Don’t tell me you have never sat in a coffee shop, train station, bus station, airport, and just watched the world go by? I am a woman who believes fashion and clothes are the key to everything, so do we dress for ourselves or for others? I commute to London a lot and, as I sit in a Starbucks with my latté in Oxford Circus, the endless people who walk by puzzle me. I am going on to do a degree in psychology, therefore I seem to find myself pondering about the mental side of fashion and whether we dress according to our location, or do we dress for ourselves?
In the city, do the majority of the population teeter around in heels, long black coats, hats, red lipstick and make-up (the amount of which always leaves me wondering how they move their faces) due to the fact they want to? Or maybe it’s because they feel out of place if they don’t?
I think we can all agree that if you compared the city world of fashion to the country life of fashion they are both very different. In fact there is a huge contrast. Why is it that if you wear a pair of heels to a Supermarket in Dorset people stare, as the mainstream of people there are in tracksuit bottoms and trainers? Whereas, if you were to wear tracksuit bottoms and trainers in the city, people would wonder why you aren’t in a pair of 6inch heels? It almost feels like we are inhabiting two separate worlds?
This leads me back to a psychological debate. Are the clothes we wear based on who we are, or where we are? Is the reason we try to fit in with the rest of the World due to lack of confidence? Or just because we don’t have the guts to be just that little bit different?
To conclude my thoughts, although I can’t quite answer all my questions, as a general reflection I feel that fashion is used to convey a statement, I feel it is a way of expressing the way in which we feel and think about ourselves but, due to the fact fashion is getting more and more stereotypical, I feel people aren’t expressing themselves in the way they want to. They only express themselves in a way that they believe is ‘socially normal’. Does this then lead one to the conclusion that no-one is saying what they actually think and feel? But only copy what thoughts are going on around them? Are we all wearing off on one another?
For today I am going to leave you with a thought, like some of my judgments there may be no answer, but it will hopefully leave you thinking! Does the lack of independence in fashion mean that singular individual thoughts are becoming obsolete..?
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Tags: city fashion, country fashion, fashion, lifestyle, News, psychology
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Thanks for such a thought provoking article Talulah. Hope to see more from you in the near future.
Agreed, excellent article and very thought provoking.
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A very interesting post. I like to think that the clothes I wear are a reflection of my personality.
Talulah – it was interesting and I ran a piece on how well dressed we are and on feminine mystique, which got a few angry responses. I’ll have another bash at it in a few days, quoting from here.
I quit agree that there were two fashion styles that existed ie the city and the country style. But now where are all the characters with flair and style and the ability to express themselves in the clothes they wear. We as a nation seem to be degenerating into a world of dark drab clothing in the country or the city and when you see colour on the High Street it is usually worn by a visitor to our shores. The winter collections for men are now appearing in the stores and 80% of the range now seems to be shades of black or drab. But that seems to be what the majority want to wear. Is it a lack of self-confidence, the herd instinct or indifference?. I have a theory that the clothes we wear reflect the state of the nation and the level of pride we feel for our selves and our country. A sad indictment on what is happening to us. Come on designers, manufacturers and retailers put some colour into our lives and let us be proud again.
I second what Roland says……..
I actually miss those multicolored rainbow jumpers,scarfs and hats that were usually worn by Greenpeace activists……ok maybe that is going a bit far but what is wrong with bright and bold?
And the ‘tank-tops’ I used to wear ……
Your showing your age lads haha. But you are soooo right. My clothes are probably OTT for most people but that is how I see and express myself. K I stand out from the crowd. But the admiring glances and comments more than make up for the “Jeez he`s weird” sort. Gives me and my confidence a boost so come on lads brighten up.
Good on ya Roland!!!!!
Further thoughts.
I don`t want to be seen to hog the blog but when I am asked “how are you Roland” my reply is “Yea BRIGHT thanks”. Just my way of perhaps changing peoples mindset on how they see themselves. Have a bright day peeps.
Your not hogging Roland your contributing good to have you around.
That is a beautiful reply to a mundane question….Consider it pinched for my own uses..
Dear All Thank you very much for your comments, I am in the process of writing another article, so I hope it gets out soon, and you enjoy reading that as much as you did this one!
Now I know why I see you in the gym so often. Yea peeps, he does practice what he preaches. Even if you dont lose any weight or build a super body the inner feeling of satisfaction will keep you going. For me the increase in self confidence and self esteem is worth a visit to the gym. Keep going peeps and stay bright.
i believe it was always about making statements, which is a kind of expression yourself