Based on my previous research reports, there has always been a question: why do people pay attention to clothes?
For example, when a man goes to an important meeting or interview, he will wear a relatively formal suit, because the suit represents the middle class in western society and is a representative of power. Fancy clothing is also the product of capitalism, and can be used as a status and profession identifier.
In a nutshell, the thinking process goes like this:
Capitalism – Patriarchal society – hegemonism (based on this structure);
For example, a news from Africa, which is “Congo’s sapeurs pass their style on to a new generation”. Some residents of the twin Congolese capitals of Brazzaville and Kinshasa have long been known for their love of stylish dressing – in particular members of the Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People (Sape). These photographs by Tariq Zaidi reveal a whole new generation of “sapeurs”. They save money to buy expensive clothes to dress themselves up and explain different clothes.
They gained international fame in 2014 when their style was featured in a Guinness advert.
Photographer Tariq Zaidi’s book Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo is published this month.
“I will now demonstrate, what is known as a clothing equation with 2 or 3 elements. So I will be wearing a Kenzo suit, made in Italy, with a backless vest by Jean Basinga, I’ll wear a tie blue, white, red by Pierre Cardin and a pair of varnished tectonic shoes by John Foster. I love wearing my Kenzo suit – made in Italy!”
Testing conditions: Social structure – different racial and cultural backgrounds – different classes;
Hypothesis: A person’s lifestyle and background deeply affects their clothing style;
Scenario: Very poor people wear expensive clothes, conservative people wear sexy clothes, people of different occupations exchange clothes, and people of different styles exchange clothes. They are then given the choice to eliminate one pile of clothing at a time. The clothes they choose to cut first are usually the ones that represent them and people know them by. For example, a conservative person first cuts the conservative clothes he usually wears, symbolising their desire for change.
The main purpose of this experiment is to reveal to the individuals which clothing style suits them the best, and which style has the most impactful and positive psychological change.
To summarise, this intervention will focus on:
- Finding an individual’s ideal fashion style via a process of elimination;
Crafting an individualised “style package”, which a person can test for 1-2 weeks before moving onto the next package.
2. Open voting and commenting on a social media platform
Various individuals coming from different backgrounds will be photographed and interviewed wearing a variety of clothing styles. For instance, a homeless man could be photographed wearing a tailored suit, a holiday getaway outfit, and a business casual outfit. People will then be allowed to comment and express their opinion on which style suits him the best.