At the beginning of the semester, my definition of fashion was all about self-expression. Where the clothing we wear represents our mood, our culture, and history. Although I still strongly believe in this idea, I’ve learned a tremendous amount about Fashion after taking Introduction to Fashion Studies. The reading that was the most impactful and stood out the most this semester was Sophie Woodward’s Why Women Wear What They Wear. In this reading, she speaks about the daily practice of the action of getting dressed, outside influences subconsciously affecting our choice of outfits, clothing that carries meanings and memories, and how the structure of a closet can impact one’s relationship with their clothes. A quote from the reading that resonated with me the most was “As clothing moves from the shop to the home, to being worn, to being borrowed by a friend, the meanings and values attributed to the clothing are also in flux.” (Woodward, 32) The idea of clothing living a life of its own is striking to me. Looking at my closet I can pinpoint what items were handed down, bought on my own, and borrowed and never returned. Rather than thinking of expression through clothing, this semester taught me about the meaning and history of the clothing itself. Clothing is more emotional than I thought it was before this class. I knew that there are sentimental values that are connected with clothing however after the Sartorial Biography assignment I learned that every person has their own daily practice, ritual, and emotional attachment to their closet. There are so many outside influences that drive people to choose what they wear. For example, influences could be outfits they see on the street, what styles that are trending on social media, and what their peers wear. These examples are all additional influences ontop of personal style and decisions. My new definition of fashion has transformed into: Fashion is a broad concept that covers the practice of physically dressing, self-expression through multiple types of style, and personal attachments to the pieces themselves. Although there is so much more than that one definition, as fashion is a very complex subject, those elements of it are what I took away from this class. Within my work as a photographer, where I focus on fashion photography, I will now have a new mindset about the particular clothing I take photos of. I won’t just take a photo of the garment because it looks nice, I’ll wonder why this person chose that particular piece, or whether it has a special significance to them. My thought process when taking fashion photographs has changed completely where I will always think of the meaning and emotional influences of the clothing.
