Why is social class often reflected in clothing?

The difference between the rich and the poor is not that you wear Dior or Chanel, and I wear 361, or that you wear Givenchy and I wear Dabao every day, but that when you wear 361, I still wear 361 , at most change to Li Ning.

The biggest difference between the poor and the rich lies in their choice of clothing. The increase in choices brought about by the increase in money allows the rich to have more choices in wearing clothes, whether they can wear luxury goods or ordinary clothes. However, poor people are limited by money and can only narrow their choices and try to dress as decently as possible under limited economic conditions. Of course, limited economic conditions also make it impossible to have a wide range of choices.

There is another big difference, that is, thickness. The better the living conditions are, the thinner the clothes are. The worse the living conditions are, the thicker the clothes are. The living conditions of the rich and the poor are different. The rich come and go. There are incense carts, and they are located in places where wind and sun are out of reach, so there are no big requirements for the thickness of clothes. In the real cold outdoor places, rich people often have better warm clothes. Wear a mink, especially female celebrities. No matter whether it is a red carpet or a street photo shoot, there is no one who wears very thick clothes. Wearing thick clothes for the purpose of acting in a drama does not count, so don't make any excuses.

With the progress of society, dressing has become more casual. In ancient society, there were different classes and levels, and the clothes worn had different styles, but now you can wear whatever you want. From this point of view Look, maybe the uncle sitting next to you on the bus is an invisible rich man

No.

As the saying goes, a man depends on his clothes and a horse relies on his saddle. As long as a person dresses up a little, he will undergo earth-shaking changes.

Just because a person is well-dressed does not mean that he is in a high social class. He may not have a car or a house but loves to look pretty. Just because a person dresses plainly does not mean that he is a lower class person. Maybe he is a celebrity but lives a simple life.

Let’s talk about the examples of my two bosses.

Let’s talk about the little boss first. He is in charge of us directly and is a big boss in a certain field. But what he wears is really simple and convenient. In winter, he wears a very simple jacket and short jacket. The colors are very colorful and there are basically no patterns. It looks gray and autumnal. Even when I go out to discuss business with people, I still wear this outfit. Judging from his current social class, he definitely has the conditions to dress better and more decently, but he just doesn't care, so he can be simple and comfortable no matter what.

Let’s talk about our big boss, the head of the company. Our company is considered very good in the industry. The boss is often invited to participate in events, but even when attending events, the boss only wears a Uniqlo suit and a pair of jeans, which is very simple. Although he is often teased by people in the company for wearing ordinary clothes, the big boss still goes his own way.

Let’s give some examples of people that everyone knows.

First is Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Is his social status high enough? But people dress like this↓

Like this↓

Or like this↓

Yes, they only wear gray T-shirts + jeans + sneakers all year round . According to Zuckerberg, he wears this to save time on clothes.

Let’s talk about Apple’s Steve Jobs. His daily standard outfit is a black pullover + jeans + sneakers, which has remained the same for many years.

A person's clothing is actually the most difficult to reflect a person's social status, because clothes can be bought with money, but temperament cannot.

That’s all for today!

There was news a few days ago that US President Trump met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The two actually "collided ties" and both chose British twill ties with stripes diagonally to the upper right. The navy ties are exactly the same both in color and in the thickness of the stripes. This news actually conveyed a message, that is, the clothing of each class also has certain principles and norms. The constraints of these norms caused the two of them to collide with ties. Fortunately, there were no matching shirts, only matching ties, otherwise it would have been so embarrassing.

If you want to know more about the class codes hidden in these clothes, let’s ask the famous American cultural critic Paul Fussell to tell us how to judge the social class to which they belong based on their clothes. Again, I would like to remind you that the book "Style" is about the United States. Please do not follow suit, otherwise innocent people will be harmed.

We all know that judging people by their appearance is a derogatory term. The original meaning is to judge people based on external standards such as their appearance, words, and deeds.

However, in the book "Style", "judging people by their appearance" is given a new responsibility and becomes a basis for judging the level of Americans' social class. Let us refer to the content in the book to see how keenly observant people can judge a person's social status at a glance.

First of all, look at the matching of clothes. The more layers of clothes a person has, the higher his social status. The color of clothes is also very particular. Navy blue is the color of the middle and upper class. Except for navy blue, the softer and darker the color, the more classy it is. Purple belongs to the poor. The texture of clothing is equally important. The higher the biological content, the higher the quality. In other words, wool, silk, cotton, linen, etc. are the fabrics commonly used in luxury clothing. They are light, soft, and comfortable. Synthetic fiber fabrics are usually used more by poor people because they are cheap and the same.

"Legibility" clothing is also a sign of poor class. What is the "legibility" of clothing? It means that there are various text or image information printed on the clothes, which is simple and easy to be recognized by people. For example, a slogan or a beer trademark. So why do the proletariat like to wear clothing with high "legibility"? The poor are well aware of their low status and feel depressed. This psychological gap is appropriately amplified and exploited by the advertising media. Therefore, the trademarks on clothes are promoted to have totem-like magic that can bring honor to the wearer. This advertising effect Prompting the poor to consume in exchange for "status" and "respect."

However, the author Fussell believes that readable markings on clothes will actually degrade a person's status. The higher the social class, the lower the "readability" of clothes, and the text will gradually disappear and be Some trademark emblems were replaced, and all disappeared at the top. Executives don't care about anyone and don't need to dress to show their status. The principle of "legibility" also applies to ties, so stripes or dots are usually chosen for the upper levels; lower-level tie patterns begin to express obvious and precise textual meanings; the further down the hierarchy, the more text there is on the tie. .

Clothes are actually very material, and fashion and fashion are inseparable from material consumption. Although the fashion industry relies on designers and fashion design to focus on art every day, it can never get rid of the commercial part. People with high social class have financial resources and have more occasions where they need designer and expensive clothes. Therefore, I think "knowing people by their clothes" is not a bad habit in the fashion industry, but rather a reflection of professionalism.

So what details of “dressing” can usually tell the social class? In the article I answered a few days ago, "How to Distinguish Leaders from Ordinary Employees by Dressing in a Company," I introduced some observation methods in the workplace, but the subject of the question should refer to society and ecology in general, and is not limited to the workplace. Because there are many hidden celebrities, there is no workplace in their world. Wearing the best clothes is their lifestyle since they were born, and it is not to make you think who they are.

For example, these few are actually not very good-looking. Looking at their clothes, it seems that these clothes are nothing special in terms of style or matching. They can also be bought in China, and you can also buy them in China. You can wear them like this, but they are different. They are the two golden boys and girls of the British royal family, the two most famous princes and royal highnesses in the world. But Princess Kate’s plaid coat is of very good quality at first glance. Plaid is the most easily exposed material for inferior clothing, and the princess’s plaid is very neat. The plaid pattern on the hem and placket, including the buttons, is at the intersection of the plaid pattern. The location is very correct. For others, if you observe the length of their coats, the color of their coats, the style and tightness of their bodies, you can see that the aesthetics and lifestyle of this class are better than those of the general class. And the most important thing is aesthetics. Many people have money but wear ugly clothes. This is because they do not have enough aesthetic ability acquired from education, and aesthetic ability determines what clothes you wear and what clothes you buy.

The two black children sleeping back to back in the picture above, if they were not wearing clothes like this and were not photographed in this family environment, you would easily think of African refugees, and they are the two adopted by Madonna African orphans. They wore printed clothing with a very ethnic home feel and warm UGG boots, and fell asleep on the large sofa. The relationship between social class, lifestyle and dressing style is self-evident.

This is another Cate Blanchett that I like very much. As one of the best actresses in the world, the clothes she wears are very ordinary. I guess your office colleagues ABC I wear it like this, but the brand I wear is Giorgio Armani. In fact, it is difficult for most people to accept Giorgio Armani's clothes, because when you go to the store, you will find that the clothes look very ordinary, the colors are very serious, and the styles are not fancy, but they are very expensive.

But why can’t your office colleague ABC wear this kind of nobility? Temperament is the first, aesthetic experience refines temperament, and temperament can be expressed through clothing. And seemingly ordinary and simple clothing, the most elegant lines need to be designed and produced. Cate Blanchett's confidence and calmness in life are all reflected in her clothes. Expressed, but usually after buying expensive clothes, many people are kidnapped by the clothes and lose themselves, and that is not a class that is truly worthy of respect and envy.

There is an old Chinese saying, "Wealth does not return to its hometown, like brocade clothes walking at night." From this sentence, we can see the connection between clothing and class. Starting from the Zhou Dynasty, clothing regulations were very strict and were one of the foundations of government. At that time, clothing began to be linked to a person's class. It imposed strict requirements on the clothing of emperors, princes, scholar-bureaucrats, and civilians. This is the inevitable result of the discovery of human civilization.

Starting from the Han Dynasty, Confucianism became the national study and became the only school of thought for emperors to rule China. Confucius was the one who admired the Zhou rites the most, so the Zhou rites’ concept of clothing hierarchy slowly began to influence China. The Confucian classic "Zhou Li" provides a detailed introduction to Zhou Li.

Nowadays, we often watch ancient TV dramas. The costumes of emperors, weddings, sacrifices, etc. are all different. They are complicated and solemn. They are all derived from Zhou rites. During the period of Wu Zetian, official uniforms were decorated with pairs of birds or beasts. The Ming Dynasty was the master of Chinese clothing. Adhering to the principle of "inheriting the Zhou and Han Dynasties and inheriting from the Tang and Song Dynasties", Zhu Yuanzhang formulated a complete set of clothing systems. The Ming Dynasty document "Extensions of the University" states: "The custom-made products of our dynasty have their own styles. Gong, Hou, Prince Consort, Bo Xiu Qilin Baize, not only the civil and military officials from the first to the ninth grade, all have their own uniforms. The civil officials use flying birds to resemble their literary talents, and the military officers use their flying animals to resemble their fierce birds of prey." The clothing system has a clear hierarchy. There are strict regulations on what ministers should wear, what businessmen should wear, what court clothes should be worn, what casual clothes should be worn, etc. Once violated, it would be equivalent to a serious crime of "transgression" and would be severely punished.

In the Ming Dynasty, merchants were of low status, and there were also requirements for merchants' clothing. Merchants could not wear silk or gauze clothes, but could only use silk and cloth.

What modern people call cuckold also comes from Zhu Yuanzhang’s clothing system. The Ming Dynasty stipulated that men who opened brothels could only wear cuckold hats, while prostitutes could only wear black hats and black jackets, and were not allowed to go out. Gorgeous clothing. It was also stipulated that court musicians and prostitutes were not allowed to wear hats or jackets.

Therefore, clothing has been linked to class since ancient times.

The social hierarchy in ancient times was obvious. In terms of fabrics, styles and colors, the clothing of people from all walks of life was strictly required. In some dynasties, the social status of businessmen was even higher than that of prostitutes. It is still low, although some people are rich and powerful, but they can only wear coarse clothes and linen. Basically, everyone can roughly judge someone else's social status and industry attributes from their clothing and accessories.

Today’s society advocates freedom and equality. There are no hard and fast rules for dressing. You can choose freely according to your own material foundation and aesthetic preferences; however, there are also some reasons due to social organizational requirements, social etiquette, and respect for others. , and there are some agreed-upon requirements and norms, industry practitioners need to dress in line with the characteristics of the industry, and the specific dress of free dress is also affected by the individual's material foundation. Although it is not particularly clear, the nature of work, income level and aesthetic characteristics of the personnel can also be observed from the details of clothing.

Maslow’s need theory is accepted by many people because it directly points out social reality and individual needs.

It is undeniable that aesthetics and consumption must be based on material foundations. Only by stepping out of basic survival needs and safety needs can we have the mind and ability to consider other needs, such as gorgeous fashions, shoes and bags, jewelry, high-end cars...

When a person is wandering around the first two levels of needs, clothes are just items used to cover up shame and keep warm; when entering the third level and higher needs, everyone will use them to meet various needs. And take different measures. Everyone has a love for beauty, and a peacock will spread its tail in courtship. As an important element of a personal business card, clothing will inevitably contribute to the realization of various needs. For example, clothing that is easy to give others a good first impression, attract others, meet organizational requirements, reflect one's social status, express personality, and stand out from the crowd...

A certain clothing brand is doing a marketing activity in The Science of LifeWear Zhongfa Why do we get dressed? With this kind of question, before thinking about the question "Why is social class often reflected in clothing?", everyone might as well ask themselves "Why do we get dressed?"

Although the fashion circle shouts Clothes are an extension of a person's self, but no matter when and where, there are always people who feel that clothes are only for keeping warm, not for showing off. If they have money, they will only buy popular brands or even unknown brands; there are always people who are willing to spend money on famous brand clothes. Shoes and bags, but they have never been able to buy a house and have been renting; there are always people who are willing to pay a lump sum to buy a house or a car, and would rather save money to invest and then save money, rather than buying more beautiful clothes... There are always people who have no income but are still living there. They are wearing brand-name shoes, clothes and bags; these are difficult to judge from the clothes alone.

Throwing aside the difference in aesthetics, this is a choice of personal values ??and their freedom of choice; you can despise other people's values, you can respect other people's values, and that is also your freedom.

Of course, there are always people who want to buy beautiful clothes but are unable to do so. Now that you realize it and since you want to own it, then work hard and fight for it; there are also people who have endless clothes without working. There are endless bags for shoes. Since you have such a rich material foundation, you might as well fill your heart and make yourself a person who is both internal and external. Please note that there are many people who are lingering on the edge of survival. Compared with them, you are lucky.

In the book "Style", the author said: "Sometimes, taste is the whole display of a person's past and present life. Who you are, what kind of taste you have, you can't escape it. "Take it off, I can't explain it."

Different social classes reflect different preferences. A person's clothing also reflects his living habits and aesthetic tendencies. Therefore, we can You can judge his social status and living environment by looking at his clothes.

And all of this tells people his true social class.

In general, what are the physical signs of the upper class?

Usually, they are thin and like to wear extremely fitting, simple and elegant clothes, and use expensive but low-key shoes and bags.

After becoming a princess-to-be, Meghan, who has been a hot topic recently, has also moved towards simple, classic and conservative dressing style.

In terms of color, they all prefer low-key colors, such as navy blue, and various soft and restrained dark colors.

For example, the royal family’s favorite royal blue.

Then there are the beige and milky white ones that rich aunts like most (they are difficult to wash if they are dirty).

In terms of material selection, the higher the biological content, the higher the grade. Therefore, wool, silk, cotton and various animal furs are their first choice.

They don’t like clothes with too obvious logos, because they have enough presence and don’t need the so-called blessing of famous brands.

Women like to wear very little jewelry, especially pearl jewelry; men wear no jewelry at all (except wedding rings), wear watches, and have moderate-length hair.

In a sense, we are constantly living in our clothes.

Clothing is an expression of our personality that has not been spoken but has been understood by others.

Aesthetics are not improved in one day, but accumulated day after day.

Social class and clothing

Personally, I think this is a false proposition!

A person’s social status really doesn’t depend on your outfit! Simply categorizing clothing into social class distinctions is inevitably biased!

As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. People in society, 369 and so on!

Some people have a high social status, such as some retired old leaders, old cadres, old experts, old professors, old scholars, and old teachers, but they wear very ordinary clothes. They prefer to wear loose and comfortable clothes because they know better about clothes. Effect on people; (In fact, the most basic functions of clothes are two: one is to cover shame, and the other is to keep warm!)

Some people are actually ordinary working-class people and even have the skills of a senior white-collar worker. Unexpectedly, men wear suits and leather shoes, and have oily hair and face; women are surrounded by luxury and jewels, because they or they value their external image too much. It seems that they have no idea what kind of body and soul is wrapped under that beautiful coat. Care a lot!

In fact, in my opinion, a person’s taste and status depend more on his thoughts, temperament, culture, and cultivation!

I remember that when I was in high school many years ago, I was praised by my roommates who lived in the same dormitory as the most temperamental person. In fact, I didn’t think so, and I didn’t feel that I had any temperament. I was poor. Just students! Afterwards, he told me that as soon as I heard the sound of your walking, I knew you were a very distinguished person! I lowered my head and looked at my feet. Is it because I was wearing a pair of 80% new pigskin leather shoes that made a sound when walking on the cement road? I smiled and said to him, your so-called temperament is too thin!

Although clothing can affect a person's temperament, what comes from the heart cannot be changed! Even if a great scholar or professor is dressed in rags tomorrow, the philosophy, sagacity, calmness and wisdom that shine in his eyes cannot be concealed by any clothes or clothes that are not on the stage or on the fashion charts! Clothes are useless, and so is dressing up! The argument that social class is simply defined by clothing is even more untenable!

You said that social class is reflected in clothing. This is not correct. What the rich pay attention to is a kind of temperament and aura, not the price of his clothes, but the taste of his clothes. And materials, etc. In society, there are many rich people who wear high-quality and low-priced clothes that suit their own temperament. On the other hand, price may be an important factor in the choice of clothes by the poor, but it is not the only one. Poor people will also choose discounted clothes. Wearing clothes that enhance his temperament will of course have a certain impact on his choice, but there are also people who will pay for clothes that suit him, so there is no important connection between social class and dressing.

No! You will be more beautiful than your bestie! There is a surprise at the end of the article!

In today's society, material things are everywhere. In this world where appearance is important, good dressing can often reflect a person's quality of life and attitude towards life.

People should never be divided into categories. Each type of work belongs to a different social class, and the clothes they wear are naturally very different. The uncles and aunts who work as sanitation workers wear the same style every day. In the eyes of some people, such work clothes are doomed to their identity and status in the social background, and they are at the bottom of the social class. Some people even look down upon them. When I was a child, I often heard the words: "It's not good." Go to school and sweep the streets when you grow up. "Their jobs are not menial, and it is unfair to judge a person's social class by their clothing.

Clothing can clearly reflect a person’s status in the social class, because when people communicate with others, the first thing they see is how they are dressed. Different people naturally dress differently. , but this is by no means the standard to measure a person’s true inner nature. After all, there is a word called a beast in clothes.

Good dressing can naturally improve one's status in the social class. The higher the status in the social class, the more attention will be paid to one's external dressing, and dressing is more related to one's own self. Taste and temperament, the so-called first impression is established by dressing. As a member of society, in order to be correctly understood about their social status, people usually choose to dress according to their industry. The same person wearing different clothes on different occasions can indeed achieve different effects.

So social class is reflected in clothing, which is only a superficial manifestation and does not completely represent a person. It does not matter what you wear, inner beauty is the real beauty.