Beyond FASHION

Paula Bianca Reyes


“Why do people dress the way they do? How does clothing contribute to a person's identity as a man or woman, as a white-collar professional or blue-collar worker, as a preppie, yuppie, or nerd? How is it that dress no longer denotes social class so much as lifestyle, whatever that is? Is haute couture defunct? Why may women wear pants and everything else men do, yet men may not wear skirts and everything else women do?”

Besides style, fashion also contributes to one’s identity. Sometimes, we are judging based on their choice of clothes, how they wear it, their choices of color and so on.

In a sea of strangers, when we notice someone in baggy clothes, cornrow hairstyle, hip hop, full of tattoos all over his skin, most of us will be a bit scared or maybe we will have a hard time talking to them. When you look at the other side, and see a lady dressed in a collared shirt, hair fixed, and carries herself well, we may think she is smart and maybe she is a professional. While if you encounter someone wearing all black, skinny jeans and a thrift store band shirt, one-sided hair, Converse shoes, most of us will conclude that they are included to the emo society. As you go on, you will meet someone dressed as if it’s saying that everything blends, and anything goes, probably dressed in a mod style, and we may suddenly think that he or she must be smart too, a bit playful and an eye catcher.

What we wear has always defined us to some aspects. At the very least, it can indicate economic status, but always before within certain confines of convention. Historically, a uniformity of dress created a homogeneous population. Most of the times, we are what we wear. Our choice of style and fashion are expressions of ourselves.

Emo (falling under certain behavior mannerisms and attire correlating with the subculture) will often be from a comfortable, middle-class background with understanding, pleasant parents. All of this is irrelevant to an emo who will consider themselves misunderstood and repressed regardless of reality. Any urologist would say that these very emotional people need to be encouraged by the rest of society to help them out of this state of existing, or technically not existing. (http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Emo)

Mod. Mod for modern, which in its purest use meant minimalist. Arguably there is nothing minimal about most Mod fashion, but that is the origin. Color played a big role in defining the look. The muted and pastel palette of Fifties fashions gave way to bright, bold color often splayed in geometric patterns. Art, usually Pop Art infiltrated fashion as works of art translated from canvas into fabric. (http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fashion/mod-fashion.htm)


Hip Hop fashion in the 80's and 90's revealed a new approach to style and dress. It was the beginning of a tidal wave fashion influence still felt today. Sparked by rap artists experimenting with a new art form, Hip Hop fashion became an expression of the Hip Hop culture manifesting in ever aspect of dress. Clothes, shoes and jewelry norms were shattered as more music fans converted to the Hip Hop culture embracing the fresh innovative style of Hip Hop fashion. Today, we experience Hip Hop differently as it is dominated by mainstream corporate commercialization. Nevertheless the organic evolution of Hip Hop fashion continues its spread through the streets, inspiring millions to seek out Hip Hop. (http://www.kingice.com/hip-hop-fashion.aspx)


Punk fashion refers to the style of dress for people within the punk subculture. When punk music was first established in the 1970's, punk clothes tended to be rebellious, wild, and shocking. While the 70's look was a far cry from the style of punk now, during the time it was considered very confrontational.(http://punkskamusic.suite101.com/article.cfm/punk_fashion#ixzz0BPDTceV0)

According to Quentin Crisp, “Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are.” It should not dictate us on how to live and how to look. We should be the one to express ourselves through it because it mirrors how we feel about life.