The Economics Behind Fashion

           People have the ability to physically express themselves by getting tattoos and piercings, changing hair color, and through the clothing they wear. With hundreds of retails and hundreds of styles, they can customize their look to display who they are, while others use it as a way to hide themselves, even if they’re not aware of it. The signal a person sends to others has an effect on their everyday lives. The way a person presents themselves affects the people that they associate with, the jobs they receive, and ultimately the quality of life that they live. It’s an idea that I have played with throughout high school and college and found to hold true as I grew as a person and as I watched my friends grow as a well.

The concept of signaling is nothing new to the world and our society, and is a concept that is more powerful than some may think. When going for a job interview, many people know to “dress to impress.” It’s important to dress for the job that you want. Doing this unsuccessfully can be the difference of being hired or not getting a job at all. How a person dresses says a lot about them. A company is more likely to hire someone in a suit and tie then someone who is in jeans and a t-shirt, even if one is slightly more qualified than the other. This is simply because a properly dressed person signals to the employer that they are more put together and maybe that they care about the job opportunity just a little bit more. Likewise, if a person is applying for a job that is usually more casual, such as a retail store clerk, then it may be best for someone to dress in a style similar to what the store offers. In this case, stores have an image and reputation to uphold, and dressing in a business casual way the meets the stores style shows that that person fits into their image.

Though many people are aware of the concept of signaling, many don’t see how it can affect them in the long run. If the difference of whether you getting a job offer that is highly desirable or if it is given to someone else comes down to the physical signals you put out during the interview process, then you are only left with a job choices that are lower than your standards. This can be in the sense of the work environment, pay, benefits, potential for advancement, personal job satisfaction, and the overall work experience. This then, in effect, negatively impacts your overall well-being. Not dressing accordingly would be considered instrumentally irrational.

Fashion takes a toll on ones social life as well. By wearing specific designers or brands, it shows others around you your personality. For example, if I were to walk around wearing Coach products, this usually signals that I not only adhere to the look that Coach provides, but that I may take a higher interest in fashion, that I may have a more feminine personality, that I may be generally more conscious of how others view, and of course my economic status. On the other hand, if I were to wear a lot of Nike products, this may signal that I’m athletic, more health conscious, probably of at least middle class income (since anyone in lower middle or working class would choose a more generic brand due to prices) and I take pride in my athletic abilities. Each persons fashion choices are then signaled to those around them and impact who you associate with and who associates with you, whether one is conscious of it or not. Through these signal you meet people who have similar views on what is considered socially acceptable on multiple different levels. This may include how one acts in public and private, political views, acceptable levels of education, or what’s an acceptable job to have.  Fashion has a great hand in our social and economic lives than many people believe. Through fashion and signally, we dictate the types of lives we lead and who we associate with.