TV's Influence in Fashion

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Fashion on screen has evolved to function not just as costume, but as an independent aesthetic discourse, which is challenging the ways audiences think about and consume fashion in their own lives (Gaines, 1990). Television undeniably wields an enormous amount of power to influence culture, especially given its serial nature of complicated, multi-episode programmes, rather than one-off dramas. Furthermore, as one of the central image-making institutions, it is arguably becoming one of the most powerful forces in fashion communication (Warner, 2014). Thus, the impetus behind this research project was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of why television influences audiences’ attitudes towards fashion.

SITE OF INQUIRY

The precise question which will be investigated in this research project is; ‘Why does television influence audiences’ attitudes towards fashion?’. In other words; why the television we watch is manifesting itself what we wear, and the reasons for wearing it. The research will foreground the social and cultural significance of onscreen fashion, with the expectation that new knowledge will be generated about the conscious and unconscious reasons television is challenging audiences’ attitudes to fashion. I envisage this initial enquiry into television costume at the levels of production, text, and intertext as a precursor to further research into the ways in which audiences respond to television.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK TO BE APPLIED

An Interpretevist framework will be applied to this project, as I will attempt to understand a cultural phenomenon in a comprehensive yet holistic manner. My research is underpinned by the fundamental assumption of interpretivism; that there are multiple truths (Tuli, 2010). When I...

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...hased through Worn On TV being a sizeable $100-$300. This mentality is affirmed by Senior vice president of media relations and promotions for Columbia TriStar television, Paula Askansas, who claims that:

“The hard sell can be a turn off. Having TV stars wear a certain brand of clothing sends a subliminal message. The clothes are part of something cool. [The thinking is], if Jennifer Love Hewitt wears Hilfiger so can I.” (in Abbott, 1999: 25)

Askansas’ claim demonstrates how a set of values and meanings can be transferred from a celebrity and inscribed on a product. In purchasing an item of clothing for the reason alone that we saw it TV, we are contributing to the construction of a lifestyle, an ambition. Therefore, television is influencing audiences’ attitudes towards fashion by creating an aspirational association between products and televisual celebrities.

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