Does Clothing Make A Man Or Woman?

604 Words3 Pages
In recent times, people have come to recognize a person’s clothing as a way of displaying how he or she carries him or her self. But, one must wonder, is it the clothing that actually makes a man or woman whom he or she is perceived to be? Throughout history, the meaning and purpose of clothing has changed. The status of clothing has evolved from merely being a way of protecting the human body from dangers of the environment to a way of style, self expression and signifying one’s social status. But, in today’s society, a person’s clothing and/or style of dress is not always a clear indicator of a person’s worth. Clothing, in the U.S., has become a $130 billion dollar industry. It’s clear that fashion and clothing go hand-and-hand in creating style. The clothing industry alone is one of the biggest industries to emerge that constantly experiences drastic changes. In order to “keep up”, and adjust with the changes of the clothing industry, people develop their own sense of style. For example, a lot of young African-American male’s style of dress is highly influence by the Hip-Hop music industry. This style of clothing usually consists of baggy jeans, a long t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Even though this style of clothing is based on a trend, people often closely associate this type of clothing with drug dealers or gang affiliations. Although people associate this type of clothing as “bad” or inappropriate, wearing these types of clothes does not make a person whom he or she is perceived to be. There’s a fine line in deciphering the difference between if the clothing makes a person or if clothing only creates the perception of people being a certain way. Like the great saying, “perception is everything”. For example, when going to a job interview, a person wants to create the perception that he or she is a well qualified individual for the job. The
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