People are all different with various viewpoints on life, distinct preferences, individual styles, and unrelated interests. These characteristics of individuals make for an exciting combination of possibilities when it comes to clothing choices. It is quite a paradox to think about, but these differences make us all unique. Clothing could be seen as an expression of our individuality, and your lifestyle would have a massive effect on the choices you make daily. Keep reading to know how your lifestyle affects your clothing choices.
Expresses Emotion
Whether we are happy, sad, excited, down, or energized, our clothing choices reflect these aspects of a person.
Some days people would prefer baggy clothes to relax in, other days they may need to wear a powerful outfit for a business meeting. For more laid-back lifestyles, the clothing choices may be less formal than for someone who would have to work in a corporate office day in and day out.
Moreover, feeling cheeky and playful would be a good look for a barbecue with friends. People can express their fun-loving spirit with printed t-shirts in Sydney. Customizing them could make for the perfect way to express their uniqueness.
Affirms One’s Religion
Religion could impact clothing choices because some religions prefer a specific style or way of dressing. These clothing items create unity among the same faith or beliefs members.
Orthodox religions would require their members to wear distinctive attire related to their religious beliefs. Jewish men would need to wear their fez, Indian women wear saris, and in Asian culture, a kimono is still one must-have staple. All other styles and clothing choices would have to consider the religious specifications and thus determine the garments these individuals would have in their closets.
Indicates Profession
Uniforms have been around for centuries, and some professions would require someone to wear them for work when on duty.
Police officers, medical personnel, military soldiers, and many other professions would have similar dressing styles to indicate their affiliation. Schools would also require students to wear uniforms to form a coherence amongst the learners. The unity created when wearing uniformed outfits could also instil a sense of pride in the group and belonging to something greater than themselves.
Entails Gender Identification
A forward-thinking society widely accepts many preferences, and individuals are not criticized for their clothing choices. Dressing more masculine or feminine regardless of your assigned gender at birth has become a norm in some areas. People even raise their children as non-binary, which means they choose to be neither male nor female but rather an expression of both.
In the LGBTQ+ community, it’s common to see bright rainbow colours everywhere as part of their dress. The rainbows allow people to notice that they chose a different lifestyle than most would expect. These colours are worn with pride, and everyone in the same community would be equally eager to show it off. Society has come a long way to accept this way of thinking, with more and more people standing up for their right to express themselves in this manner.
Shows Social Status
Since the early centuries, clothing has distinguished social classes in various civilizations. For example, royalty wore purple because it was a costly colour to produce during those days. Other differences would have been gold or silver jewellery that adorned the nobles, where the layperson would wear more muted colours and less shiny accessories.
Society today still creates a similar distinction. Some people would afford more expensive clothing lines and jewellery, while others may put their money towards living costs instead of what they wear.
Depends On Function
Going to the gym, hunting, racing a car on the tracks, and other hobbies may need specialized clothing to make things easier.
Clothing would have to be practical and fit the function we want them to perform. Women would prefer to wear more loose-fitting clothes to be comfortable during pregnancy. When working with power tools, one would have to wear protective clothing that is more durable to prevent accidents from happening. It is clear to see how fashion would follow function. Clothing is not always just for creating a statement; it could be protective or functional.
Wrapping It Up
Lifestyle has an enormous impact on the choices people make for their wardrobes. Clothing serves many purposes that line up with many aspects of a person’s daily life. From indicating beliefs, showing preferences, and expressions to social status could be deduced from looking at a person’s clothing.
Whether in a group or part of a culture, clothing draws noticeable lines and speaks volumes about the person without knowing them. Clothing could be seen as an extension of non-verbal communication that conveys our life stories to all those who bear witness.