The Meaning of Clothing and Fashion
description
Transcript of The Meaning of Clothing and Fashion
1
The Meaning of Clothing and
Fashion
Chapter
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Objectives• Explain the basic reasons people wear
clothing.• State why people make various
clothing choices.• Describe fashion in terms of art and
science, and private and public awareness.
• Summarize economic and political influences on fashion.
• Define basic fashion terms.
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Reasons for Wearing Clothing• In ancient times, clothing of simple
design was made from animal skins, plants, and other items found in nature– Today, clothing is made of various
materials
• Clothing satisfies these basic human needs– physical– psychological– social
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Physical Needs• Clothing provides protection, or
physical safeguards• As protection from weather, clothing
provides comfort• As protection from environmental
dangers, clothing provides many benefits– Shoes protect the feet– Helmets protect the head in accidents– Sterile gloves protect against germscontinued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Physical Needs• As protection from occupation hazards,
special garments protect workers– Special “occupational clothing” includes
items such as hard hats and safety goggles– Athletes often wear protective helmets,
gloves, and pads– Soldiers and police officers wear protective
clothing and shields
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Psychological Needs• Psychological reasons for wearing
clothing are adornment and identification– Adornment, or attractive decoration,
existed in all civilizations throughout history
• Being adorned with clothing – gives people a positive psychological
feeling– provides artistic expression– shows creativity continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Psychological Needs• Culture often determines the type of
adornment people use – Culture is a society’s set of social norms or
values
• How one culture views beauty can differ from how others view it
• People’s ideas about beauty and adornment change over time as fashions change
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Psychological Needs• Identification is the process of
describing– who someone is– what he or she does
• Clothing helps the identification process– Example: Uniforms are specific to everyone
within a certain group
• Emblems, colors, badges, and jewelry also aid identification
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Psychological Needs• The regular clothing of many people
can be considered a type of “psychological uniform”
• Some businesses and schools have dress codes, which are written or unwritten rules of appropriate attire
• Clothes adhering to a dress code – promote group identity– help group members maintain a certain
discipline of behavior
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Social Needs• The social reasons for wearing clothing
are modesty and status• Modesty is the covering of the body
according to a culture’s or a society’s code of decency– U.S. standards of modesty have changed
through the years– Each society or culture has its own
accepted standards of modesty
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Social Needs• Clothing is sometimes used to gain a
higher rank in society or to show social or military rank– A person’s status is his or her position or
rank compared to others– “Good” or “high” status is usually
associated with recognition, prestige, and social acceptance
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Combined Needs• Today, people wear clothes because of
a combination of needs, which include– receiving physical and psychological
pleasure – expressing creativity– fulfilling basic physical and social needs
• Clothing carries a highly visible message about who a person is, is not, or would like to be
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Why People Select Certain Clothes
• Clothing choices are influenced by a person’s– personality traits– tendencies toward conformity or
individuality– values and attitudes
• Values are the ideas, beliefs, and material items that are important to an individual
• Attitudes are personal feelings or reactions to people, things, or ideas
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Values and Attitudes• Clothing values and attitudes are passed
through the generations. Influences include – ethnic and cultural traditions– economic and social conditions– different needs and values linked to
populations of certain ages– personal desire for status, easy care,
comfort, etc.– advertising
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Conformity Versus Individuality• Pressure from other people has a great
influence on how people dress– Conformity means obeying or agreeing
with a given standard or authority
• Children learn what they are expected to wear from parents and teachers
• Peer group pressure also contributes to conformity
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Conformity Versus Individuality• Too much conformity can mean a loss
of personal individuality– Individuality is self-expression or the
quality that distinguishes one person from another
• Most people balance the influences of conformity and individuality in their clothing– They want to express themselves as
individuals but also as part of a group
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Personality Traits• Personality can be defined as the total
characteristics that distinguish an individual
• Personality traits are often reflected in how people dress
• People who prefer – a lot of decoration tend to be very sociable– comfortable clothes tend to be confident,
outgoing, and secure
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Needs Versus Wants• Needs and wants are other factors that
influence clothing choices– Example of a need: a heavy coat that
provides warmth in a cold climate– Example of a want: a new coat that is
simply more stylish
• A need is something a person must have for existence or survival
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Needs Versus Wants• A want is a person’s desire for
something that gives him or her satisfaction– The wanted item would be nice to have,
but the person can get along without it
• Both needs and wants affect buyers’ choices
• Success in the fashion business depends on understanding how consumers make apparel decisions
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Ongoing Fashion Perspectives• Fashion is – both an art and a science– highly personal yet very public– influenced by economic, political, and
other events
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Insights• As an art, fashion – incorporates creativity in its products– thrives on innovative, forward-thinking
ideas– uses color, texture, line, and other
aspects of design to produce stylish items to wear
– complements current trends
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Insights• As a science, fashion uses science
and technology to– produce textile fibers with specific
qualities– develop effective dyes for specific
materials– revolutionize the way apparel items
are designed, mass-produced, distributed, and sold
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
• Fashion is a private matter.– It satisfies physical, psychological, and
social needs– Apparel choices reflect an individual’s
personal image outwardly to the public
– The textile/apparel industry keeps new fashions secret as they are being designed
continued
Fashion Insights
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
• Fashion becomes a public matter as soon as new fashions are introduced– Fashion is constantly in the public
spotlight through the press and other media
– Consumers excitedly anticipate seeing, hearing about, and wearing the new fashions
– Fashion is affected by shifts in the economy and the makeup of the population
Fashion Insights
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Economic, Political, and Other Influences on Fashion• Fashion reflects economic conditions,
political issues, current events, and popular entertainment
• Fashions mirror the times– Centuries ago, people dressed according to
what was allowed for their “social class”– Rare and expensive items such as silk,
pearls, and the purple coloring became status symbols
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
• People’s moods are reflected in the way they dress
• In hard times– clothing usually has a serious, conservative
look– people loose interest in their appearance
• In better times– styles are brighter and more adventurous– people are more willing to try different
fashions
Economic, Political, and Other Influences on Fashion
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
• Popular entertainment causes fashions to imitate a character of a movie, an actor, or a rock star
• As movies, concerts, and other modes of entertainment are publicized, consumers want to identify with them
• Fashion professionals stay aware of all the ways that apparel relates to society
Industry Facts
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• A garment is an article of wearing
apparel, such as a dress, suit, coat, or sweater– Examples of garment parts: sleeves, cuffs,
collar, and waistband
• Accessories are the articles added to complete or enhance apparel outfits– Examples of accessories: belts, hats,
jewelry, shoes, gloves, and scarves
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• A style is identified by distinct features
that create an overall appearance• Styles exist in architecture, painting,
music, and most other forms of expression
• In apparel, each style is a particular design, shape, or type of garment with unique characteristics – Examples: A-line skirts, Bermuda shorts,
safari jackets, and crewneck sweaterscontinued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• The term style also describes an
attractive condition– Certain trendsetters and fashion leaders
are said to have style or to be stylish
• Fashion is the display of the currently popular style of objects or activities– In apparel, a fashion is the leading type of
clothing bought and worn by a large segment of the public
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• Fashions consist of the styles, colors, and
functionalities favored at a particular time– Styles come and go in fashion acceptance,
causing fashions to constantly change
• High fashion items, which are the latest or newest fashions, usually are– innovative, expensive, and of fine quality– accepted by the first adopters of fashion
changes– considered too extreme or unusual for the
public continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• Mass fashion, or volume fashion,
accounts for the majority of sales in the fashion business
• These styles are called “homogenized” because they are– produced in large quantities– accepted by the mass public
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
• A design is a particular or unique style version– Example: A jumpsuit (pants attached to a
top) can have different collars, pockets, or trims. Each version is a different design of the jumpsuit style
• The terms style and design– have distinct definitions– are often used interchangeably in the
fashion industry
Industry Facts
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• Avant-garde clothes are the most
daring and wild designs– They are too unconventional and startling
to be considered fashions of the times
• Most features of these garments – disappear after a few years– are used to draw attention to the wearer,
often on stage
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• A fad is a temporary, passing fashion– It is an unusual garment, accessory, or look
that has great appeal to many people for a short period of time
• Fads provide a– feeling of adventure for the wearers– sense of belonging to a group
• Eventually, most fads fade away
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• A classic style or design is one that
continues to be popular over an extended period of time
• A garment of classic style or design– has simple, stylish lines that prevent it
from being easily dated– is almost always acceptable– can have an updated look with only minor
changes
continued
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Fashion Terminology• A fashion look refers to a total
accessorized outfit– Specific fashion looks are often identified
with a celebrity or certain groups of people
• In fashion, taste refers to the prevailing opinion of what is attractive and appropriate – Good taste means sensitivity to what is
artistically pleasing and appropriate for a given person and occasion
Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
In Summary• People wear clothing to satisfy physical,
psychological, and social needs
• A person’s values and attitudes play an important part in clothing selection
• Fashion is both an art and a science, involving creative thinking as well as technology
• Success in the fashion business requires the understanding of clothing and fashion terms