Intro to Fashion Studies – Assignment #1

Age

My age is 23 and belongs to the youth stage. I have enough independence and I am trying to develop my own style and taste system for my own independent opinion. I think there is a process to establish a system of dressing style. As we grow older, our style system will constantly change. Just as I found out I cannot accept my style of dressing in my two years ago photos. I now wear clothes that highlight my personality and taste, and I will try many new styles because this age means endless possibilities for me.

 

Gender

I am a male and I have a clear self-perception of gender, but I also accept the influence of femininity as I try to explore the clothing style system. Currently I am trying to break the inherent genre of a single gender, and I am interested in a neutral style. This kind of interest will have an impact on my future style. I think that gender is not a condition of restricting style, so sometimes I even wear a mix of men’s and women’s wear. This mix does not highlight any one gender genre, but instead creates a sense of balance I think. And then, I feel this neutral style is more unique than any single gender clothes.

 

Place

My hometown is Beijing, China, so I am more influenced by the Chinese culture. At the same time, Beijing is a typical temperate continental monsoon climate, and the four seasons are very clear. Every year I wear clothes for the corresponding seasons, but when I travel to other places like Thailand, I choose garments that are suitable for the Thai climate. For example, Beijing is winter in November but Thailand in summer. Therefore, during the same time period, people in Beijing should wear winter clothing, but in Thailand it is necessary to wear summer clothes. The climates of New York and Beijing are very similar. They are all four seasons, and I usually dress according to the climate here. However, since New York is a more open city, I am more style-matched here than in Beijing.

 

Religion

I do not believe in any religion, but I think the influence of religion on dress is very obvious. For example, Muslim women usually need to cover most of their body. Both Buddhism and Taoism in China advocate wearing plain simple clothes. Although I have no religious beliefs, when I go to some religious sites, I will still dress according to the dress style they demand. In everyday life, I wear clothes according to my preference, and also pay attention to the dressing style of other friends with religious beliefs. I even put interesting religious elements into my own style.

 

Aesthetics

I studied fashion design, in addition to the need for high aesthetic, I also have a set of my own unique aesthetic system, which has a great influence on the dress style. When I choose my clothes for every day, I make my own choice according to my aesthetic standards, and my aesthetic standards may not be the same in others eyes. For example, I would choose some clothes which have very unusual structure to highlight my fashion taste, but in others mind it may be a weird style. My aesthetic is still changing all the time, but I think it is always moving in a better direction. It constantly helps me to distance myself from others’ dressing style and makes me look unique.

 

Job

I am a student, can only do scattered part-time job, and my income is not that much. So I do not have too much demand for the quality of clothes, most of my clothes are not expensive, the quality is very general. The price of these clothes are all in line with my consumption level, but I always buy new clothes to expand my style. Because my job determines income, and income also limits my consumption level. So normally when I buy clothes, I will not over-pursuit of the quality of the clothes and the luxury of fabric, I care more about the style and design sense, some cheap clothes can still be matched with a very beautiful style.