Fashion and consumer culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Fashion and consumer culture - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and consumer culture" discusses the role of consumer goods and services. According to the domain of social psychology, fashion products represent symbolic attributes that speak volumes about an individual’s position in life in regards to income, trend-consciousness, and social group membership. It is the symbolism projected by fashion attire that largely dictates the level to which an individual moulds their lifestyle against social group affiliation needs. On the other hand, the question as to whether fashion is a symbolic methodology to ensure a degree of individualism is raised. Symbolic purchases represent a status representation reflecting socio-economic background or peer group affiliation, thus theoretically it is the social environment that determines fashion consumption. Is fashion consumption solely based on social attachment or is fashion a break from pre-established social norms to project individual innovation and creativity as the dominant reas on for consumption? However, research identifies that fashion consumption is more closely related to social affiliation, an assumption based on characteristics in the real-world fashion marketplace that point toward the psychological mechanisms of social group identity. Based on differing viewpoints, the question is raised as to whether fashion consumption is solely individualistic or based on social factors that influence buying behaviours. This paper explores how either individualism or social factors influence social lives.