Fashion

TOPIC: YOUTH AND THEIR DRESSING: WHAT PERCEPTIONS DO THEY ATTRACT

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE COURSE COM 321 A

DUE DATE: 27TH NOVEMBER 2012

TOPIC: YOUTH AND THEIR DRESSING: WHAT PERCEPTIONS DO THEY ATTRACT?

ABSTRACT

This paper reports an empirical study of the messages that the youth communicate through fashion and the perception that those fashion clothes attract.The "language" of clothing use in one social system, one situation, and one role was partially decoded and its meaning explained in terms of attributions made to a user.

Communication by its definition is supposed to be bilateral. If a strong personal message is carried to the people outside what is the response from their side? The response is the reaction on the clothes worn. It can be acceptance or complete misunderstanding. This touches extraordinarily in clothing (a very expressive personal identity) or an obvious lack of taste and vulgarity. Malcolm Barnard in his book “Fashion as communication” makes a great work by outlining cultural roles, rules, rituals, and responsibilities that are maintained and constructed by fashion. Fashion is compared to art. It is like an architect who gives his creation any shape he desires and at the same time is the reflection of the architect’s belonging to a certain social level, or a certain psychological condition. One of the questions concerning the communication through fashion is whether the message possessed by fashion is the reflection of the internal or external identity. There are arguments that support each of the sides; therefore it goes without saying that fashion is a “polyhedral being” that intersects numerous internal and external aspects of any personality. The message that clothing contains is a way of nonverbal communication with gender, ethical and power aspects.

INTRODUCTION

For hundreds of years people have put some message in the type of clothing they wore. Long ago people started wanting to stand out...