The Power of Fashion
Duje Kodzoman, the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Technology, Croatia, poses the question; "What are the psychological consequences of clothing, and how does clothing express something about the user?", to answer this question I will consider the how clothes portray an image of oneself to other onlookers. In this modern era we still pick and select clothing items that hold certain connotations that pertain importance to how we express ourselves.
Fashion never had such an influence or strangle on society as it currently does, clothing was simply worn for protection from the elements, with the University of Florida finding that humans first wore clothes 170,000 years ago, with evidence of modern humans being around 200,000 years ago.
However, more recently clothing and fashion has become a large contributor to expressing oneself and status within society. A primary example of fashion in the modern world is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the 1813 novel parallels the Georgian society, with fashion and attire signifying levels of prestige and social hierarchy. Nobleman and noblewoman wearing the most extravagant clothing to express their aristocracy.
This theme still occurs today, with haute couture and high end fashion and events such as the Met Gala perfectly illustrating how clothes separate different social echelons within society. In fact this years theme, 'Gilded Glamour', coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in 1873, means to "show how wealth and glamour was used to conceal the social unrest" (Zeba Khan) during civil war times as the disparity wealth in the north and south of America was drastic. Thus portraying the ideal that fashion is the median in to which we judge and assume someones character, where a whole narrative is built to understand and perceive another individual.
The 'social interface', as Kodzoman describes, acts as the tool to translate our bodies and thoughts to society. We are able to portray a whole identity through the fabrics that we place on our bodies; doctors, military, school children are all identifiable through uniform and that uniformity is also portrayed through certain trends or socio-economic groups, where we are able to identify or assume someones whole life but the materials they choose to wear on their backs.
Clothing is used in various ways in the modern world, as it is able to portray how we feel and how we want other people to think of us. Whilst selecting pieces or articles of clothing, we envision how they we appear on the perception of our own body, and even after reflecting on the desired outfit in a mirror, only then do we confirm that it is adequate to represent us to strangers and society.
The perception of our own body is used as we answer the question; does this express what I want it to when I wear it? The style of clothing that we adopt, whether thats formal, streetwear, gothic, sportswear et cetera, will of course determine how others perceive us.
Fashion to me has always been determined by how I feel and what I want others to perceive of me. The goal of dressing adequately to balance and reflect these two aims can be a struggle. I have to feel comfortable and confident of what I am wearing but express my personality through mu clothes. Yet it has such importance that I will take half an hour to decide exactly what I want to wear.
However, the fashion industry occupies a large portion responsible for climate change, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 each year, making it the third biggest emitter and taking up 5% of global greenhouse gases. I won’t go into the impacts of fast fashion in this article, but fashion cannot be discussed without commenting on the impacts it has on the environment.
For consumers, recycled materials and reclaimed clothes are the best solutions to help reduce your own carbon footprint in the industry. Recycled meaning; clothes that have been reduced to its components or what it is made from and has turned into a new piece, and reclaimed meaning; a piece of clothing that has been repurposed.
Additionally, for those who enjoy shopping, other tips include:
Not buying a new wardrobe each season, and buying articles that can last
Trading and wearing other people’s clothes for that one night out, so you aren’t buying a new dress or suit for a one time party
Check labels or the materials (if online) and question whether the fabric is recycled or reclaimed
Fashion can be an extension of the soul, but it also needs to move away from fast fashion and land in slow fashion, where we can buy and sell clothes that don’t damage the environment.
So as you select your next white t-shirt, pause and think; is this okay for the environment? What is it made from? Do I feel confident in this? Will other people favour me in this t-shirt? Does this look good on my body?
