Do good jeans mean good genes?
WC Editorial Board
Issue date: 3/3/10 Section: Opinion
What is the value of looking good?
A quick trip over to truereligionbrandjeans.com will answer such a question with a $200+ price tag per pair of jeans.
It shouldn't be a stretch to assume that such a steep price is ridiculous to a community of students who are straddled with ever-growing college loans, but it seems that there are enough people who think their appearance would be bolstered by pants that are closer to a month's rent than the Walmart accessories that the frugal individual wears.
After all, somebody must be buying these jeans, or the company wouldn't exist.
The endless array of clothing options, and prices to accompany them, show that how a person wants to dress has a different value to each individual, because the clothes that anybody wears will send a message.
Wearing the right apparel for the situation can certainly create a positive impression as to what others think. Well pressed slacks and an appropriate tie will benefit a man in a job interview. Conversely, wearing a wifebeater and shorts to a high-class wedding will probably have everybody wondering who the buffoon is.
In the professional world, appearances say plenty. Dress codes dominate most workplaces, particularly those that require a college education. Throughout history, the clothing that is worn is used to indicate status, wealth and conformity to acceptable social norms.
Beyond the workplace, how one dresses in everyday life is a statement to how they want to be perceived by those around them. Everybody wants to stand out, usually by dressing in ways that other people respond positively to.
The importance of attire is completely situational. An expensive pair of name brand jeans can be of utmost importance to one social circle, and at the same time be a statement of ignorance and narcissism to the next.
Wearing the right clothes seems to be heavily steeped in gender stratification as well. Many more girls put stock in their everyday appearance than males, which is interesting, as the average guy is usually far less concerned about what dress his girlfriend is wearing than she is. Simply put, girls dress to impress other girls.
A quick trip over to truereligionbrandjeans.com will answer such a question with a $200+ price tag per pair of jeans.
It shouldn't be a stretch to assume that such a steep price is ridiculous to a community of students who are straddled with ever-growing college loans, but it seems that there are enough people who think their appearance would be bolstered by pants that are closer to a month's rent than the Walmart accessories that the frugal individual wears.
After all, somebody must be buying these jeans, or the company wouldn't exist.
The endless array of clothing options, and prices to accompany them, show that how a person wants to dress has a different value to each individual, because the clothes that anybody wears will send a message.
Wearing the right apparel for the situation can certainly create a positive impression as to what others think. Well pressed slacks and an appropriate tie will benefit a man in a job interview. Conversely, wearing a wifebeater and shorts to a high-class wedding will probably have everybody wondering who the buffoon is.
In the professional world, appearances say plenty. Dress codes dominate most workplaces, particularly those that require a college education. Throughout history, the clothing that is worn is used to indicate status, wealth and conformity to acceptable social norms.
Beyond the workplace, how one dresses in everyday life is a statement to how they want to be perceived by those around them. Everybody wants to stand out, usually by dressing in ways that other people respond positively to.
The importance of attire is completely situational. An expensive pair of name brand jeans can be of utmost importance to one social circle, and at the same time be a statement of ignorance and narcissism to the next.
Wearing the right clothes seems to be heavily steeped in gender stratification as well. Many more girls put stock in their everyday appearance than males, which is interesting, as the average guy is usually far less concerned about what dress his girlfriend is wearing than she is. Simply put, girls dress to impress other girls.
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E-Guy
posted 3/05/10 @ 10:09 AM CST
In a world where
- 15 million children die of hunger every year
- 2.8 million children live on the streets of the wealthiest nation
- 27 million people live in slavery
- over a BILLION people lack access to proper drinking water
it disappoints me that the WC Editorial Board takes time to comment on the vanity of style without a single word regarding its global implications. (Continued…)
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