Fashion Personalities
December 9th 2008 08:04
On the surface, it’s very easy to assume that what we wear immediately provides a fairly clear indication of the type of person we are; an instant but silent communication of personality. But as I hussled to work this morning through the CBD and had a good look at everyone’s get up, I started to wonder just how accurate those types of assumption are.
For example, I often roll in to work in a singlet and Havianas and put my “real” clothes on in the loos so the Sydney humidity doesn’t ruin my ensemble on the way to work, and I don’t fracture both my ankles strutting 30 minutes in killer heels. I imagine, no actually, I have seen many a person give me the once over only to stop dead on my flip-flops and the look like they were suddenly being strangled has crossed their face. Surely no one could really think baby blue Havianas are my footwear of choice with an all black power outfit? It seems perhaps they do. And that opens up a whole new world of fashion personalities, or more to the point, personality deception.
Take for example the many tweens and teens wont be seen in anything other than a surf brand. You could automatically assume they identify with surf culture or are actually in the culture themselves, but when fitting in is such a big deal throughout high school, who’s to say that deep down they have no idea who they are, what their sense of style is and they just want to fit in? I imagine in many a case there’s a teen who would really love to be glamming it up with funky accessories and edgy labels but reverts to what her friends are wearing just to belong. Fashion deception at play.
Similarly a girl who loves floaty frocks and has long hair and an affinity for flowers may in no way identify with the hippie culture, but you can bet your Manolos that passers-by will think she does, also possibly assuming at the same time she works in a health food store and manages her own home compost system. In reality she could be a cosmopolitan sipping, fabulous bar hopping socialite who just prefers the feel of cotton. Although it is easy to see how these sorts of fashion/personality assumptions are made, maybe what we put on our back doesn’t automatically tell people as much about us as we sometimes think.
Of course there are the tell tales that are pretty hard to dispute. The look at me type outfits often sported in less salubrious establishments on a Friday night don’t often announce the arrival of a wallflower, nor does the head to toe Prada communicate a love of the simple things in life. Some fashion personalities are a pretty safe bet. But when you look at the myriad of ensembles making their way through any given city on a morning, it’s not quite as easy to make judgements about people’s personalities as we may have first thought.
For example, I often roll in to work in a singlet and Havianas and put my “real” clothes on in the loos so the Sydney humidity doesn’t ruin my ensemble on the way to work, and I don’t fracture both my ankles strutting 30 minutes in killer heels. I imagine, no actually, I have seen many a person give me the once over only to stop dead on my flip-flops and the look like they were suddenly being strangled has crossed their face. Surely no one could really think baby blue Havianas are my footwear of choice with an all black power outfit? It seems perhaps they do. And that opens up a whole new world of fashion personalities, or more to the point, personality deception.
Take for example the many tweens and teens wont be seen in anything other than a surf brand. You could automatically assume they identify with surf culture or are actually in the culture themselves, but when fitting in is such a big deal throughout high school, who’s to say that deep down they have no idea who they are, what their sense of style is and they just want to fit in? I imagine in many a case there’s a teen who would really love to be glamming it up with funky accessories and edgy labels but reverts to what her friends are wearing just to belong. Fashion deception at play.
Similarly a girl who loves floaty frocks and has long hair and an affinity for flowers may in no way identify with the hippie culture, but you can bet your Manolos that passers-by will think she does, also possibly assuming at the same time she works in a health food store and manages her own home compost system. In reality she could be a cosmopolitan sipping, fabulous bar hopping socialite who just prefers the feel of cotton. Although it is easy to see how these sorts of fashion/personality assumptions are made, maybe what we put on our back doesn’t automatically tell people as much about us as we sometimes think.
Of course there are the tell tales that are pretty hard to dispute. The look at me type outfits often sported in less salubrious establishments on a Friday night don’t often announce the arrival of a wallflower, nor does the head to toe Prada communicate a love of the simple things in life. Some fashion personalities are a pretty safe bet. But when you look at the myriad of ensembles making their way through any given city on a morning, it’s not quite as easy to make judgements about people’s personalities as we may have first thought.
| 54 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
