Today, we’ll talk about how fashion affects our social lives, such as our interpersonal interactions and self-image, as well as how it changes from one generation to the next and how each of these things impacts our choices when it comes to what we wear. To start off with this discussion, let’s define exactly what fashion is and where it originated.

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The birth of couture

The concept of couture was first born in 18th century France. It refers to high-end, custom-made clothing that is usually made by hand and not mass produced.

It can be used to describe anything from handbags to wedding dresses to gowns, but it’s most commonly associated with women’s clothing (although men’s fashions are often considered couture as well). Since its inception, fashion has taken on many different forms and styles but couture has always been reserved for only those who could afford it.

Is it better to be fashionable or popular?

It’s true that you can often be both fashionable and popular, but it’s not usually at the same time. To be popular, you have to wear what everyone else is wearing (or what they’re wearing next season).

To be fashionable, you have to stand out from everyone else (or what they’re wearing next season). Popularity comes from fitting in; fashion comes from standing out.

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If your goal is popularity (and most of us are aiming for that), then being fashionable is just going to make you look weird or different and nobody wants to look weird or different.

What does keeping up with the Joneses mean today?

Keeping up with the Joneses means wanting to have what your neighbors have, whether that be in terms of possessions or in relationships. We’re not just talking about materialism here it’s more than that. We’re talking about keeping up with friends and acquaintances by having similar jobs, similar families and similar lifestyles.

In short, we want to fit in; we want people to see us as part of their group. And for many people today, fitting into groups is easier when you look like everyone else does.

For example, if all your friends are wearing yoga pants and you don’t own any yourself (or worse yet—you don’t even know what they are), then you might feel left out at some point down the road if you don’t buy some for yourself.

Why do we follow style icons?

So much has been written on style icons that you could fill up an entire library. The question is, though, why do we have them? Why do we idolize people for their taste in clothes? And what’s really behind it all? It turns out there are several reasons for why we look to other people to define how we dress. First of all, humans are very visual creatures and therefore rely heavily on visual cues when interacting with each other. In fact, studies show that nonverbal communication accounts for more than 60% of our understanding of others.

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That means that if someone isn’t saying anything to us (or even if they are), it’s often through body language and facial expressions that we gauge whether or not they like us or agree with us—and so does everyone else around us. For example, let’s say you’re at a party and spot someone across the room who’s wearing something similar to what you’re wearing—and they happen to be looking your way at exactly that moment.

Social psychology and personal influence in fashion trends
Fashion is constantly changing, which means that trends are also always evolving. It can be hard to keep up with all of these new styles and influences, but people often feel pressure to do so in order to fit in socially. A study by researchers at University College London found that individuals were more likely to wear certain clothing items if they believed their friends would approve of them.

In fact, those who felt pressured to dress a certain way were even more likely to conform than those who didn’t feel any external pressure.

This shows how important it is for us to stay on top of what’s in right now but it also highlights how important it is for us not to conform just because we think we should.

If you like something, wear it! There’s no reason you shouldn’t express yourself through your clothes if you want as long as they look good on you and make you happy

Wrap Up

We might say that clothes make the man, but there’s also some truth to saying the man makes his clothes. Clothes can be extremely powerful tools in determining how we interact with one another and what social circles we occupy. In some cases, they can help us determine who we think of ourselves as. Beyond that, they can change not only how we see ourselves, but how others see us too.

The post Fashion as a social phenomenon: How fashion affects our social lives appeared first on Fashion Hurb.