Since taking this class I have looked at fashion in a new light. I only looked at fashion in the view as an artist and completely forgot that there is a business behind this industry. Additionally, I only looked at fashion from my perspective and what it meant to me, without thinking about what it meant to the consumer. I rarely considered what “market” I made things for, but after all the readings, and getting insight from both sides of the designer-consumer spectrum, I feel as if I can look back on readings in times I get stuck or need understanding on a certain topic. Fashion as a study is something I never thought about so my need to research has been sparked because of this class. Thinking specifically about the class, on week 4 I realized how multiple layers of my life intersect and how my overlapping identities have played into who I am. When discussing my status as “middle class”, I found this quote to be particularly relevant: “To be a subject in the world, is also to be an agent of creativity, control, or change, but it also means experiencing regulation”. (Kaiser 2012, 31) Furthermore, on week 5, the discussion of dress practice opened my eyes to consider my closet as a whole, and my specific dress tendencies toward certain items. I reflected on certain items which I am saving for special occasions, others which never get worn, and the reality that I pick very little of my entire wardrobe to wear every day. Overall, my view of fashion has shifted from the imaginative and unhindered Parsons-esque fantasy of fashion to a grounded understanding that acknowledges the real factors that affect fashion every day.
