Fashion and Identity Essay

Fashion is defined as popular or the current way of clothing, decoration, hair, or behavior (Davis 1994, p. 5). It is how someone does something. On the other hand, Gonzalez and Bovone (2012) defined identity as the personality, qualities, or beliefs of a person as perceived by them or others based on the outlook and self-image of the person. It is who or what you think you are or what other people think you are. Fashion shapes the identity of persons in so many ways, from the different colors we prefer to the kind of stores we frequent. The kinds of clothes, pairs of shoes, accessories, and body modifications such as tattoos, ear piercings, hair dye or even the cosmetic surgery all form part of the fashion in one way or the other. For that reason, fashion determines the identity of persons such as age, gender, class and culture, self-esteem, and even other people's thinking about us.

Fashion determines the age of a person. Gonzalez and Bovone (2012), in their book entitled, "Identities through fashion: a multidisciplinary approach," noted that here is always the way we expect children to dress or behave and a different one to adults and even the older adults. For example, the social standards never expects younger girls below the age of twelve to wear miniskirts and clothings that expose their bodies. According to Gonzalez and Bovone (2012), they are expected to be decent, and this is keenly reinforced by their parents. Such expectations shapes the way children behave and dress. Adult ladies, however, have the freedom to wear the way it pleases them. At age 20 for example, people tend to adopt clothing styles that are much different from the way they did it while young. As they grow by, the style changes until they become older adults. For that reason, fashion determines the behavior and clothing at different age groups such as children, youths, and older adults.

Fashion also determines gender identity. According to Arnold (2001), there is a fashion for girls and a different one for boys. Girls' fashions are mostly based on the way they appear physically such as the latest hairstyle, the type of shoes, the kind of dress they put on, and the body modifications preferred such as ear piercings, and make-ups they wear. Culturally, it is normal for ladies to wear make-ups such as lipsticks, pseudo hair, eye shadows, and earrings. These practices might not auger well with the boys. Imagine a situation when a boy applies a red lipstick or eye shadows and attends an official meeting. It is almost impossible to encounter such situations. This is because, the fashions set gender identity for girls and boys such that, girls have a fashion that is much different from that of boys. As for men, fashion determines what hairstyles they like, the latest clothes they wear, the pairs of shoes, whether leather, closed, or open shoes, as well as the way they talk, walk, or behave. These fashions are majorly copied from the public figures and celebrities who act as the role models for many people. For that reason, people tend to emulate their way of life, dressing styles, hairstyles, the talking styles, or even the kind of cars they drive. These trends have a clear demarcation for men and women such that, women have their fashions and men too have a different one. Through fashion, it is easy, almost at a glance to determine one's gender. Once you raise your head and see a person wearing lipstick and eye shadow you know that it's a woman or a lady but not a man. This is a clear demarcation that may not possibly be shared with both genders.

Crane (2001), in his book entitled "Fashion and It's Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing," noted that fashion determines a person's social class and culture. There are different brands of clothes, shoes, perfumes, and even vehicles in the market. These brands have different qualities and therefore, costs. Everyone has the freedom to choose what brand to take home based on the weight of their pockets. Typically, persons with high income tend to purchase and use more expensive brands as compared with the ones with relatively lower income. For example, Ferrari Pininfarina Sergio and Lamborghini Veneno Roadster are some of the currently expensive car brands. When you see someone driving them, readily perceive that the persons come from a high social class. On the other hand, when you see someone driving the Toyota Scion iQ or Chevrolet Sonic LS, you can readily know that they come from a low social class since these brands have a lower value than the Ferrari and Lamborghini. Similarly, a person wearing well-fitting suit commands more respect as compared to the one with merely ordinary worn out clothes. Women wearing Jada Dubai and Jewellers Passion Diamond Shoes must be coming from a high social since this shoe brand is costly to purchase and only the rich might afford to own it. On the other hand, Reebok is the cheapest and more economical shoe brand and can be afforded by the majority of low-income earners. In addition to that, there are different hairstyles that are considered to be more expensive than others and people can always judge the social class of others based on these styles. For that reason, it is true to say that fashion determines the social class of a person (Crane 2001).

According to Breward (1994), fashion also determines the self-esteem of a person. Self-esteem is the perception of one's worth or simply the self-respect. Fashion determines how much value you attach to yourself. For example, if you drive a Chevrolet Sonic LS to a meeting and park it among the Ferrari and Lamborghini jeeps, you will not feel at par with the owners of these much expensive cars. It would make you think low-esteemed, not because you are not worth it but because of the prevailing fashion. Besides, a person wearing a smart and well-fitting suit is most likely to have high self-esteem that the one is wearing tattered clothes. This occurs because people usually are competitive. Everyone seeks to stand out of the crowd to be noticed. "It is this quest to be noticed that drives people to embrace fashion by working on their self-image continuously to gain substantial ground in the society" (Breward 1994, p.43).

Moreover, fashion determines others' opinions about someone. According to Davis (1994), the identity of a person can be based on the way other people perceive them. This is mainly based on the way the person behaves or carries themselves around. Naturally, someone with a disguised appearance and a sad face can be assumed to be a miserable person ladened with a lot of troubles. The perception might be accurate to some extent. However, sometimes this might not be true since anyone can disguise themselves based on situations in their life. This happens regardless of being rich or poor. But the fact is that the people will readily consider such a person to be a destitute man (Davis 1994). In that manner, the way a person behaves is used to perceive their identity based on personal judgment and understanding.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the various examples discussed above are just some of how fashion influence identity. However, there are also many other ways through which fashion determines the identity of individuals based on the geographical location, cultural heritage, education level, social class, or the type of society we live. The list is inexhaustible.

Bibliography

Arnold, R (2001) Fashion, Desire & Anxiety, Image & Morality in the 20th Century Londo: I.B.Tauris Barnard. M. (2007) Fashion Theory: A Reader. London: RoutledgeBreward, C. (1994). The culture of fashion: a new history of fashionable dress. Manchester, Manchester University Press.

Crane, D. (2001). Fashion and It's Social Agendas: Class, Gender, and Identity in Clothing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press

Davis, F. (1994). Fashion, Culture, and Identity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press

Gonzalez, A. M., & Bovone, L. (2012). Identities through fashion: a multidisciplinary approach. Oxford, Berg Publishers.