Influence of Culture on Dressing - Assignment Example

Fashion and Culture in Manhattan page This research will investigate the effects of culture on dressing especially for the diverse nationalities living in Manhattan. Evidently, culture exerts great influence on the preference of different people. Although different individuals belonging to a specific culture are likely to exhibit varying preferences in the choice of dressing, it is possible that culture and nationality are critical aspects in the choice of fashion. Moreover, the price of clothing determines dressing preference depending on the financial status of the buyer. In order to determine the effect of culture dressing, the field study studied four men and women from different nationalities, but all working and living in Manhattan. The four were an American, a European, an Asian, and the last from the Middle East culture in order to ascertain the truth of this theory. It is evident that each culture has a certain preferred way of dressing. An extensive literature review reveals the factors that affect the choice of dressing in each of these cultures. Apparently, many people use a different type of clothing for various occasions all through the year, with others preferring to have a different dressing for the day and night. Introduction and review This field study research will investigate the effects of culture on the way of dressing for the Manhattan population. Although people have individual preferences on the ways to dress, but there is a high possibility that the environment that they live in can influence their fashion sense. An analysis of the clothing brands used in different western culture reveals that people from all cultures prefer to associate themselves with certain designers in order to for them to appear fashion elite. With this, this field study hypothesizes that culture can influence dressing especially to those living in Manhattan. In order to validate or reject this hypothesis, data from the college going students and the working class from different nationalities will be analysed. Other than the primary data collected, the field study will also combine secondary data from credible sources to examine the factors that influence the choice of fashion brand to wear for the residents of Manhattan. The review will also highlight the different types of fashion brands available in the Manhattan market. Background information Fashion as a concept refers to the popular and accepted style or practice of doing things such as clothing, makeup, body piercing, accessories among a list of other distinctive traits (Craik 246). In many cases, fashion is a distinctive or habitual trend in an individual may dress in order for them to match up with the existing styles. In other words, fashion can be the latest creations by designers in which many associate it to fancy dressing. Fashion is an inter-gender attribute in which men and women alike focus on dressing up as per the newest designer styles in order for them to appear trendy. With this, the cross-cultural attributes present in the Manhattan region have influenced people from different nationalities to adopt in order for them to fit in with the trends set by the fashion icons both in America and across the world. Design of study (Methodology) In this research, the study conducted aimed at determining the effect of culture on the choice of dressing by different people from various cultural origins. The survey considered the responses of four young people as the participants. Four cultures came into context in this research and they include American, European, Asian, and Middle East. Four young people from each of these cultural contexts were interviewed with each highlighting type of dressing preferred and the amount they are likely to spend on purchasing the clothing of choice. The mode of gathering information was through a face-to-face survey that sought to indulge the respondents in a conversation. The young adults provided demographic details that included their age and current occupation. An additional question sought to establish the various ways of preferred dressing by the participants for various seasons and events. The method of obtaining data was through a questionnaire that every participant engaged during the study had to fill out in order to give a detailed description of the ways that they had adopted to their new fashion preferences. Results of the study From the study conducted, it became evident that the young people from the American culture had a definitive choice of dressing, which relied on fashion trends. Some of the respondents interviewed were students, who preferred fashion brands, just as the working class women exhibited a preference for the same brands. College students preferred dressing in the brands that made stand out and attract attention of other students while in school while the working class favoured clothing that would make them appear sophisticated. This is one of the traits that attracts students and the working population that is not originally from USA to dress in this way as much it unacceptable in their own cultures. The Americans also intimated that they had different fashion preferences for the daytime and other choices for an evening out with friends. Therefore, their spending capacity was high as compared to that of other nationalities involved in the same activities as theirs. In essence, the students and those working in Manhattan from Europe shared the same similar traits with their counterparts from the USA in which their dressing included accessories that are screaming or deduced class. Many of them professed preference for clothing brands associated celebrities, with students from Europe preferring the fashion brand while one other working lady exhibited interest in the classic brands. For this category of young people, spending is within limits in that they try and be fashionable, but at the same time watch on the way they spend their money as compared to the Americans. The Asian bracket living in Manhattan and involved in this study exhibited interest in fashionable dressing, but their immense cultural background was heavily influential in the way that they dress. In essence, those with Asian origin had an immense fetish for fashion brands, but this was not their basis when they went out shopping. Instead, they shop for brands that illustrate modest dressing, which is part of their culture implying that they had a minimal fashion related brands because of their culture. The fashion that could be spotted in would be handbags, trench coats, ornaments among a list of other ornaments for both the school going and the working young population in Manhattan. The trend was also similar to those with Middle East origin in which their desire to dress fashionably was not evident because of their deep-rooted modest dressing. As much as they wanted to buy clothing that related to celebrities and fashion icons, they could not because of the fear of castigation from members of their faith. However, men had exception when it came to dressing as per the fashion trends in that they could buy accessories and clothing related to the western culture because these had no effect on their appearance to others. The spending capacity for fashion aspects of this culture was relatively similar to that of those from Asia in which they only spent their money on a few luxury brands rather than engage in constant shopping sprees. Ideally, Manhattan has quite a number of fashion boutiques and places that sell trending products at affordable prices hence making access to fashionable merchandise not to be a problem. The challenge lies on whether the fashion products support the culture of the buyers or the ways that they will help the buyers to fit into the trends experienced in Manhattan. Discussion The studying or working population of America is highly likely to spend much more of their money shopping for luxury brands as compared to those from Asia or the Middle East. However, the trend is not different between the ages as the college going and the working youth have an equal desire to acquire these designer clothing and would go to any length to obtain them. Ideally, the young population residing in Manhattan spends much more on fashion as compared to the youth in other major urban cities in the US because renowned brands here go for reasonable prices. The Americans involved in the study were highly likely to dress as per the trending fashion styles as compared to young people from other nationalities. Further, most of the people found to be queuing at shops giving discount sales of their fashion products were also very likely to be Americans. For the study, one American who was an employee at one of the prestigious companies in Manhattan also had a huge collection of products from Gucci products. The implication of this was that Americans develop some sort of loyalty to quality brands hence making them to buy most products that a company may distribute for sale. As for the Asian and the Middle Eastern population living in Manhattan, they can be spotted in one fashion item or the other, but their culture deeply reflects on the dressing. For instance, a Muslim lady can wear Prada shoes or handbag, but may not fail to adorn a Hijab, which is a major piece of clothing requirement women as per the Islamic principles. On the other hand, a young Hindu woman may not fail to spot a dressing that highly links to the Hindu culture such as the bangles while still accessories with American make-up aspects (Craik 314). The implication of this is that the different cultures have diverse approaches to influencing fashionable in their dressing as much as their spending levels and fashion on knowledge may vary. The meaning of the results in terms of nonverbal communication theory and practice However, the students involved in the field study spent less when shopping for fashionable clothing because they lacked steady sources of income. Further, they could not shop as extravagantly as they could want because their income sources were their parents or from part time jobs that they had. Therefore, a fraction of the Americans students involved in the study wished that they could have more money in order for them to shop for all the fashion brands that they desired because they still did not everything fashionable that they desired. The bottom line for most of the participants involved in the research was that most of the young people looked up at celebrities and fashion designers for their fashion inspiration in Manhattan and seemed to have been aware of the existing fashion trends. Those that were from Asia or the Middle East could not hide their displeasure from the fact that they could not dress as they would want because they lacked self-confidence. In essence, they could not effectively relate with their peers as they would want because they felt that there was a huge cultural rift between them and their European and American counterparts. In many cases, the youth from the Asian community tended to interact with individuals that they shared the same culture, the Americans and the Europeans related in the same manner. The obvious non-verbal communication was that people that dress differently from others were different and that they have nothing to offer others. This is a misinformed belief because from the study their knowledge levels seemed to be similar despite a person’s originality. The cultural attribute presented by dressing was a also a factor that clothing store owners considered when clients came into their points of sales in that they gave huge preference to those that wore designer fashion than those that did not. The obvious non-verbal communication was that people that dress as per their cultural origin experienced stereotyping and negligence when they accessed clothing and other fashion stores. This is because of their perceived minimal knowledge about fashion and that they were highly not likely to buy anything from the store. In the study, most people could not look up to them as fashion icons because of the perceived belief that culture had blinded their fashion sense. In terms of spending, the field study was applicable and true because the expenditure levels between cultures were different because of the beliefs and origin aspects that were highly influential to an individual. In the end, fashion and culture as witnessed in Manhattan hugely rely on the cultural influence especially for the young population that are either working or studying. Works cited Craik, Jennifer. Fashion: The Key Concepts. Oxford [u.a.: Berg, 2008. Print. Read More