Society is constructed in such a way that some people become inferior to other people because of how society treats certain individuals. Fashion has become a catalyst that leaves a gap between the lower class and the upper class; this brings out the aspect of social structure as it ranks categories of people in a hierarchy,( Macious & Plummer, 2008).Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus, social capital and cultural capital gives an illustration of the elite and the lower class in terms of their fashion taste. This essay consists of three parts; the first part will look at the London Fashion Week applying Bourdieu’s concepts, the second part will describe the difference sorts of capital required for elite women to join the ‘secret club’ of Haute Couture and it will determine whether the garments worn are used as conspicuous consumption or as cultural capital, and finally this essay will examine if clothes are still a mark of distinction or has it lost its social meaning.
According to Macionis & Plummer, 2008:264 they define field as a “relatively autonomous space in which social relationships get organised. These relations are often economic, social, cultural and symbolic”, while habitus is defined as “our learned social habits which lead people to behave in certain ways”. Social capital is being a member and being involved in the social networks; this is evident when such people who have good connections and networking. Unlike cultural capital which refers to people with wield power and status because of their educational credentials. In the London Fashion week Bourdieu’s concept apply as the elite people recognise each other and ignore those who pretend to be rich (Entwistle & Rocamora,2006). In order for one to be recognised on...
... middle of paper ...
...uires one to be presentable in terms of fashion, as other people may discriminate you when you wear certain clothes which do not match their class. However, usually people of the upper class associate with the people of the upper class therefore Bourdieu’s theory is useful in today’s fashion.
In conclusion history in terms of fashion changed in accordance to social changes and industrial revolutions across the globe (Macious & Plummer, 2008) thus people are obsessed with fashion as fashion puts one in a certain class which one tends to like depending on one’s field, habitus, social, cultural, symbolic, economic, and cultural capital.
Bibliography
Cline,E .Overdressed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqkg06fV8q8 Entwistle,J &Rocamora A.2006. London College of Fashion
Macions, J.J &Plummer K.2008.Sociology: A Global Introduction. Prentice Hall: Pearson
From the conventional Victorian dresses of the 1800’s to the rock-and-roll tee shirts of the 1980’s, American culture has experienced incredibly diverse trends in clothing. This ever changing timeline of fashion provokes the question: what is the cause of such differing styles? By considering the state of society throughout the eras, it can be seen that clothing directly correlates with the current way of life. Specifically, American women’s fashion of the 1920’s and 1930’s proves to not simply be a meaningless trend – rather an accurate reflection of the specific era.
People have diverse interests and make choices based on the provisions of a given social structure. Situational analysis is a concept used to determine how individuals make choices subject to social restrictions within the society. Virtually all systems have room for individuals to make choices without the institutional responsibility that may be placed on them by such structured systems. Bourdieu (53) asserts that habitus, capital and field are the tools that shape an individual’s social space. Habitus influences both personal character and collective practices in response to schemes that are shaped by history.
His work emphasized the social dynamics and the frameworks in which society was constructed. Bourdieu pioneered investigative terminologies such as the cultural, social and symbolic capital as well as the concepts of the habitus.
When Bourdieu discusses cultural capital he is referring to knowing; for instance, what to talk about in a certain context. Capital means resources, so someone with large cultural capital has a lot of experiences in the world and are perceived as knowledgeable and able to converse about an array of diverse topics. Cultural capital can be learned, which is why education for Bourdieu is the first determent, over and above class origins. People who are not from a higher class, but have been immersed in education, can conduct one’s self in a manner where someone cannot distinguish their economic and social origins. Culture is not individualized; it is all
The Trickle-down theory, a well-known theory in fashion industry, has significant meaning in 19th to 20th century Europe. The American economist and sociologist, Veblen, published The theory of the Leisure Class by 1899, in which he discussed the split between the leisure class and the industrial class in the US critically. He concluded that leisure class treats dress as a sign of their status and possessions, furthermore, ‘Dress must not only be conspicuously expensive and inconvenient; it must at the same time be up to date’(Veblen 1994), by saying that, he refers to upper class was tend to create new fashion trend which was the top of the trickle-down theory. In the 20th century, Simmel, the German sociologist and philosopher, developed this theory further from a more sympathetic perspective. He drew much attention to sameness and difference amongst both classes in his book Fashion (Simmel 1973). The upper class gets self-satisfied and the proof of its priority by distinguishing itself from others, and working class follows the fashion trend which led by upper class in order to feel like he or she is ‘belonging to’ higher class. These opinions which were discussed by Veblen and Simmel were coined by a journalist in the mid-20th century, as ‘Trickle- down Theory’. During mid-18th to early 20th century, the trickle-down theory described the process of how fashion flows, and explains that fashion is a cultural and sociological phenomenon which includes the discourse of identity and uniformity, agency and structuralism. This phenomenon was not limited by geography, at the same period, in the other side of the world, similar situation happened in China which is a typical East Asian country....
Fashion plays an important role in the lives of billions all over the world; people, as part of a status craving society, turn to “fashion capitals” of the world for ways in which to dress and carry themselves. New York, Milan, and Paris are leaders among this fierce industry that the world lusts after. Fashion can speak volumes about ones personality, or also about the condition the world is in at the time. In France, fashion changed rapidly and feverously as the times changed.
Fashion denotes the changing styles within social hierarchy. Simmel theorized on the underpinnings of fashion with his distinct theory on fashion as a form of segregation. This theory gives rise to a cycle of ever changing styles in an effort to distinguish social classes, exposing aspects within society that effect decisions made by individuals on their choice of dress. Simmel believed that fashion arose in the form of styles which define an elite group. This belief best defines fashion throughout the early to mid-20th century as throughout this period fashion was seen as a form of segregation. When a style becomes a common look it is no longer fashionable in the eyes of the trend setters. Fashions are driven by the consumers desire to emulate current trends and by their need to display their social capital.
Fashion has been around ever since ancient times, since the time of the Romans, it survived the world wars and is yet today a business with rapid changes. Fashion started off as an art form, a way for the rich to show their social status with unique and innovative designs that only they could afford. It was a way to separate the social classes of the society. In this paper I will include the creators of haute couture, and how the following designers developed couture, as well as leading names in today’s ready-to-wear industry. The list is long, but I chose to focus on the three most important designers in the modern fashion industry.
The act of consumption has been the primary means through which individuals in society participate and transform culture. Culture is not something already made which we consume; culture is what society creates through practices of everyday life and consumption involves the making of culture. When attempting to understand certain acts of consumption it is necessary to observe the relations involved in production and consumption. Through technological innovation, the fashion industry has been expanded to play a prominent role in consumers’ purchasing decisions and styles are becoming less difficult to obtain. With the expansion of department stores and shopping being viewed as a leisurely activity, this has continued to transform the act of fashion consumerism. The functional interests feature a rational attachment to clothing items. Symbolic benefits involve status and prestige to fulfill the achievement for positive self-esteem. Further benefits include a provided experience for the individual consumer and the created use of imagery and desire used to enrich one’s life.
middle of paper ... ... It also analyzed the influences of modern dresses. As Palmer and Clark (2005) mentioned earlier, both decades are the classic era in fashion history.
Clothing has been around for thousands of years; almost as long as the modern human has. At first, it served the practical purpose of protection from the elements; but, as life for early humans stopped being a constant struggle to survive, they started noticing how they looked and the concept of fashion began to take shape. These first few garments were typically dyed draped cloth that was pinned at the shoulder and/or waist. This was seen in many ancient civilizations around the world, Greek and Roman the most notable. Over time, clothing began to get more and more complex and formed to the body’s shape, eventually leading up to the tailored style we now have today. However, the sophisticated world of Haute Couture; or high fashion, can distinctly trace its roots to Paris during the mid-19th century. Clothing from there was thought to be superior to those from anywhere else, and women began to come from all over Europe just to buy dresses. This was probably due in part to one notable dressm...
Fashion, psychology and the sociological perspective have long been perceived as mutually exclusive concepts. However, is there a possibility that a trinity exists in the former? To illustrate, it is evident that throughout history fashion has influenced society as a whole and has mirrored its aspects i.e. economical and sociological. Furthermore, this influence has developed to be perceived psychologically where individuals identify with fashion in the sense of translating visual information showing their personal views and attitudes. To that effect, what is fashion? Traditionally and in the literary sense, fashion is defined as ‘a popular trend, especially in styles of dress and ornament or manners of behavior’ . However,
Fashion is a style, which changes along with time. Fashion is mainly valued by females. Girls are always on the run to the mall to buy new stuff, which suits the new fashion. Whenever, something new comes to the mall, which is related to the fashion, girls will certainly crave this item. Fashion has changed as time passes but the girls will always crave clothing that is related to the current fashion. For example, in this collage a person shows that females like fancy shoes and heels. However, males are not addicted to fashion. Males are never interested in going to mall; they feel that this is boring. Males are more interested in formal clothing such as suits rather than buying fashionable clothing. For example, in this collage a person put a picture of a suit, which is not part of the newer fashion. Males understand that clothing is just a materialistic joy. This knowledge has helped boys stay away fro...
In conclusion, fashion will speak out a person’s social signal, people dress on designs that blend with their social class. Just as population, social activities and fashion are changing with time. Fashion has made clothing to be convinient, everything needs to be done with the least effort and spend the least time.
One pays a large amount of money to buy clothes which sometimes does not suit her/him. It is claimed that clothes and accessories that are in trend are generally the most costly. Not to mention the fact that they go out of fashion very quickly. Furthermore, the current vogue for stylish objects has brought social discrimination, especially among the young generation. It is unfair to the poor, who cannot afford the latest products, being discriminated on the grounds of class or money.