Unit 7 - Psychological Perspectives

Introduction

Unit 7 of the course will focus on several recent perspectives related to fashion theory. The first will be psychological perspectives including psycholanalytic theory and self-concept theory. Before continuing with this section, you should complete the readings and discussion questions for Units 1 through 6 of the course.

I could teach an entire course on the psychology of fashion. However, since we only have a few weeks, we will only touch on the numerous works in this area. The psychology of fashion is an area that has gained great attention in both the academic and popular press. What are the psychological motives why consumers adopt the fashions that they do? What messages do the fashions send to the adopter and to others? How are fashions related to self-concept? How does fashion create a sense of uniqueness and conformity at the same time? These questions and others form the basis for work on the psychology of fashion. We will explore a number of areas related to the psychology of fashion: fashion and psychoanalytic theory, fashion and the self-concept, and fashion symbolism.

Psychoanalytic theory and fashion symbolism

Psychoanalytic theory has it roots with Sigmund Freud's writings from 1900-1940. Freud's work focused on:

the organization of the personality (e.g., id, ego, and superego)
psychosexual stages of development (oral, anal, phallic and genital periods of development and their relationship to one's personality)
unconscious mental activity
psychoanalytic technique of psychotherapy

Psychoanalytic theory has been applied to the study of fashion in a number of ways:

Sexual Symbolism of Clothing

The meanings attributed to fashions can be sexual in nature. Indeed, clothing can be conceal and reveal the body at the same time and thus be erotic and moral simultaneously. Fashions can also have subtle or hidden meanings. In Alison Lurie's book "The Language of Clothes" (1981), she applies psychoanalytic theory in her description of what is communicated by one's handbag:

Sex is not all that is communicated by the handbag of course. Its contents, for instance, may represent the contents of the mind, or serve as a portable identity kit and a repair kit. At the same time, however, the bag conveys erotic information, if only in the eyes of the beholder. According to my male informants, a tightly snapped, zipped and buckled purse suggests a woman who guards her physical and emotional privacy closely, one whom it will be difficult to get to know in either the common or the Biblical sense. An open-topped tote bag suggests an open, trusting nature: someone who is emotionally and sexually more accessible. A handbag may also be small or large (I contain multitudes?), stiff or soft and brightly colored or dark. It may have many compartments, suggesting an organized mind or a woman who plays many roles in life; or it may consists of only one compartment in which everything is jumbled together. The handbag may also be extremely "feminine" -- soft, flowered and fragile-looking -- or it may resemble a man's brief case. The executive woman who carries both a handbag and a brief case appears to have two contradictory sexual identities; perhaps for this reason, wardrobe consultants strongly advise against this practice. (p. 243).

Lurie also discusses the phallic symbolism associated with walking sticks, umbrellas, men's hats, and a man's tie.

Fetishism

Fetishism is the perversion or variation of the sexual instinct. It involves a desire for only part of the body or even an article of clothing that serves as a substitute for the person with whom one is (or would like to be) intimate. Articles chosen include parts of the female body (e.g., feet, hair), articles of clothing (e.g., shoes, corsets), materials (e.g., silk, fur, leather).

Theory of the Shifting Erogenous Zones

Fashion historian, James Laver, theorized that women's fashions were governed by the "attraction" or "seduction principle" in that the primary force behind changes in women's fashions was their desire to attract the opposite sex. On the other hand, changes in men's fashions were governed by the "hierarchy principle" in that fashionable men's styles emphasized socioeconomic status rather than sexual attraction.

According to Laver and psychologist, John Flugel, women's fashionable dress, attracted males by selectively exposing and concealing various parts of the female anatomy. Thus fashion change was based on "shifting erogenous zones". Fashion helps to maintain interest in the body by covering up parts of it long enough to build "erotic capital", the thrill of seeing certain parts of the body. For example, fashionable dress would emphasize the legs by exposing them. When the legs were no longer considered erotic, then the emphasis would move to the shoulders and bust. Skirt lengths would lower and bare shoulders and cleavage would become fashionable. When the shoulders were no longer considered erotic, then the emphasis would move to the hips or waist/abdomen. And the cycles would continue.

As you explore the psychology of fashion, think about the symbolism that fashion conveys and how this symbolism forms the basis for consumers' adopting the fashions.

Additional references in this area:

The social psychology of clothing: Symbolic appearances in context: Kaiser, S. B. (1997). The social psychology of clothing: Symbolic appearances in context. (2nd ed.). New York: Fairchild.
Sex and suits: The evolution of modern dress: Hollander, A. (1994). Sex and suits: The evolution of modern dress. New York: Kodansha International.
The language of clothes: Lurie, A. (1981). The language of clothes. (Chapter 9, Fashion and Sex). New York: Random House.
The psychology of fashion: Solomon, M.R. (1985). The psychology of fashion. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.