This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s summer editorial intern Dylan Fraize. Find him on Instagram at @fraize.jpg. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As a consumer, you are never truly free of external pressure affecting how you buy. Anything from marketing campaigns to celebrity influencers could change your likelihood of purchasing products. When this comes to fashion nothing changes, and because of that consumers may dress for others rather than themselves. Creating a world of cookie-cutter outfits and stress to conform. This is why you must ask how you can dress for yourself.
A History Of Expression
Fashion has long been used as a form of expression. As far back as Ancient Greece, fashion was a way of cultural identification. This could mean anything from political identities to religious affiliation. Since fashion was still not as widespread it also conveyed wealth. Colors and fabrics were the indicators that would show people’s differences.
Moving forward to the 19th century, the introduction of mass production and industrialization changed availability. Since clothing was more readily available the tenants of expression changed from the past. The average person had more clothes than ever before. This began the self-exploration of people’s style. Now there was a way to stand out from the crowd.
Fashion trends would be moving even faster. Since garments were primarily handmade prior to the industrial revolution a faster manufacturing process would alter how quickly trends shift. This mass production of looks also came at a cost. Apart from the negative ecological effects clothing was now made to a standard size. Meaning people just as they do today had to find clothing that fit in all the right places even though they weren’t tailored to themselves.
Thus started fashion’s double-edged sword, the ability to build your own style and also the ability to follow mass-produced trends.
What Makes You Buy
Consumers can never escape influences. Advertisements and societal pressure are prevalent across all walks of life. Scrolling social media is one of the most common and frequently targeted platforms of influence. While you may not be conscious of it, your brain is processing and storing information from all the posts you scroll in a day; so for example, you see a new denim company being worn by a celebrity, then an ad for said company, and finally a girl from your school in the brand. The marketing rule of three describes that a consumer must see a product 3 times before it sticks in the head.
Culture plays a major role in the way consumers shop and which brands they buy. America has the largest economy in the world. America has also been described by many anthropologists as a consumer culture. This means deriving value and self-worth in the items they purchase. Making American shopping habits very frequent and often coveted. Americans have an affinity for American-made products because they believe these brands share the same values. Take for example Carhart, an American company that is extremely popular domestically but has slowly gained admirers abroad.
Even if a marketer isn’t flaunting their product in your face you still have to subvert the pressure of your peers. Fashion has long been a tool of conformity among cultures. While that is important for hegemony you don’t want to feel constrained with your style. This anxiety of conformity can leave a person feeling dysphoric. Wearing clothes that match everyone else’s alleviates the pressure but silences the person you are. While wearing clothes that fit in, you may not feel as confident even though you’re wearing what you’re “supposed to”. Being true to yourself sparks feelings of self-confidence.
Influences on your fashion choices aren’t going to stop but you must be aware of why you’re making the purchase. Who’d you see wearing it first? Does this company align with my values? Where do I see myself in the piece? How can you dress to express yourself?
How To Dress To Express Yourself
When starting your journey of style rediscovery know you’ll be going through a transformative process. It won’t be overnight and you’ll have plenty of awkward looks but those laughable outfits will all be worth it in the end. You’ll be experimenting with fit, color, pattern, material, and proportions.
Before you start emptying your whole closet keep some foundational pieces. You also want to keep pieces you think fit into the style you want to grow into. Try on your favorite clothes you already own and see what sets them apart from the rest. Note the fit, material, or other aspects that make the piece ideal. These core items can be used to build your new look by integrating new pieces.
When looking at any multiple trends or styles don’t go overboard. You don’t want to marry yourself to the first style you find. Rather work in a few pieces from each new style you’re trying and find what works best. Personal style is about longevity not adopting the first trend that catches your eye.
Think of your daily needs, while fashion is an art form you still need to dress practically. If you live in a hot climate you’ll need to be prepared with lightweight material like linen. Think of what you want to portray daily. The mood you want to display via clothing. Wearing anything that helps you feel like yourself is an ideal boost of confidence. You’ll know when you find what’s right for you.
A consistently overlooked part of building an outfit is proportions. Clothing that is mass-produced uses standard sizing methods but because there are thousands of factories around the world there is some variance. A medium from one brand may fit you better than a medium from another although being produced to the same sizing. You must know what your brands are and how they fit. If you’d like to go further in depth you could have a tailor give you your measurements. With those measurements handy you could look through any manufacturer and know how the piece will fit.
Another aspect of proportions is how your clothing exaggerates your body type. A person could be wearing a beautiful Schiapelli couture dress, but if it doesn’t fit their body type it ruins the look. You’ve heard of the hour-glass shape body but there are three other types. Each requires its own unique styling to ensure the proper fit. Achieving the best fit may require utilizing different necklines, layering, longer pant cuts, or even certain accessories.
Most importantly don’t feel disheartened. This process takes a lot of trial and error so don’t feel discouraged. It takes some bravery to try and rediscover yourself and express that to the world. Take baby steps until you reach your goal. You may feel self-conscious at first wearing these outfits in public but you have to break out of that shell.
What do you think? Have you ever gone through a rediscovery of your style? How do you use fashion to express yourself? How do you think culture affects the way you dress? Let us know in the comments below!
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