Chapter 1 The Why of Clothes
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Age infl uences people’s clothing selections,
too. As people go through life, their values and
attitudes change. Students in their middle school
years may consider conformity to be important.
High school and college students may have to
be budget conscious, but they still want the
current fashions. Business attire, as shown in
1-14, might be selected by someone who plans
a professional career. Prestige and status may
be desired during middle age. Comfort becomes
more important as people age.
Conformity versus Individuality
Pressure from other people has a great
infl uence on how people dress. Conformity
means obeying, or agreeing with, some given
standard or authority. Humans learn early in
life what others expect them to wear. Parents,
teachers, and other authority fi gures set some
of the rules of dress. Peer pressure, which
is infl uence exerted to be accepted by a peer
group, also contributes to conformity. To be
accepted by a peer group, people must often
conform to group standards of dress and
behavior. Those who do not conform, risk
rejection by the group.
As discussed earlier, conformity can satisfy
the needs for identifi cation. By doing this, a
safe feeling of belonging is achieved through
approval. However, too much conformity can
mean a loss of personal individuality.
Individuality is self-expression. It is the
quality that distinguishes one person from
another. It is the characteristic of being unique.
When people choose styles and colors of
clothes that are totally different from those of
their friends, they are communicating their
JCPenney
1-13
This young woman has chosen clothing to suit her
values and attitudes.
1-14
The values and attitudes of this man are determined
in part by his age and occupation. An attractive suit is valued
as an asset to help his career advance.