Your Relationship With Fashion

Some women will chose not to wear leather jackets because "it's not them." There's a reason why you pick and choose certain styles of clothes, it's your self concept and Simone Pettigrew also argues, culture is part of thequation. The way your perceive yourself is usually a reflection of who are, your passions and what role you play in your society. Self concept is how you feel about yourself and self image is how you see yourself. These psychological self-assessments you do determine what you, as a consumer, want from yourself and what you expect from brands to make of you. It goes beyond the psychological and into your physical self perception as well but why is this important? what do you have to do with this?

Everything.

I discussed in an earlier post that the fashion industry feeds off the low self esteem of women, it's quite disrespectful but it's true, from the designs to adverting. Pettigrew states,

"Advertising exists to inform us of the range of products and associated "selves" available, and thus provides a valuable service in our ongoing efforts to develop appropriate or desirable selves." It's easy for us to become whoever we choose because they've been stylized, grouped and sold to us. The only input the consumer gets, in my opinion, is selecting which ones they desire.

Fashion is really an outlet with a lot of range. As a consumer, the more realistic your self concept is of who you are the more satisfied you'll be with yourself. Studies show consumers with a better sense of self concept have higher levels of innovation and style.

Culture also plays a role in your relationship with fashion because it reinforces stereotypes or roles set, and depending on person they might feel obligated to obtain to these stereotypes or roles. It creates a limitation on how far a person can go to understanding themselves and others.