to be one of the most important fashionable achievements of the century. The trousers empowered women to increase their social involvement, to be able to ask for jobs that were normally dominated by men and to become independent, both socially and economically. Trousers worn by women brought a new meaning to the stereotyped image of femininity, as women abandoned the old social identities based on obedience and righteousness and dived into new ones, which were by far more daring and reflected courage and autonomy. Therefore, fashion is absolutely central to a woman’s social identity, helping her to overcome the boundaries set by gender segregation and to make a statement about herself: women are smart, adventurous, free and flexible. Youth in combination with fashion have always created an avant-garde effect, using style and clothing as instruments for resistance and change. To some extent, young people are products of a certain political and economic context and become influenced by advertisement campaigns, but they always to combine clothes in order to create their own style. At the same time, some teenagers try to express their personality, beliefs, problems and fears through their clothes and thus transmit a message about who they are. This is why adolescents are very concerned with their appearance and are aware of the fact that their style represents them, to some extent. Sometimes, fashion adopted by youth reflects the fact that they belong to a certain group or sub-culture. For that reason I will shortly analyze the opposition between the disco fashion and the punk fashion in the 1970s, since it has influenced large masses of youth and it has helped them construct particular social identities. The disco fashion was about excess, glamour, bright colours and having fun. Therefore, it is only natural that the youth who adopted this style made a statement about celebrating life and thinking positively; at the same time, by embracing the disco style, one also created a particular social image for himself: an extravagant discothèque- goer, who also wore expensive and somewhat excessive clothes for the nights out in clubs and discos. As a consequence, the disco social identity was all about partying, enjoying life and having fun. It is only fair to say that the well known physical principle, which states that for every action there is a reaction at least as powerful as the action, can be applied in fashion as well. This is why the disco fashion style generated a strong reaction known as the punk style. It is very hard to give a specific definition to punk- the entire idea on which the punk culture is based is that is abolishes boundaries of all kinds. However, one thing is certain: “Disco fashion was reflective of excessively enjoying your life, whereas punk fashion drew its inspiration from a source of anger. Punk fashion was considered to be arty, underground, and weird” (n.a., 2009). Punk fashion was about controversial tatoos, t-shirts, leather jackets, bright colored hair- elements that came together to make a very powerful statement about the eradication of limits. Having a punk identity meant that you didn’t necessarily celebrate the pretty, the beautiful and the sparkly (as disco did), but it implied that you went on further exploring bold possibilities. It is very important to stress the fact that “before the mid-1970s, ‘punk’ was commonly used to describe a male hustler, a gangster or hoodlum. It was what the police and your teachers would call you; it meant that you were the lowest rung on the ladder” (Galanis, 2011); therefore, the punk fashion took a specific negative social understanding and turned it into a whole new cult based on exploring new aesthetical possibilities. Adopting the punk style definitely gave you a certain social identity- a daring person that challenges conformity and discoveres new possibilities by tacking new areas of human imagination- the bloody, the dark, the twisted. As a third part in my paper, given the fact that I have already talked about social movements and popular cultures, such as feminism, disco and punk fashion, I would like to discuss a more practical and up-to-date subject, which is: how to create an individual style and how do our clothes help us gain a unique identity in the diverse society of the 21st century. Globalization – or the large circulation of goods and services around the global markets – includes a very distinct aspect of multiculturalism as well. As cultures interact and intertwine, fashion becomes influenced by different patterns in clothing which originate from different areas of the world. After all, in order to be “different, new and sophisticated” (Coco Chanel), one has search for inspiration in untraditional places. Therefore, if you want to make a social statement, you can just add to your personal style pieces of clothing from different cultures. I will further refer to women’s fashion for specific examples. So, if you want to convey magical mystery and refinement, you can always go for the oriental black blouses with elegant embroideries, along with the long, beautiful shawls. If you are trying to stress your natural beauty and your preference for a life without stress or worries, you can always go for the Hawaiian floral prints or floral accessories, which will emphasize your originality in style. The daring, bold Russian spirit can be expressed through the use of clothing made of fur- such as furry hats and coats. If you want to adopt the relaxed L.A. style you can always go for the combination of shorts and flats, which gives you mobility and freedom. In case you are looking to convey a romantic image of yourself, you can always combine the beautiful and delicate Romanian traditional blouse with pearls and jeans. However, it is crucial inspiration in fashion and personal style can come from any culture, as long as you can identify yourself with it and adopt it as your own. After all, fashion is an area of endless possibilities that can vividly express one’s personality and can give a strong social identity to a plain and shy face. We have to accept the fact that our clothes construct our appearance and therefore, we should not consider fashion as a restriction, but as a wonderful opportunity of self-expression which empowers us to seek for our place in society. It is through our clothes that we build up a visual and conceptual image about ourselves and we send out messages about our personality, our preferences and tastes in music, film or leisure activities. Going even further, fashion can express our previous achievements and the goals we set up for the future, it tells the condensed story of who we are or what we want to become. This is why, we have to accept the fact that fashion and appearance are central to the construction of our social identities and we have to use this amazing tool in order to explore our imagination, our dreams and desires and make a compelling statement about ourselves. Bibliography: Barker, C. 2000. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. London : s.n., 2000. Barnard, Malcolm. 2002. Fashion as communication. New York : s.n., 2002. Bennett, A. 2005. Culture and Everyday life. London : s.n., 2005. Breward, Christopher. 1995. The culture of fashion: a new history of fashionable dress . Manchester : s.n., 1995. Craik, Jennifer. 1993. The Face of Fashion: Cultural Studies in Fashion. New York : s.n., 1993. Crane, Diana. 2000. Fashion and its social agendas: class, gender, and identity in clothing . Chicago : The University Chicago Press, 2000. Fighting The Corsetless Evil: Shaping Corsets And Culture, 1900-1930. Fields, Jill. 1999. 1999, Vol. Journal of Social History. Galanis, George. 2011. Punk: the cult of personality. Upstart. [Online] March 2, 2011. [Cited: March 11, 2011.] http://www.upstart.net.au/2011/03/02/punk-the-cult-of-personality/. Macdonald, M. 1995. Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media. London : s.n., 1995. 2009. Punk Fashion. Ring Surf. [Online] 2009. [Cited: March 10, 2011.] http://www.ringsurf.com/online/720-punk_fashion.html. 2010. The garçonnes or the first women in trousers. Missing Sign. [Online] 2010. [Cited: March 10, 2011.] http://www.jupe.be/a_garconne_homme_en_jupe_pour_homme.php?GlobalLang=0&GlobalLang=2&Change=1. Read More