Fashion & its Impact on Society & Individuals, Part II

The Trend is Dead; Long Live the Trend!
by George A. Miu

For a society that is materialistic and, for the most part, highly deconstructionist, we appear to ignore our modern inclinations when it comes to assessing the overall character of other human beings with regard to appearance. It is one of the few aspects of life in which we seek to understand in general terms, rather than in particulars. In other words, we no longer care about the internal processes and the causality that brought about the external factors that account for the umbrella term “fashion”.

Those around us, as per social norm, are clothed. They style their hair (or maybe not), wear a variety of artificial scents and substances and, depending on personal preference, are liable to cover (or not) specific parts of the anatomy (just think turtlenecks or cleavage).

Since we have been mass-producing clothing for a fair chunk of time, our trends have evolved in several different directions; consequently, unanimous agreement within the parameters of “good” and “bad” fashion taste is as rare as a non-scandalous Lady Gaga outfit.

So we have cliques, offshoots, rebellious movements and a lot of hilarity. There are really only very few distinct standards of universal fashion – things like color matching, for instance. But for the most part, we are free to dress however we like without incurring the wrath of society as a whole.

Note carefully: that we are free to do something (and not get crucified for it) does not mean that it will necessarily engender any admiration. Au contraire – outside the workplace (and formal occasions), a suit draws question marks as to intent, dressy-shirts bring about glances and baggy outfits do not exist. Just kidding – we only wish they didn’t. Yet, having clothes that fit well and are carefully arranged in an ensemble will, most likely, bring about good things, irrespective of the newest, red-hottest trend.

Seasons come and go; popularity is, by definition, short lived. Perhaps the most secure way of expressing oneself is not through threads, but rather through the content of character. I mean – if you think Lil Wayne is the Second Coming, and that the hood holds miraculous depths that society is not yet ready to understand – that’s fantastic. Really. But it would be substantially more rewarding if I could get this message in a more sublime way than through how you dress. The same goes for those who believe that Queen Victoria, or maybe even Casanova, or whoever else you so choose, was the aforementioned Second Coming.

My advice is to be neutral. Dress well, and by all means accentuate your blandness with small-but-noticeable items that are seen by the acute and astute investigator. But to overdo it is to simplify, dilute and overstate your message about life and society. Then, you lose your individuality and become the symbol of a caricaturized notion that most of us don’t really care about, anyway.