Clothes: Means of Expression or of Standardization?



Posted: Monday, February 08, 2010

by Francesca Tessarollo

For many people clothes and accessories are a means of expression of the truest type, which can reflect the personality of the person who wear it and communicate something to the others. Playing with fashion means to be able to express our own creativity and imagination, trying to create a unique and original style.

Very often, however, clothing chains, especially those offering not too expensive clothes and accessories, which are therefore affordable for most people, are lacking in originality, and propose standard models that threaten to make us seem all the same. Moreover, being the clothes produced by these chains the ones that people buy the most, just because they do not have exorbitant prices, the same dress, jacket or boots might be worn by many people. However, the standardization effect does not only hit the cheapest chains, but also the most prestigious brands: just think about bags, the major object of desire of every woman, along with shoes, obviously. Some bags can be seen on the arm of every woman, be she a showgirl or a shop assistant, a great actress or a worker: no matter how much it costs (very often those who cannot afford the original model content themselves with a fake), it seems that if you want to go out, you must have that bag. In fact following fashion also means to accept a given style, to dress in a certain way, to conform to the dictates imposed by a certain trend. In this way, though, the expressive function of fashion ceases, and fashion is no longer a synonym of originality.

But fashion has a thousand resources for those who wish to create their own style making it as original as possible: you only need to appeal to accessories and details, and even the most standard model can become very original. The attention to details is the strength of many fashion houses and companies, which make their models unique by adding particularly elaborate buttons, personalized pins and brooches, studs or strass. If you want to have a unique style you can get goodwill and go in search of original clothes in particular shops, as well as in markets, or, if you have manual skills and a lot of imagination, you can try to personalize you own wardrobe. If you have an old leather jacket, for example, you can try to attach studs or safety pins, and you will get a modern and fashionable garment (the 80s, punk and dark styles are very appreciated this year), but it will be only yours and different from any others. And if you want to add a touch of colour to your black bag, you can attach a coloured leather key-ring (on the market there are key-rings of different colours and shapes, and some companies produce scented models!), or original brooches. Even a belt can add something to your clothes: choose a tooled leather belt or, if you are bold, choose gaudy colours, or appeal to the buckle: even the most classic belt, with a personalized buckle, can characterise your style.

To sum up, clothes can be a means of expression or of homologation: it is up to you to decide on which side you are.

By Francesca Tessarollo with support from anelli brisè for any information, please visit produzione portachiavi or for more info visit fibbie in zama.
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