Michael Ryan's "Consumer Culture and Fashion Studies"

 

Clothing serves both a symbolic and practical purpose. When we say it's symbolic, we mean that it visually represents an aspect of our inner self to the world. This could be a desire to belong to a social group or to align with a cultural ideal we admire and want to adopt for ourselves. On the practical side, clothing has a functional role in our daily lives. For example, when I go to work as a university administrator, I have the choice between dressing formally with a suit, tie, and dress shoes, or opting for a more casual style with no tie, a sweater instead of a suit, and comfortable shoes. I usually go for the latter because I value comfort over formality, and I believe many rules about dress formality in work settings are outdated. I tend to challenge and change old rules rather than blindly follow them, which is a part of my identity that reflects in my choice of work attire. However, I may dress more formally when I need to present a more official image, like when meeting job candidates.

 

Clothing also reflects how our culture influences us externally, shaping our style of dress and adornment as well as our inner identity. Our identities are often influenced by societal norms, rules, and expectations regarding proper behavior. We adapt to these external influences as we grow up in a particular society. The part of our identity that is influenced by the world or inherited from our culture also manifests in our clothing style. Our clothing indicates our position in the world, showing us our place in relation to others and the institutions we interact with in our daily lives. This has always been true, even in societies with minimalist fashion.

 

For example, the Koyapu tribe in New Guinea wears minimal clothing, primarily small coverings for their genitals. Despite this simplicity, their society is highly structured with varying levels of rank, which are reflected in differences in clothing and adornment. Different feathers and styles signify a woman's position in the social hierarchy, and variations in mouth plates worn by men demonstrate their status. Larger plates are reserved for older, higher-ranking men. These distinctions in rank are significant because they correspond to real differences in power and access to resources in the society. In modern societies, similar principles apply. Those with higher status and greater wealth tend to dress in a way that reflects their elevated position and influence.

Fashion is a complex mix of factors including our sense of self, the influence of society, cultural ideals, and the commercial industry. Our shopping preferences are influenced by the social and cultural environment we are a part of. Our tastes often align with our social and economic status. For example, people from different economic backgrounds have different considerations when buying clothes. Those with less money, like low-income individuals, prioritize functionality and practicality, as they have limited resources. On the other hand, wealthier individuals have the luxury to focus on aesthetics and displaying their status, especially at fancy events. Their clothing at such occasions symbolizes wealth and a keen sense of fashion.

 

Consumer culture is closely linked to our economic system. Our current economic structure relies on a cycle of production and consumption, where the act of buying and using products sustains the process of creating them. This connection between consumption and economic life is important to understand.

 

However, it's worth noting that there are issues of unfairness in this system. For example, there are underpaid workers in regions like Southeast Asia who produce clothing for wealthier consumers elsewhere. In advanced economies like North America and Europe, service workers, like those at Starbucks, are often paid less than what is considered fair.

 

Advertising plays a central role in consumer culture. It uses a combination of language, storytelling, and visual design to appeal to an audience, usually with the aim of persuading them to make a purchase. Advertisements, especially on television, often tell stories or create fictional scenes to make a point and serve their persuasive purpose. They also rely on visual design to capture the viewer's attention and present something appealing and meaningful.

 

Ads, whether in print or on TV, can be analyzed by breaking down their different elements, like images, narratives, text, and cultural context. To be effective, an ad must use symbols and signs that align with the audience's existing ways of understanding the world. The signs in an ad derive their meaning from the larger cultural context they are a part of.