Keeping Up Appearances: A Look at How Fashion Trends Negatively Influence Consumers

“Keeping up Appearances: A Look at How Fashion Trends Negatively Influence Consumers”

Mokokoma Mokhanona, a sociologist and an activist, once stated, “Expensive clothing is a poor man’s attempt to appear prosperous” (GoodReads.com). Many people today, dress to impress. Following trends and copying other people’s style of dress has become an open window for many people to feel excepted and important. The problem is that these people, aspiring to be important to others, are hurting themselves by trying to impress others. According to Soloman and Rabolt, “Fashion is a form collective behavior, or a wave of social conformity (Mandhachitara 23).” As people become accustomed to following behind people in high ranks that establish trends, they lose themselves and become conformed to society. They lose their own identities because they are not keeping up with their appearances to satisfy themselves. Author Hemphill, stated in an article that, “Consumers have a taste for trends—that is, for goods that enable them to move in step with other people (Hemphill 9).” Essentially, what Hemphill is stating is that people are now making choices on what they want to wear based on what celebrities and popular people wear. Peoples choices are not their own, their choices of attire are based on the styles of trendsetters. The motivation for the styles and trends today are often influenced by celebrities and the media. Every outfit put together by an individual is based off of an original idea of someone before them. This could be considered an imitation instead of a new creation. People are often using fashion to shape identities, to gain social status, and to build their confidence.

Many people use fashion as a way to shape their identity, whethe...

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