Expressing the self : a study on youth's consumption of fashion

Abstract

This research is a sociological enquiry into the relationship that exists between fashion and consumption among young people in Malta. It mainly examines young people's experiences of being fashionable and how this is manifested through their consumption patterns. Furthermore, the study goes into the role that external sources of influence, namely the media and peers, play in young people's identified consumption patterns. In this research one also sees how young people relate with their parents on the basis of various issues in the spheres of fashion and consumption. The matter of having branded products is another important concern in this dissertation This is another issue which shows the close relationship that exists between fashion and consumption. Moreover, the research explores the link that exists between consumption of fashion and the expression of young people's self-identity which in the period of youth, which is a period for reshaping values, is being constructed. The study also investigates whether one's consumption of a fashionable dress style leads to the consumption of particular leisure activities and music, which are also constitutive of the sphere of fashion. These objectives are examined in the light of the research hypothesis which states that young people perceive their modes of consumption to be influenced by fashion trends through which they construct their identities. This is reflected in the particular dress codes, musical tastes and lifestyles of a group of young people who frequent the 'White Arrow' bar in Malta The findings of this study show that when it comes to clothing, basically all respondents follow fashion trends. However, when it comes to music tastes, fashion trends are not rigidly followed by young people, but their preferred music is still related to their identity. From the findings one can thus conclude that the expression of one's self-identity is not always related to fashion.