The Language of Fashion

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how fashion is much more than a hot new dress or a dazzling new shirt; it's a language. It's a language that human beings have been speaking for thousands of years, ever since that first human draped an animal skin over his body. This paper covers a short history of clothing as it relates to social status and religion, what a person tries to communicate through dress and the social psychology of clothing.

From the Paper:

"Clothing not only identifies people and their social class, but also identifies a person's religious view. Buddhist monks wear a one shoulder robe that shows how close they are to nature and how far away they remain from technology and society. As said before, Muslim women cover their arms, legs, and hair to make their selves appear less attractive to men once they have been married. Mormon women wear no make-up and long dresses to also signify their faith and make them less attractive to on-looking men (Barnes, pp. 116). Of course, there are conservative and liberal groups in all religions. Consequently, not everyone is going to wear what is traditional for people of a certain faith."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barnes, Ruth. Eicher, Joanne B. Dress and Gender. Minnesota, Berg Publishers, 1993. pp. 204.
• Barthes, Roland. The Language of Fashion. Sydney, Power Publications, 2006. pp. 183.
• Hollander, Anne. Sex and Suits: The Evolution of Modern Dress. New York, Kodansha Globe, 1995. pp. 212.
• Lurie, Alison. The Language of Clothes. New York, Henry Holt and Company, 2000. pp. 273.
• Maysonave, Sherry. Casual Power. New York, Bright Books Incorporated, 2005. pp. 229.

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