Stereo Type And Clothing Essay, Research Paper

Stereotypes in Clothing

Different styles and brands of clothing can be linked to different groups or cliques of people. It seems that the stereotypes related to the groups or cliques, have become a stereotype of the clothing. Styles ranging from baggy to preppy, to relaxed fit can be found all over the place, and stereotypes have found their way into just about every style of clothing worn. For example, the hippy?s from the 60?s wore their tie-die shirts, bell bottom pants and were thought to be druggie losers. These hippies are the same people holding high positions in major corporations today. Where did the stereotypes of the hippies during the 60?s come from? I?ve spoken to people who say they had their hippy days, and most point to the same source. The stereotypes came because the style was different from the norm. Just because they didn?t fit in with the definition of what was thought to be someone on their way to success. So if they?re not on their way to success, they must losers.

Stereotypes have even been pinned to certain brand names. In most clubs on the west coast, certain brands aren?t aloud to be worn due to possible gang relation. Some of the brands that found their stereotypes to be gang related are, Carhart, blue or red Nike, and even Nautica. Brands that I?m sure a lot of people not involved with gangs have in their closets; However, large signs in front of the entrance explain you won?t be let in the club if wearing any of these brands. These stereotypes have also affected some high schools in California, where some brands are banned from campus. Stereotypes seem to start out as opinions of a large portion of the group that wear the style, and then get labeled to anyone else who is seen wearing the same style.

Stereotypes in clothing have also attached to one?s race. I?ve had people ask me from one group if I thought I was black, and had another group ask me if I thought I was white all while wearing the same thing. When I asked why asked they asked that question, both groups brought up the brand. A friend explained how this works. We?ll take FuBu for this example. FuBu came out in early 96? being mainly sold in small hip-hop shops, not in major clothing stores like Macy?s or any other store in the mall, this is when FuBu was a black brand. When the popularity started to soar, and the brand was now being found in major stores, this is when it became a white brand. This race related clothing stereotype has also been in the Asian community, mainly in the San Francisco bay area. I?ve seen personally why certain brands have been stereotyped as Asian brands, and understand how a brand can be stereotyped to someone?s race. It?s not right to do, but origins of this stereotype are easy to see.

In my opinion, stereotypes in clothing start to effect people around Jr. high School. That?s when I have the first memories of actually looking at what someone was wearing. I remember being able to see the difference in clothing from one group to another, and how certain groups wore certain brands. For example, you take the kid who prided himself with his new expensive jacket, then there was the kid who didn?t care what he dressed like, and parents didn?t have the money to buy the nice jacket even if he wants it. Now who do you think is going to be looked at like a loser? I must admit kids are heartless, and when the teasing starts it doesn?t stop. Now you have a 12yr old boy being teased because his low budget clothes, and stereotyped as a loser.

Next I would like to talk about the stereotype of being able to tell someone?s intellectual capacity through clothing. This is one of the biggest and most common stereotypes ever. Examples from Bob Marley to Dennis Rodman, should open everyone?s eyes to the fact that jus because someone chooses to dress in a way that doesn?t conform to what is thought to be someone with intelligence, doesn?t mean anything.