By Reginalda Nelumbu | Featured Image by Vitória Santos
“The purpose of fashion is to refute our persistent fear of death”. Decorating ourselves in particular things helps to craft an identity, which creates the illusion of permanency. If we buy things and we define the way we look from what we wear, it makes our existence feel more real and everlasting.”
That’s what they say.
What influence does fashion have in our everyday life?
Fashion contributes to a persons confidence
When someone tells me I dress nice, it immediately boosts my confidence. The way you dress can have an effect on your outlook and identity. When you feel good about yourself, you are more likely to feel good inside, treat others better, and have more energy.
It helps people fit in or stand out from the crowd
Colors, patterns and textures of your clothing can easily make you fit in with people or stand out of a crowd. They way you style your outfits can say a lot about your identity and personality, which would then attach you to a certain type of person, whether you like it, agree with or not.
Fashion represents our history and helps tell a story
Fashion makes one understand how things at a certain time in a certain place influenced other things in a different time and place. It’s only because of this understanding of long-term patterns and repetition in trends, that one is able to do a perfect forecast for the next season. Anthropologists believe that animal skin and vegetation were adapted into coverings as protection from cold, heat and rain, especially as humans migrated to new climates. And now we see designers creating clothing from skin and vegetation as well. To tell the same or a different story than our forefathers.
Fashion is important in society because it has the potential to bring different people together to celebrate their own individuality. Your clothes tell a story about YOU, about who you are and also tell a story about who and where you have been. Our clothes reveal not only how styles have changed but how you have, or haven’t, or how you have developed your own style and gained confidence in your look.
4. It allows you to be independent in your thinking and of creativity
Fashion is thinking. Fashion is value. And fashion is creativity. Designers create characters through clothes, much like the writers create through words. Creating fashion means making new forms and figures, images and materials. It allows you to explore different ways to express yourself. It is up to each individual to decide what colors, styles and patterns of clothing suit their persona.
How has fashion influenced you?
