Identity in clothing

Identity in clothingTHE CREATION OF IDENTITY THROUGH CLOTHINGThe incline of Alison Lurie (Lurie, 1983) The wording of Clothes and Didier Gondolas (Gondola, 2010) La Sape Exposed in high spirits Fashion among Lower-Class Congolese young person will be discussed in show to examine the concept of creating an identity through form. The first idea of discussion is Luries concept (Lurie, 1983 6) Colour and Conformity. Secondly Gondolas comments on the Sapeurs. The third paragraph, applying the Lurie concept of Colour and Conformity to the Sapeurs and lastly the Colour and Conformity of Lurie, applied to the Smarteez. Lurie states (Lurie, 1983 1) Today, as semiotics become fashionable, sociologists tell us that fashion as well is a lyric poem of signs, a nonverbal system of communication. In Gondola and Corrigalls articles, they discuss the way the sub-culture groups, Sapeurs and Smarteez used extravagant, touchful fashion to revolt above their challenged, impoverished circumstance s to create a flamboyant identity.Luries (1983) article The Language of Clothes argues that applying clothes is a form of language interpreted by all. Lurie states (Lurie, 19831) human beings have communicated with one another first in the language of dress In the section Colour and conformity Lurie mentions that psychologists discovered, sounding at different colours may alternate our vital signs and emotions (Lurie, 1983 1). Lurie justifies this by cl fathering that when someone is approached, the first thing that occupies the visual field is the colour of clothing having a great effect on the nervous system. (Lurie, 19832) Loud, clashing colours, like loud noises may actually hurt our eyes or give us a headache. This implies that (Lurie, 19832) Colour in dress is also like tone of voice in speech. A white evening dress communicates a different gist than a scarlet one. (Lurie, 19832) According to Lurie (Lurie, 19833) Convention alters the meaning of colours according to the pl ace and time at which they are worn. The corporate milieu requires conventional dress code to communicate status, but the same people would wear colourful eveningwear, suggesting that not dressing in the recognized range of colour for given situations, attracts unfavorable attention. To the Sapeurs, making an immediate impact with their colourful clothing was of greater importance than the attention they received.In his article La Sape Exposed High Fashion Among Lower-Class Congolese Youth (Gondola, 2010 157) Gondola comments on the Sapeurs, the oppression faced and the new identity created in response to that. French colonialism brought to Africa, a armorial bearing to civilize the people. Gondola states (Gondola, 2010 158) their mission civilisatrice was predicated on redeeming primitive minds primitive bodies of the naked people. During the 1920s, the word sape(dress) and se saper (to dress fashionably) was used to describe the fashion energy that characterized Parisian social ites. (Gondola, 2010 158) They influenced the young Sapeurs to dress fashionably, even over dress. Gondola comments (Gondola, 2010 160) Congolese houseboys spurned their masters secondhand clothes spending their meager advantage extravagantly to acquire the latest fashions from Paris. After independence of the Congos in 1960, young Congolese flocked to Europe, because of economic chaos. Their dreams of a new bread and butter hindered by discrimination. Gondola argues (Gondola, 2010 165) la sape became a refuge that enabled them to forge new identities away from home Gondolas writing highlights that the sapeurs overcame their struggles by allowing fashion to be the essence of their identity through the use of vibrant suits.(Obv.org.uk, 2015) Within this society, men are encouraged to have their own sense of style, bringing an individualised interpretation of sophistication and elegance that suits each character and enriches the group as a whole. This image of the Sapeurs is an ex ample of Gondalas comment (Gondola, 2010 158) One could easily glare them strolling down the boulevards in expensive and flamboyant attire. Combining a maximum of three colours was their idea of perfection. (Michalon, 2015) The ways of Sapeology are impenetrable for every Sapeologist who does not know the rule of 3 a trilogy of finished and unfinished colours. They had to know the rules of elegance, which implied matching colours harmoniusly without being excessive. (Gondola, 2010) The loud and striking message the Sapeurs portray in this image does not have a negative effect, as Lurie implies (Lurie, 1983 2) because of their stylish matching of colours. Like the Sapeurs overcame their obstacles through their fashion identity, the Smarteez also organise an identity through their excessive colourful attire.In her article AGAINST THE MACHINE THE SMARTEEZ FASHION A NEW POST-APARTHEID IDENTITY Mary Corrigall writes about the Smarteez (Corrigall, 2011 2) a youth-driven bridle-path fa shion sub-culture. The image of the group above reflects their striking outfits. (Corrigall, 2011 2) The Smarteez outfits are garish and excessively colourful and thus immediately recognisable as in the vein of dandyism in which the subjects appear like costumed objects. Lurie argues (Lurie, 1983 4) some people may avoid colours they like because of the belief that they are unbecoming, while others may wear colours they dislike for symbolic reasons. The defining feature of the Smarteez was combining primary colours in their outfits, referring to their bod, a bright sugar-coated chocolate confection. (Corrigall, 2011 3) The name smart refers to their formal wear and intellectual acuity. (Corrigall, 2011 3) the Smarteez attire is a parody of the middle class values. According to Lurie (Lurie, 1983 1) dress is a continual look of intimate thoughts, a language and a symbol. Rejecting those who did not wear brightly coloured clothes. Therefore they set out to create their own unique identity.The aim of this essay was to assess Luries (1983) The Language of Clothes, specifically her discussion of Colour and Conformity and Didier Gondolas (Gondola, 2010) La Sape Exposed Congolese Youth by examining the concept of creating identity through fashion. Lurie comments on clothing as a language that communicates. Using colour attracts favorable or unfavorable attention. The Sapeurs created an terminated and wealthy identity through colourful clothing, their flamboyance making immediate impact. The Smarteez valued their brightly coloured clothing to the extent of rejecting those that did not conform. Therefore these subcultural groups go up above their struggles by creating new identities through fashion. BibliographyGondola, D. (2010) La Sape Exposed High Fashion among Lower-Class Congolese Youth. Gott, S.L.K. (ed.) Contemporary African Fashion, 1st edition, Bloomington Indiana University Press.Lurie, A. (1983) The Language of clothes, Random House Inc.Leroux, D. (2 014) Forget the hipster fashion, preppy, preppy golden swag. Nothing compares to the Fire of Congo, 11 Nov, Online, Available http//www.tonbarbier.com/2014/11/11/oubliez-la-mode-hipster-preppy-bcbg-ou-le-swag-rien-nest-comparable-aux-sapeurs-du-congo 24 whitethorn 2015.Edsuter (2015) The Smarteez Ed Suter, Online, Available http//edsuter.com/my-work/the-smarteez/ 24 May 2015.Obv.org.uk (2015) Sapeurs The creativity of African fashionistas OBV, Online, Available http//www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/sapeurs-creativity-african-fashionistas 24 May 2015.Michalon, N. (2015) Sussing out La Sape fashion, science or religion? Clique.tv, 07 Apr, Online, Available http//www.clique.tv/en/enquete-sur-la-sape-mode-science-ou-religion/ 24 May 2015.Corrigall, M. (2011) Against the Machine The Smarteez Fashion a new post-apartheid identity, Fashion Conference, Oxford, 1-4.1