Dressed by our self perceptions : how young people engage with and perceive wearing clothes

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore and gain an understanding of how young individuals make sense of how they choose what to wear through key internal and external psychological factors, while also exploring in further depth how self-presentation through choice of clothing has an impact on the individual’s identity and self-perceptions within society. A qualitative approach through a focus group was used to implement the research, where the data obtained was specifically analysed adhering to Braun and Clarke’s (2006) method for conducting Thematic Analysis. Participant selection consisted of convenience sampling and included of students from a tertiary educational background, ranging from ages 18 to 25 due to the importance of them being young adults. The findings indicate that the majority of young adults give a significant amount of importance to self-expression in relation to clothing, and portray their identity through specific fashion choices as determined by personal and external components within the local context. The thesis concludes with recommendations for future research on the study of social psychology of dress.