By S. Elie
For generations, the media has shaped our fashion sense through music, videos, advertising and television shows. From pictures of Prince with "jerry curls" to Kartel’s song, Straight Jeans.
For generations, the media has shaped our fashion sense through music, videos, advertising and television shows. From pictures of Prince with "jerry curls" to Kartel’s song, Straight Jeans.
I recently went out with a guy, and like a typical female, I took quite sometime choosing what to wear, making sure that everything was right; hair, make up, shoes and jeans. That night I saw at least 20 girls in my jeans and this was just outside of the club. Then inside, though the club was packed and the DJ on par, I couldn’t help but wonder between my date and I, whose jeans were tighter. This bothered me, mainly because I took such a long time looking for those jeans, settling for nothing less. I wanted the jeans that I saw Beyonce, Tyra and Faye Ann wearing, and I guess he wanted the jeans that he saw Chris Brown, Kartel and T.C. wearing.
After the date I couldn’t help but wonder why I had to have those jeans, then it dawned on me, the media. Through music played on the radio, music videos, ads and pictures in print and the electronic media, I learnt that I needed to dress a particular way. I had to get those jeans. I bought into everything I saw and heard, buying “their” concept of fashion hook, line and sinker. I am sure that you can finish these songs - Straight jeans and fitted..., or, Ah way yuh get dat new Clarks dey daddy…, maybe this one, wey them blackers at wey them blackers at …, or a song that was my anthem for a while, Auda Marva Kay Watch, dimples in your neck tie, Hermez briefcase, Cartier top clips, silk line blazers, diamond cream facials, vvs cuff links, six star pimp suites...
Kartel brought back skinny jeans and Clarks for men, Rihanna ushered back black and after Beyonce wore a shirt as a dress in her Upgrade You video, men’s shirts became fashionable to women.
Kartel brought back skinny jeans and Clarks for men, Rihanna ushered back black and after Beyonce wore a shirt as a dress in her Upgrade You video, men’s shirts became fashionable to women.
We are surrounded by media influence everyday, whether it be radio, television, pictures and ads in newspapers, magazines and on billboards, videos on television and the internet, even our local presenters dress in the new trends. We are bombarded with this concept of fashion by the media.
I like this guy, but I can't help but think that if we took our jeans off we might have difficulty deciding whose is whose.
I like this guy, but I can't help but think that if we took our jeans off we might have difficulty deciding whose is whose.
Plain talk; bad manners
What do you think, has the media shaped our fashion sense?
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14 comments:
That is so true, most young people today see and hear many things via the media and they just run with it. We need to get back to the way it used to be when our clothing (men and women) was recognizable from a distance. The media has really warped us. Nice article guys.
Thanks very much for your comment. Our mission is to try to highlight to the public the measure of influence the media has on us and like you said some people are really warped from the information they got from the media. Please feel free to visit our blog weekly for new topics.
I agree the media has seriously influenced our lives more in a negative way. But I think if we keep it real there's no reason why we cannot dress in some of the styles just not over due it like the snow jackets and stuff meh boy talk about in the video.
We agree Stacy some of styles can be ok for our climate but people really do take it overboard. Thanks for your comment.
I think the media has a lot to do with the way people dress today, especially the youths, being a mother of three {3}kids {2} teenagers and a twelve year old i see how they change their style of dressing to suit what the see on the TV and the net. this article couldn't have been better . good job.
I believe that it is more of a "follow fashion" or peer pressure issue, in that before Advertisements starting to shape our taste, we were going to parties and going with a styles intoduced by the popular influencial dudes, in fact those fashions lasted a much longer time than do today, times have changed so the dependance on the Media has impacted heavily on choice and taste, so it has to do the the Information/Technology age taking over the mediuim by which the message is carried more than the question of the influence. That is how I see it, let's face it try taking away the influence of the Media for a monthe and the latest fasions will still find their way unto our bodies using the old fashion way.The views of Anthony R. Hector.
Thank you Anonymous and Anthony R. Hector for your comments. Teenagers in particular are pressured at school into dressing a certain way so they can fit in and the media doesn't make things any easier.Yes the fashion of today really do keep changing because someone is always coming out with something they perceive to be hip and happening and we just follow. Sad but true.
That's what's up! The media, entertainment television in particular has a strong influence on what is classed as Hot wear or not. A lot of people with no identity of themselves follow these trends with no questioning.
I agree with the blogger, being a media personality myself, media is a powerful tool and can make or break you in society today.
as to the fashion and styles in accordance to the media influence? Good God almighty yes we have been bamboozled and brainwashed....
but excellent article, good job.
Yes the Media has and always will influence what we wear whether it is young or old since even in the Celebrity forums there are the best dressed and the worst dressed which hail or ridicule body types and clothing worn.
So why do we expect anything different in the Caribbean where most everything is copied from or thought as anything local is trash and anything foreign is good.For example, The media has pushed down our throats for years that who are our foreign role models and what they were are copied so that we feel that we have become them. Everyone wears jeans today since it has been a fashion statement for years that have outgrown our parents and now even us.
The media to a large extent do influence what young people Choose to wear however i think it all boils down to choice & what the individual feels, the media can only go thus far....however the media is doing a pretty good job (advertising,reality programmes,music videos etc)and can be viewed as the primary enforcer.A great number of this generation is dependent on the media and is thus easily influenced.Good job on the blog.
Interesting, it's always thought about. This happens when people don't know who they are, they feel that is the only way they gonna be accepted and recognised. The media is doing what they have to do, they are not fully responsible..it is the people who should use wisdom and know that winter boots is for winter and and that clothing must suit your figure type...small clothes was not made for big bodies...i often wonder if the people wearing these clothes are half crazy without mirrors or getting advice from some foreign country speaking an unknown language to them.
Thank You Anonymous and Sean king for your input.Sean King you made am extremely valid point.Anonymous do you really believe it boils down to "personal choice and the way the indiviual feels?" choices are possible where there is variety...But excellent point nonetheless.
I get the feeling you feel that the media is responsible for your date's dress code and you don't approve of what he wore. You examined the fact that your wardrobe choice was as much a product of the influence of the media but you failed to examine the idea that women's jeans should be tighter than men's. Where do you think that came from?
10 years ago boys were competing to see who wore the widest legged pants to school coz baggy clothes were in but to me they all looked like they were wearing my mother's palazzo pants.
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