Denim jeans represent the working class, the majority of the people. To wear jeans and a jumper signifies you are one of the many that belong to this social class, and so doesn’t this mean that class is embedded in fashion?
Fashion has been a marker of social class for a long, long time. Most noticeably, there are certain brands that can signify your wealth, as they aren’t as accessible to lower-income individuals. Wearing brands such as Burberry, or Louis Vuitton can signify your status as a member of the upper classes.
Within this, there are also the elite of the elite. Certain brands, or items, are only visible as particularly luxurious to those ‘in the know’. This quiet luxury sets apart the upper and aristocratic classes even further, using status markers that the majority of the people are unaware exist.
On the other end of the spectrum, fast fashion is looked down upon for being questionable in its ethics and poor quality. For some, this could be all that they can afford, garnering judgment from those who belong to higher classes.
The professional standard is set by the ‘upper’ and ‘middle’ classes, with the standard of attire being high quality, which can be difficult to match up to without the required funds. Inaccessibility can also set the classes further apart, with higher classes looking down on second hand clothing that doesn’t align with their professional views.
People’s economic status, occupation and social standings are created and defined by societal norms, which are reinforced by the clothes we wear and how we style ourselves.
Class is entirely a social construct and a self perpetuating one at that. People’s economic status, occupation and social standings are created and defined by societal norms, which are reinforced by the clothes we wear and how we style ourselves.
So, fashion can represent class, because of assumptions that are tied to certain pieces of clothing. Going back to the denim jeans – they’re popular, widespread and therefore represent the majority of the working population. Linen trousers, for example, seem to be associated more with the wealthy due to expensive production, and the history of it being worn by aristocrats in the Middle East.
It’s not even just the clothes we wear, but the fashion industry too. Trying to break in at entry-level is more about who you know, not what – and doesn’t that just say it all?
So yes, prejudice regarding social class is deeply fixed within style – and unless we all undergo some sort of ideological revolution, it’s unlikely that that will change.