FIELDWORK SITE: CAMPUS (IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY)
I picked the campus environment as it harbors a lot of youth who are sensitive to fashion and are keen on what they wear. Fall is also a season considered peak for fashion trends.
1) What people wear and how they wear it.
Most males were dressed casually while females exhibited more trendiness and diversity. Denim with t-shirts, jackets, polo shirts, cable-knit and hoodie sweaters were common among males. T-shirts ranged from plain to graphic tees. Some males wore sweatshirts with university name.
Military style was also observed in both male and females. This includes wearing military inspired clothes mainly hunter green to gold colors.
Accessories included simple silver watches, oversized watches, chains, hats, scarves, trendy belts and sunglasses for both males and females.
Layering was dominant among both males and females.
Males with a taste for fashion were observed to have a signature look, with streamlined silhouettes as opposed to baggy dressing.
Females dressed more colorfully than males. They adopted more accessories and make-up as compared to males. Some adopted menswear-inspired looks. Such wore blazers, tweed, sweater vests and cropped trousers. These were worn with loafers.
Hippie dressing saw girls wear halter tops, patched skirts, colorful tees, micro- minis with chains, tie and dye garments, leather sandals among others.
Generally, the bottoms worn by girls included: skinny jeans, leggings, Bermuda shorts, slouchy boyfriend jeans, denim shorts, corduroy skirts and short summer dresses. Tops included: floral tanks which were bustier-inspired, military jackets, pullovers and cable-knits. Some wore mini-skirts with boyish loafers to appear masculine.
Since most university students are keen on their looks, none was spotted with old or torn clothes. Most of them appeared presentable. Most dressings portrayed a degree of decency except a few, who sagged trousers or who were overly exposed.
2) How much of what people wear serves as function and how much is purely for style
Most of what was observed was dressing purely for style. In a university setting, there are no much restrictions as in the work place, church or events. Most students also compete with others on the way they dress. It is more of a fashion show, especially with the females. However, layering was observed to serve a function of counteracting cold weather.
3) What types of shoes are people wearing
Shoes observed included: ballet flats, sneakers, high-heels, wedges, flip flops, boat shoes, riding boots, sperry top spiders, jack Rodgers, hunter wellington and loafers.
4) What cultural meanings and signals do brands observed convey
My study subjects were youthful students, so most of them were dressed for style. Their brands signified the impact of current modernization. This is grounded in their tastes of music, celebrity styles and their idols. Most youth try to ape what the modern society has socialized them. I could observe top-celebrities’ looks among the students.
5) What do you detect about individuals based on their clothing/shoe choices
What a person wears tells a lot about their personality. This depends on the colors and styles they choose to wear.
The level of exposure is also brought out. If someone is informed and exposed fashion-wise, it will come out in the way they dress.
A person’s economic status shows in the type of clothes they wear. Cheap clothes can be differentiated from expensive ones.
An individual’s religiosity also comes out. If one wears religious apparels for example, Muslims, their religion comes out clearly.
6) Interesting trends observed
The most interesting trends were those that portrayed an aspect of ‘gender-switching’. This is where boys try to integrate a degree of ‘femininity’ and girls adopt some level of ‘masculinity’ in their dressings.
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