Materialism is a broad topic that has been defined many ways over the past century. There are broad, complex theories that in the Universe, there is only physical matter and that spiritual and intellectual thoughts are non-existent. But I want to focus on a simpler theory, that society preoccupies too much of its time trying to acquire material goods. This aspect of, materialism, is in perfect accord with Pop Culture today. Americans open up those magazines and tabloids on grocery store shelves, and see all their favorite actors driving the nicest cars, sporting the nicest cloths, and using the latest and greatest technological devices. Americans are made to feel that they absolutely must have certain things. Families “have to keep up with the Jones’s”. This is evident with the buying trends in today’s society.
Americans like to dress themselves in nice clothes, and usually strive to look the best that they can. However, people can start to become obsessed with how others dress, and how other’s clothes mirror their social status. This is American materialism. Clothing companies are not oblivious to these sub-conscious needs. They are smart about it. For example, Abercrombie finds the best looking models to showcase their cloths to self-conscious American teenagers. Teens see these models wearing that brand of cloths and even though, most of them can never actually live up to the looks of these beautiful people, pay the extreme prices for them. “Maybe I can look like that if I wear these clothes.” Another example is when Nike endorses a famous athlete like Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan. People think if they buy the product, they can be like them.
Pop culture icons contribute to the aspect of materialism the greatest because when the average American sees them using a certain product or sporting a certain style, they want to as well. The real debate about materialism is whether or not it’s a problem that can be solved or just a way of life.
1 comment:
Materialism in terms of clothing is probably one of the more common forms of materialism in America today. There are so many brand name stores that are able to sell their clothing at a much higher price than others simply because of the name on the tag or maybe the little emblem that’s embroidered on the chest. Personally I think it is ridiculous to charge double for a pair of pants because they have certain holes or certain names on the tags.
I agree with you that the clothing industry is taking advantage of how moldable the teenage mind is. By using the people whom teenagers look up to in sports and on television shows, companies are able to boost sales of a certain product just because it is worn once by a celebrity. This strategy would not work if at this stage of our lives we were less susceptible to peer-pressure and we didn’t care so much about recognition.
Though celebrities help sell clothing, I disagree that people only buy those clothes because the celebrities wear them or because of the brand name. Yes, this may be a big promoter for sales; but, many companies have certain fits that people tend to like more than others. For example, many girls and guys alike are starting to wear lower cut jeans. This means that any store that begins to sell lower cut jeans will start to turn a profit. Another factor that influences sale of clothing is how the clothing fits around the body. Some clothing companies are better at making tighter fitting clothes or clothes that fit one’s curves more comfortably than others. In this sense some people are forced to buy the more expensive clothing if that is what will fit them best. But overall I agree with you that materialism does have a high impact on the way we dress.
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