Tell Me How You Dress

Clothing as objects, so close to our bodies, clearly speak about our souls - to ourselves and to others. This is what the famous scholar Elisabeth Wilson explains in her anthropological analysis of the cultural function which clothing has had throughout history and in diverse societies.

If we think then about the role clothing has in particular moments like rituals, one cannot help but recognize a magical and mystical dimension. If this is truer for decorative clothing it still holds true even in more secular times and for pieces used as an antithesis to putting on appearances. In any case, in every context, clothing can be considered elements of dramatization which express a kind of performance in and of itself, like any other form of art such as theatre, music and dance.

For this reason, fashion represents both the shadow of the collective memory of a society or of a subculture as well as the primary daily resource which is available to all consumers to build and articulate their own identities and sentiments, and participate in common experiences and tastes, or not. Every season, women of every age know how to play with clothing and accessories in this continuous process of regeneration.

In our studies, we are always intrigued and stimulated by the ways in which this occurs and especially by the internal contradictions of these behaviors. In this way, we discovered how women are changing the way in which they relate to brands and styles imposed by stylists, becoming more difficult clients.
In a study carried out with Deniz Atik and Søren Askegaard (Negotiation and Power in the Construction of Consumer's Image), we studied the ambivalent nature of the relationship between women who are between thirty and fifty years old, and fashion. Observing and examining their conflicts between the models imposed by stylists and publicity and the creative space available for creating their own personal styles, we discovered contradictions and fallacies, frustrations and a sense of lightness which they experience every day, in front of the mirror. Fluctuating between the extremes of shopping giddiness and the safe choice of a black dress, we discovered new spaces for "neo-feminist" expression, or rather women who are aware of market power but who are relieved from a sense of oppression.
With different levels of skill and irregular levels of enthusiasm for the new seasonal proposals, women become 'bricoleuse' in the definition of their style, just as they are in the construction of their selves, mixing and combining objects of diverse value and significance. Studying the behavior of younger consumers like the tweens (preadolescents) or teenagers, numerous projects carried out by Chiara Mauri have shown how for these groups, fashion and its brands are a playing field for growing up, developing skills and creating their own identity. Today, girls no longer simply try on their mom's high-heeled shoes, or match jewelry with chiffon scarves found in the back of some drawer. If a young girl's forty-year old mom only wears kids' sneakers, then she'll try on the heels in a shop, sitting on the sofas of flagship stores or in the dressing rooms of low-cost stores. Girls dress up for their friends, with their friends, looking for that balance which is only physical now, but that will become psychological and symbolic over time.