Our Clothing vs. Our Personality
Clothing is intimately associated with our physical self-image and self-concept; while some people dress to impress others dress for comfort. The media introduces the latest name brands and styles, and we conform to try to look the way that makes us feel most comfortable or socially accepted, depending on our personality. While clothing shows our personality to some level, it does not show the inter-most part of us – the kindness, intelligence, love or caring we can have for one another. Clothing strictly shows what our fashion personality is; what we like to wear.
When we see someone in a business suit Monday through Friday we label them as “dressed for success”. We assume they are dressed this way for the office, client meetings, courtroom cases, or direct marketing sales. If we see someone in a suit on Saturday or Sunday we assume they are dressed this way because they are going to a wedding, a nice restaurant, or on a date, but not for business. Society says that someone in a business suit, male or female, is poised, well organized, sophisticated, and confident (http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com/). People dressed in business suits could be thought of as intelligent; they have probably gone to college and earned a degree, and are therefore in a position that requires them to represent themselves professionally.
I have an Uncle who is a partner in an architecture company. He wears suits or slacks and a nice shirt to work and dresses nicely on the weekends. People probably perceive him as snooty, unsociable, impersonal, and yuppyish. However, since I know him personally, I know the other side of him. He is kind and nurturing, which doesn’t show through when he is dealing with clients – those interactions have to be professional and in the best of his interests. He is very generous with his money, he gives a lot of money to charitable causes – he doesn’t do all of these things because they are a tax write off, but because he cares about cancer research, young children in countries stricken with poverty, and research to help childhood diseases.
The media plays a large part in what we think is “cool” to wear, what’s required to be “in”, the latest trend, and what styles are out. From fashion magazines to billboards there is a lot of competition in what designers and clothing companies want us to choose as our style. For some people this has a huge impact on what they shop for, and how often they shop. For others there is little or no impact at all. Normally clothing comes out about four times a year; winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each season can be an extension of the prior season, only the clothing changes for the coolness or warmth of upcoming weather, and other seasons can bring on all new styles. It used to be that each season had its own color scheme – for example fall was brown, green and cream tones. Now there is no set color scheme for any season, but rather what the designers and media have chosen it to be for people to wear. For instance, spring clothing is coming out in stores now and brown and orange is carrying over to the spring from winter and fall.
Society says if we see someone with great fashion sense, wearing the trendiest clothes, that they are rich or spend a lot of money on clothing, that clothes are a high priority to them, or that they are spoiled if they are a child or adolescent.” The art of dress is quite frequently built on the opinions of others” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg 71). I can admit that I will buy clothing that I feel will make me noticed, not only as a person in a crowd, but one that has fashion sense, and knows which designers are the ones to buy from. “We may like to think that how we dress is an extension of how we see ourselves, but more commonly, it’s an expression of how we want others to see us” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg 71). I recently bought a Michele watch from Nordstroms. I love watches, and I love this designer’s style. However, I cannot lie that when I was choosing the watch I felt a sense of wanting others to see it and realize what good taste I have. It never has anything to do with money, always with others seeing my sense of style and love for clothes and accessories of the greatest name brands. What I’ve learned (although I haven’t changed my shopping and clothing practices) is that it doesn’t let anyone know what type of person I am. Instead I may come across to people as a snob, that I always have to have the latest and greatest thing, that I have a shopping and spending problem (which I do sometimes), and that I have far too many shoes, clothes, and purses. As long as I am showing the people that I come into direct contact with, along with friends and family, that I’m a polite, loving, caring, generous person that is all that matters to me. It hasn’t hindered me from changing what I do regarding my wardrobe and material items.
Not everyone goes with the media and the fashion trends set by them. My husband is a great example. He wears jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes, and a hat almost every day of the year. He wears sweats at home, but not in public – same with shorts. He could care less about what fashion is in, or what he looks like to others. “People choose items for others that reflect their own taste, rather than the recipient’s” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg 72). Any fashion he has in his wardrobe is because I do his shopping, and put in name brands where I can get away with it, as long as they won’t be too “flashy” according to him. As long as his clothes don’t have holes in them, stains on them, and they are clean he is happy. His clothing tells people that he is simple and casual. What it doesn’t tell them is he is intelligent and highly successful in his career, that he is compassionate and helps homeless people by giving them his lunch from time to time, or that he is active in our community.
My Son, on the other hand, is a fashion billboard. “In a way, wearing a logo is like wearing gang colors” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg. 72). He has more pairs of shoes than he knows what to do with, he must have 15 pairs of jeans, and four times that many tops. His clothing is casual, but very trendy, and media and billboards definitely have an impact on what he wears. You can tell by his clothing that he shops at Zumies, BC Surf, Hollister, and Abercrombie & Fitch. His clothes change as the styles do, and he doesn’t wear many things out. He is very concerned with the way he looks and models a few different clothing styles. He follows that of snow boarders, punk rock stars, preps, and rappers. He is also a trend-setter, being the first to buy things that come out, including cell phones, the Zune, shoes, and clothing. People at school have labeled him as spoiled, always the first of a group of kids to have the newest things, and out of jealousness name him to have an attitude or to be stuck-up. His friends and family know that he is a fun-loving person with one of the best personalities ever – he is happy-go-lucky, loves to joke around, have fun, and he cares deeply about so many people. He is the furthest from stuck-up that I’ve met in a person.
Most people wear what feels good to them. Unfortunately, there are people who would love to wear things they cannot afford and they make condolences to the next best thing. For some of us clothing can make us feel good about ourselves, make us feel noticed in a crowd, and alter our moods. For others the actual clothing they have on, and the brand name of it, doesn’t matter. To them it is more about just being clean and presentable to the public. Few people don’t care at all what they look like, and by choice wear dirty or holey clothing or shirts or pants that are too small or too big for them. No matter what someone is wearing we should not judge them by the cover, but take time to look inside when given the chance.
Our Clothing vs. Who We Are
Clothing is intimately associated with physical self-image and self-concept; while some people dress to impress others dress for comfort. The media introduces the latest name brands and styles, and people conform to try to look the way that makes them feel most comfortable or socially accepted, depending on their personality. Clothing creates an assumption of who a person is, based on how the clothing is seen worn in movies or in magazines. But, clothing only shows a person’s fashion personality, it does not show the inner-most part of them.
Society says that someone with great fashion sense, wearing the trendiest outfits or athletic wear, are probably rich and spend a lot of money on clothing, or that clothes are a high priority to them, regardless of whether or not they can afford them. In The Fashion V
ictim’s Commandments, Michelle Lee states,”The art of dress is quite frequently built on the opinions of others” (Remix 71). The perception of what we should wear comes from billboards and magazines or actors and actresses. After all, people in the public eye are the first to wear the newest outfit by Calvin Klein, be the first to use the latest snowboard gear by Burton, or sport the newest pair of Nike Shox. Michelle Lee also stated, “We may like to think that how we dress is an extension of how we see ourselves, but more commonly, it’s an expression of how we want others to see us” (The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, Remix 71). Not only may someone who is wearing the latest trend be named fashionable, they can become an idol to others. Collegiate and professional athletes are a great example of this. They are endorsed by different sponsors ranging from Nike to Adidas, Under Armour to Rawlings, or New Balance to Reebok. These companies know that whatever someone’s favorite star athlete is wearing, they too will want to wear it.
Sadly, so many people become consumed by what they are wearing and what they look like to others; trying to impress those around them, that they forget that it should be their personality that people should be attracted to. A great example is someone with a weight problem. They are struggling with their weight, often embarrassed by it, and want to feel a sense of belonging. To do this they continue to buy name brand clothing, hoping to fit in. Unfortunately, no matter how many name brand clothes they buy, it doesn’t say anything about who they are inside. Kirstie Alley is an example of someone who was struggling with weight, who was also in the public eye, and who desperately wanted to fit into the Hollywood picture again. There were other actors and actresses making statements about her weight on talk shows and in magazines, with no regard to who she was as a person. In an interview with Oprah, Kirstie was able to talk openly. It was in this interview which showed who she is inside; a kind, warm, and caring person who was facing the same battle as many other people in this country - obesity. She liked to eat and wasn’t getting physical exercise, and her weight got out of control. But, that didn’t change the way that she respected others feelings, only to be talked about with no regard to her own.
When someone is standing at the corner of a main intersection or at the stop light for a freeway off ramp they are labeled as homeless and worthless. A lot of times the clothes these people are wearing are very dirty; grime showing on their coats and pants, their shoes are torn or un-matching, or their hair and finger nails are greasy and dirty. There is seldom a person who is wearing clean clothing or something that appears new. The assumption is made that these people no longer live in a home and probably in a car, that they lost their job due to negligence on their part, or that they are not trying to get another job to support themselves and their families. It isn’t only their clothing that causes people to believe this, but the information they put on the signs. Some signs say, “Need money. Will work”, “No job, need to feed family”, or “Vietnam Vet who’s homeless. Need money”. The information on these signs should leave little to the imagination, but it doesn’t. There have been plenty of documentaries on 60 Minutes or NBC Nightly News which tell us differently. This has actually become an occupation for some. Instead of a 9-5 job in an office or bank, they go to a street corner dressed in dirty and torn clothing, and actually end up making enough money to live on.
What people don’t take into consideration when someone is standing at the corner with a sign is who they are inside. Part of this problem is the inability to stop and have a conversation with them to find out more about them. The other problem is assumption becomes the automatic default for people. One main assumption is that the person is not trying to find work. Possibly they are disabled and their monthly disability payment doesn’t cover living expenses for their family. Unless the sign their holding says they are a husband or wife, a father or mother, a sister or brother no one would know. And their sign will never say “I’m a fun loving person because…”, “I used to volunteer to help others by…”, or “I was a faithful employee who was laid off and…”. Other than being homeless, they are people who need to feel a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and love and kindness by others. Often time’s people don’t realize how humiliating it may be to that person to have been reduced to standing on a street corner with that sign in their hand, begging from anyone who drives by. It is quite possible that this person now asking for help used to be giving to others by assisting in community centers or donating to a cause for the blind, deaf, cancer, or heart associations.
Most people wear what feels good to them, and some want to wear what feels good
but they don’t have the option to. For some people clothing makes them good about themselves, making them feel noticed in a crowd. For others they choose their clothing because the media says it is the “thing to wear” to fit in. Many other people don’t have a choice about what they wear, they’re just happy to have clothing on their backs. No matter what someone is wearing they should not be judged by what’s seen on the outside, but only after someone has taken the time to look inside and learn about who they are as a person; what their personality and demeanor is.
Works Cited
Clothing is intimately associated with our physical self-image and self-concept; while some people dress to impress others dress for comfort. The media introduces the latest name brands and styles, and we conform to try to look the way that makes us feel most comfortable or socially accepted, depending on our personality. While clothing shows our personality to some level, it does not show the inter-most part of us – the kindness, intelligence, love or caring we can have for one another. Clothing strictly shows what our fashion personality is; what we like to wear.
When we see someone in a business suit Monday through Friday we label them as “dressed for success”. We assume they are dressed this way for the office, client meetings, courtroom cases, or direct marketing sales. If we see someone in a suit on Saturday or Sunday we assume they are dressed this way because they are going to a wedding, a nice restaurant, or on a date, but not for business. Society says that someone in a business suit, male or female, is poised, well organized, sophisticated, and confident (http://www.sheilasfashionsense.com/). People dressed in business suits could be thought of as intelligent; they have probably gone to college and earned a degree, and are therefore in a position that requires them to represent themselves professionally.
I have an Uncle who is a partner in an architecture company. He wears suits or slacks and a nice shirt to work and dresses nicely on the weekends. People probably perceive him as snooty, unsociable, impersonal, and yuppyish. However, since I know him personally, I know the other side of him. He is kind and nurturing, which doesn’t show through when he is dealing with clients – those interactions have to be professional and in the best of his interests. He is very generous with his money, he gives a lot of money to charitable causes – he doesn’t do all of these things because they are a tax write off, but because he cares about cancer research, young children in countries stricken with poverty, and research to help childhood diseases.
The media plays a large part in what we think is “cool” to wear, what’s required to be “in”, the latest trend, and what styles are out. From fashion magazines to billboards there is a lot of competition in what designers and clothing companies want us to choose as our style. For some people this has a huge impact on what they shop for, and how often they shop. For others there is little or no impact at all. Normally clothing comes out about four times a year; winter, spring, summer, and fall. Each season can be an extension of the prior season, only the clothing changes for the coolness or warmth of upcoming weather, and other seasons can bring on all new styles. It used to be that each season had its own color scheme – for example fall was brown, green and cream tones. Now there is no set color scheme for any season, but rather what the designers and media have chosen it to be for people to wear. For instance, spring clothing is coming out in stores now and brown and orange is carrying over to the spring from winter and fall.
Society says if we see someone with great fashion sense, wearing the trendiest clothes, that they are rich or spend a lot of money on clothing, that clothes are a high priority to them, or that they are spoiled if they are a child or adolescent.” The art of dress is quite frequently built on the opinions of others” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg 71). I can admit that I will buy clothing that I feel will make me noticed, not only as a person in a crowd, but one that has fashion sense, and knows which designers are the ones to buy from. “We may like to think that how we dress is an extension of how we see ourselves, but more commonly, it’s an expression of how we want others to see us” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg 71). I recently bought a Michele watch from Nordstroms. I love watches, and I love this designer’s style. However, I cannot lie that when I was choosing the watch I felt a sense of wanting others to see it and realize what good taste I have. It never has anything to do with money, always with others seeing my sense of style and love for clothes and accessories of the greatest name brands. What I’ve learned (although I haven’t changed my shopping and clothing practices) is that it doesn’t let anyone know what type of person I am. Instead I may come across to people as a snob, that I always have to have the latest and greatest thing, that I have a shopping and spending problem (which I do sometimes), and that I have far too many shoes, clothes, and purses. As long as I am showing the people that I come into direct contact with, along with friends and family, that I’m a polite, loving, caring, generous person that is all that matters to me. It hasn’t hindered me from changing what I do regarding my wardrobe and material items.
Not everyone goes with the media and the fashion trends set by them. My husband is a great example. He wears jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes, and a hat almost every day of the year. He wears sweats at home, but not in public – same with shorts. He could care less about what fashion is in, or what he looks like to others. “People choose items for others that reflect their own taste, rather than the recipient’s” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg 72). Any fashion he has in his wardrobe is because I do his shopping, and put in name brands where I can get away with it, as long as they won’t be too “flashy” according to him. As long as his clothes don’t have holes in them, stains on them, and they are clean he is happy. His clothing tells people that he is simple and casual. What it doesn’t tell them is he is intelligent and highly successful in his career, that he is compassionate and helps homeless people by giving them his lunch from time to time, or that he is active in our community.
My Son, on the other hand, is a fashion billboard. “In a way, wearing a logo is like wearing gang colors” (Michelle Lee, The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, pg. 72). He has more pairs of shoes than he knows what to do with, he must have 15 pairs of jeans, and four times that many tops. His clothing is casual, but very trendy, and media and billboards definitely have an impact on what he wears. You can tell by his clothing that he shops at Zumies, BC Surf, Hollister, and Abercrombie & Fitch. His clothes change as the styles do, and he doesn’t wear many things out. He is very concerned with the way he looks and models a few different clothing styles. He follows that of snow boarders, punk rock stars, preps, and rappers. He is also a trend-setter, being the first to buy things that come out, including cell phones, the Zune, shoes, and clothing. People at school have labeled him as spoiled, always the first of a group of kids to have the newest things, and out of jealousness name him to have an attitude or to be stuck-up. His friends and family know that he is a fun-loving person with one of the best personalities ever – he is happy-go-lucky, loves to joke around, have fun, and he cares deeply about so many people. He is the furthest from stuck-up that I’ve met in a person.
Most people wear what feels good to them. Unfortunately, there are people who would love to wear things they cannot afford and they make condolences to the next best thing. For some of us clothing can make us feel good about ourselves, make us feel noticed in a crowd, and alter our moods. For others the actual clothing they have on, and the brand name of it, doesn’t matter. To them it is more about just being clean and presentable to the public. Few people don’t care at all what they look like, and by choice wear dirty or holey clothing or shirts or pants that are too small or too big for them. No matter what someone is wearing we should not judge them by the cover, but take time to look inside when given the chance.
Our Clothing vs. Who We Are
Clothing is intimately associated with physical self-image and self-concept; while some people dress to impress others dress for comfort. The media introduces the latest name brands and styles, and people conform to try to look the way that makes them feel most comfortable or socially accepted, depending on their personality. Clothing creates an assumption of who a person is, based on how the clothing is seen worn in movies or in magazines. But, clothing only shows a person’s fashion personality, it does not show the inner-most part of them.
Society says that someone with great fashion sense, wearing the trendiest outfits or athletic wear, are probably rich and spend a lot of money on clothing, or that clothes are a high priority to them, regardless of whether or not they can afford them. In The Fashion V
ictim’s Commandments, Michelle Lee states,”The art of dress is quite frequently built on the opinions of others” (Remix 71). The perception of what we should wear comes from billboards and magazines or actors and actresses. After all, people in the public eye are the first to wear the newest outfit by Calvin Klein, be the first to use the latest snowboard gear by Burton, or sport the newest pair of Nike Shox. Michelle Lee also stated, “We may like to think that how we dress is an extension of how we see ourselves, but more commonly, it’s an expression of how we want others to see us” (The Fashion Victim’s Ten Commandments, Remix 71). Not only may someone who is wearing the latest trend be named fashionable, they can become an idol to others. Collegiate and professional athletes are a great example of this. They are endorsed by different sponsors ranging from Nike to Adidas, Under Armour to Rawlings, or New Balance to Reebok. These companies know that whatever someone’s favorite star athlete is wearing, they too will want to wear it. Sadly, so many people become consumed by what they are wearing and what they look like to others; trying to impress those around them, that they forget that it should be their personality that people should be attracted to. A great example is someone with a weight problem. They are struggling with their weight, often embarrassed by it, and want to feel a sense of belonging. To do this they continue to buy name brand clothing, hoping to fit in. Unfortunately, no matter how many name brand clothes they buy, it doesn’t say anything about who they are inside. Kirstie Alley is an example of someone who was struggling with weight, who was also in the public eye, and who desperately wanted to fit into the Hollywood picture again. There were other actors and actresses making statements about her weight on talk shows and in magazines, with no regard to who she was as a person. In an interview with Oprah, Kirstie was able to talk openly. It was in this interview which showed who she is inside; a kind, warm, and caring person who was facing the same battle as many other people in this country - obesity. She liked to eat and wasn’t getting physical exercise, and her weight got out of control. But, that didn’t change the way that she respected others feelings, only to be talked about with no regard to her own.
When someone is standing at the corner of a main intersection or at the stop light for a freeway off ramp they are labeled as homeless and worthless. A lot of times the clothes these people are wearing are very dirty; grime showing on their coats and pants, their shoes are torn or un-matching, or their hair and finger nails are greasy and dirty. There is seldom a person who is wearing clean clothing or something that appears new. The assumption is made that these people no longer live in a home and probably in a car, that they lost their job due to negligence on their part, or that they are not trying to get another job to support themselves and their families. It isn’t only their clothing that causes people to believe this, but the information they put on the signs. Some signs say, “Need money. Will work”, “No job, need to feed family”, or “Vietnam Vet who’s homeless. Need money”. The information on these signs should leave little to the imagination, but it doesn’t. There have been plenty of documentaries on 60 Minutes or NBC Nightly News which tell us differently. This has actually become an occupation for some. Instead of a 9-5 job in an office or bank, they go to a street corner dressed in dirty and torn clothing, and actually end up making enough money to live on.
What people don’t take into consideration when someone is standing at the corner with a sign is who they are inside. Part of this problem is the inability to stop and have a conversation with them to find out more about them. The other problem is assumption becomes the automatic default for people. One main assumption is that the person is not trying to find work. Possibly they are disabled and their monthly disability payment doesn’t cover living expenses for their family. Unless the sign their holding says they are a husband or wife, a father or mother, a sister or brother no one would know. And their sign will never say “I’m a fun loving person because…”, “I used to volunteer to help others by…”, or “I was a faithful employee who was laid off and…”. Other than being homeless, they are people who need to feel a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and love and kindness by others. Often time’s people don’t realize how humiliating it may be to that person to have been reduced to standing on a street corner with that sign in their hand, begging from anyone who drives by. It is quite possible that this person now asking for help used to be giving to others by assisting in community centers or donating to a cause for the blind, deaf, cancer, or heart associations.
Most people wear what feels good to them, and some want to wear what feels good
but they don’t have the option to. For some people clothing makes them good about themselves, making them feel noticed in a crowd. For others they choose their clothing because the media says it is the “thing to wear” to fit in. Many other people don’t have a choice about what they wear, they’re just happy to have clothing on their backs. No matter what someone is wearing they should not be judged by what’s seen on the outside, but only after someone has taken the time to look inside and learn about who they are as a person; what their personality and demeanor is.Works Cited
“Sheila’s Fashion Sense"
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