And you know what? I think this all stems from the need to be the cool kid.
Seriously. Let's take a peek into the psychology of trends and fashion.
As early as elementary school, we're all exposed to trends, some of them more innocent as toys - pokemon cards, yoyos, and recent generation's silly bandz - and some even pertaining to fashion. I recall in 5th grade, popcorn shirts were all the rage, as well as those patchwork looking jeans that look like several different washes of denims were run over with a lawn mower and sewn back together with the frayed edges showing, anyone remember those? Something about these toys or pieces of clothing caught our attention and made us want them. Why did we want them? Because so-and-so had them, and you thought they looked cool, so that meant so-and-so was cool, so obviously if you had them, you would be cool!!
Even earlier than elementary school - did you ever notice the way toddlers are sometimes completely uninterested in a toy, that is, until someone else starts playing with it? Then they pitch a fit until THEY can have this newly deemed awesome toy.
Would it be so arbitrary to suggest that even now as young adults and adults, we're still acting like babies?
Fashion can have a captivating effect on people. New clothing can boost self-esteem, change your identity, and give you confidence enabling one to feel special and unique - sounds like our 'special snowflake' syndrome, right? Any piece of clothing can boost a person's self-esteem simply by having a designer label on it. How does this happen? By connecting themselves to popular, expensive, and high end names, a person wearing designer labels is creating a status symbol of who they are and who they want to be. If a person can afford designer, others will recognize this, and thus a feeling of importance is created, boosting ones socioeconomic status solely on the clothes one is wearing. This allows one to find comfort in situations where we might feel socially anxious. Take going to a party, for example. You know you won't know everyone there - in fact, maybe you won't even know anybody! So you slip on a designer label dress (lolitas, read 'brand') and pick up a tote with a designer logo emblazoned all over it, and head out in confidence, because even though other people who have never met you before will have no idea of your personality, because they will recognize the designer labels, they will associate the labels with this person has money, and maybe even connections in high places, they have designer, they must be in-the-know with fashion, they must be... cool! At least, this is how we think our brand-conscious peers think, and we're probably right, only not everyone cares so much about designer labels.
Fashion is a vicious cycle for those who follow trends. Everyone wants to buy the very newest style to set themselves apart as an indivudual, to be 'cool' - these are our trendsetters - but predictably, the styles turn into trends with everyone and their mothers wearing the same thing, wanting to be like the cool kid. But then, fashion designers come to our rescue, releasing new styles once the trend becomes too dull, and thus the cycle begins again. For those who want to feel like the fashion elite, this can cost a pretty penny.
Getting back to our cool kid statement, people who feel designer labels are most prestigious, who monitor fashion trends like a hawk, and even lash out against those who are "doing it wrong" and breaking the "rules" of how to wear something or what to wear, I believe, are simply trying to ensure that they are the cool kid. By creating a fashion standard for themselves and ordering others to follow, they are trying to force themselves as a trendsetter and fashion leader. Maybe they have lost confidence somewhere in life and are trying to restore it via fashion as an outlet, maybe they enjoy the glamour of being trendy and followed - I can't answer for our cool kids, but being lighthearted about most matters I would suggest everyone to just relax and lighten up, yet I know not everyone can take matters so lightly. Designer labels will always be captivating icons to some, while others can feel just as comfortable with themselves in lower end brands.
In reality, there is no unseen panel of judges monitoring you for faux-pas, giving points to those who are trendy, and condemning others or breaking fashion commandments.
Coco Chanel is not grinning at you from the afterlife for sporting her label's shades.
Maki and Asuka are not going to show up at your door and give you a pat on the back for only wearing Angelic Pretty.
Your favorite celebrity icon is not going to give you a trophy for mimicking their style.
There is no fashion rulebook.
So, relax, take a deep breath, it's only fashion.
♥ Jesi Carroll
So true. I love this post!
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