Gender expression and the culture of consumerism: Exploring the Intersection

Abstract

While self-expression is vital for most individuals, and extends beyond clothing alone, fashion plays a significant role in the formation and communication of one's identity. Whether we aim to convey specific ideas to connect with like-minded individuals or feel a need for a tangible representation of ourselves in society, clothes become great tools that fulfil this purpose. Fashion industry is notorious for its consumerist tendencies, and many argue that it is in fact fully dependent on it. Gender expression, being a significant aspect of one's self-expression, is undoubtedly one of the primary targets of marketing and the ever-changing landscape of modern fashion. Reflecting on the historical shifts in beauty standards, I became curios on the extent to which marketing campaigns can shape our perceptions and behaviours. Diving deeper into this topic I discovered that today our purchasing decisions are intervened with the formation of our identity, and just like a good campaign can make us want to buy a certain product it can make us want to buy a whole identity. I propose that in order to approach something with full objectivity, we must first acknowledge the previous structure and then completely break it down to engage in new, unlimited relationships with gender expression.