Psychological Influence of Fashion Essay Example for Free

Psychological Influence of Fashion EssayWhen iodine thinks of the identity crisis that plagues great deal, one is able to discern the connection between fashion and its lure on concourse. Conformity comes in many forms and affects many aspects of adolescents lives. Do adolescents take up a certain way of dressing because everyone else is dressing up that way? Do they let their hair grow long one year and cut it short-circuit the next because of fashion? Conformity occurs when individuals adopt the attitudes or behavior of others because of real or imagined pressure from them. Indeed, the pressure to conform to peers becomes very strong during the adolescent geezerhood (Santrock, John 1998. p. 211). More than any other outward manifestation of a persons personality, the clothes has a language all its own. It is a communicative system of communication that symbolizes the beliefs and thinking of an individual. In an encounter, before people even speak to one another, their clo thing makes a statement that expresses their age, sex, class, occupation and personality (Flynn, Patricia). habit has a language all its own.It can range from conventional and traditional to the outrageous and eccentric styles. Dress can identify its we arer with a social pigeonholing. For example, jeans never go out of style with teens. The difference just lies in the style, cost and labels that identify them as designer. Wearing jeans may symbolize that the individuals are members of the same group (Flynn, Patricia). For example during the 1950s, teenage clothing styles grew amidst the economic prosperity after World War II. The consumer market targeted those who were pampered and had money to spend on clothes.At the start, the adult designers were the trendsetters in terms of fashion superstar. But the teens began to assert their own individuality and sported only the styles they most prefer. To these youth, this was a form of their self-expression (Flynn, Patricia). Image bui lders give a great wrap up of thought to the types of images that would have the strongest appeal to the greatest number of people. Merchandisers reason that they could build into their products the same traits that people recognize in themselves.Studies of narcissism indicate that nothing appeals to a greater extent to people than themselves so why not help people buy a projection of themselves? That way, the images would pre-select their audiences, select out of a consuming public people with personalities having an affinity for the image. By building in traits known to be widely dispersed among the consuming public the image builders reason that they could spark love personal matters by the millions. The sale of self-images expedited the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of clothing, accessories and other beauty products.Thus, the image builders prove again and again that American consumers are becoming self-image buyers. Conclusion youthful people, having iden tified with many models, have incorporated many different characteristics. Now they must integrate, synthesize, and reorganize these, dropping some characteristics and strengthening others. A new, unique and perspicuous identity emerges, one in which, the whole has a different quality than the sum of its parts (Erikson, 1959, p. 90). Fashion and style exerts a different kind of psychological influence of people, especially adolescents since they are pampered by society.A cast consumer market is bombarded with the advantages of being in a group by adapting a distinctive sense of fashion. It is, therefore, important that people understand the psychological influences underlying this issue. People must be critical in recognizing that merchandisers of many different products connected with fashion probes peoples subsurface desires, removes and drives to find their points of vulnerability. (Santrock, John 1998. p. 211). Among the subsurface motivating factors found on the emotional pro file of most of us are the drives to conformity, need for oral stimulation and yearning for security.People must be critical in understanding that once these points of vulnerability are isolated, the psychological hooks are fashioned and baited and placed deep in the merchandising sea for unwary prospective customers, particularly the youth.ReferencesCovey, Stephen R. Living the 7 Habits. (1999) Erikson, E. (1959). Identity Youth and Crisis. New York W. W. Norton. Fashion. Nationmaster. Retrieved Feb. 21, 2007 at http//www. nationmaster. com/encyclopedia/Fashion Flynn, P. (1985). Body Language The Language of Contemporary Fashion. Accessed 12