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Dressing for Inclusion

Clothing is my first line of defense. The most intentional part of my look is what people

see first. Unlike my eye color, hair length, and facial structure, my outfit is something I have

control over. Nights I spent before tests not studying but choosing what to wear. “Dressing for

the grade I want and not the grade I have” was my mantra as I wasted hours trying on everything

in my wardrobe. A thick layer of clothes covers my floor, but I sleep well, knowing I will feel

good tomorrow.

I use fashion as a means of expression; pieces in my wardrobe are essential to my

identity. Through my experiences as a high school student, I have drawn the connections

between what I wear and how I feel. Day to day, this is especially exhibited at capstone events.

At Mock Congress, I wore a pink skirt suit, a dream I had since I was a freshman when I watched

the seniors walk around the halls in business formal. I dreamed of being a young woman so

intelligent and powerful that confidence would beam from every part of my body. The words I

spoke, and the clothes I wore defined my voice. My outfit defined my experience. Among my

personal experiences and peers, clothing is a crucial part of their confidence, especially within

the school. I aim to explore the relationship between clothing and the high school experience.

Hence my research question: How does clothing foster and inhibit social inclusion for high

school students?

Humans began wearing clothing around 170,000 years ago, enabling primitive humans to

leave Africa into more polar climates. Among other factors, it may be argued that clothing

enabled the migration of humans, eventually leading to the scattering of life across the globe as

we know it. Fashion has proved important as a method of protection, expression, and showcasing

one’s culture. For example, the Kimono, a traditional Japanese robe, is regarded as one of

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history's most egalitarian pieces of clothing. Worn by women, men, and children alike, the

Kimono reflected what was happening in Japanese culture throughout Japan's history. Kimonos

dawned with airplanes, representing the nationalism of the 1930s, and Kimonos, with a cotton

silk blend, showed the prevalence of European influence in Japanese production (Bennet).

History reflects where the roots of fashion began, but in the modern era, the way we dress serves

a far greater range of reasons. Fashion gives people a sense of stability in an ever-changing

world: “Among changing landscapes, different faces, they can seem concrete, and a dress can

give a reassuring sense of continuity in a variety of settings” (Fraser 8). Though there are a

myriad of reasons why fashion is so important, this is one of the most significant to young

people. Dress is something that is in our control, something that reassures us in every changing

landscape. It is something that is ours. With that comes a lot of social pressures to choose

something that will convey yourself in a positive light. In some ways, clothing unites people, and

in other ways it creates divides. Exacerbated by the dramatic environment of American high

schools, clothing both fosters and inhibits social inclusion.

Social media is a massive player in a teenager's life. Within the past 10 years, the lives of

adolescents have been dictated by what happens on their screens. This goes hand and hand in the

effect social media has in the world of fashion. Social media dictates trends, and offers a

platform for empowerment, but also allows for criticism. In addition, social media has debatably

destroyed the normal pacing of trends and accelerated it beyond what the market has ever been

familiar with. To speak on this issue, I sat down with Priscilla Fong, who is currently a professor

of Fashion and Marketing at San Francisco Community College. She started her education at

Lowell High School in San Francisco, where she developed her love for dressing up and

expressing herself through fashion. She graduated with a degree in Clothing and Textiles from

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San Francisco State University, with an emphasis on Fashion Merchandising. She furthered her

career at Mervyns department store where she was the Senior Buyer for ready-to-wear clothing

and sleepwear. She takes her expertise from her experience in retail and translates it into her

seminars at SF Community College. She teaches Fashion Merchandising and manages all

Fashion Internships for the design students at SF Community College.

Ms. Fong spoke to her experience in the retail industry as well as her experiences

teaching. She explained how social media has completely changed the world of fashion and how

we perceive ourselves, “Social media provides a wide range of perspectives. It can heighten

feelings of depression and anxiety, and that translates to people’s confidence-- especially in

young people. The constant criticism can serve as a barrier from people dressing how they truly

want to” (Fong). Social media displays criticism and showcases doctored media, this has an

effect on the way people perceive themselves and their own style. Ms. Fong touched on how

social media has completely redefined our standards, and with the accelerating trend cycles,

young people often don’t know how to keep up. The internet constantly varies what is “in” and

what is “out”, leaving consumers with little sense of what is “trendy”. According to The

California Aggie, “ Consumers are left feeling out of fashion if they can’t keep up with the

immense amount of products being pushed into their faces on a daily basis” (Liu). Consumers

are unable to keep up with the pacing of trends created by social media. With a constant stream

of new media and information regarding style, no one can truly “be on top of” the latest trend.

The majority of users on these platforms are impressionable young people. The pattern of

internet microtrends have caused people to lose sight of personal style and high schoolers are

especially susceptible to this.

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Micro-trends have completely taken over the world of fashion, and often teenagers are

the targets of these trends. In order to keep up, consumers must be constantly cycling their

wardrobes. People’s wallets can not keep up with these cycles, so consumers must resort to fast

fashion. Fast fashion is rapidly produced and poor quality clothing. Made in sweatshops

overseas, the price of the garments is low, and the cost of production is even lower. Among many

issues, not being limited to environmental concerns and labor concerns, fast fashion creates an

unattainable expectation for people to constantly have new clothing. With garments being

cheaper than ever before, people’s wardrobes are only growing in size and the time frame for an

“old” or “outdated piece” has severely shrunk. According to a, Imogen, a 17-year girl

interviewed by Girlguiding UK, “That’s kind of an unwritten rule but I don’t know where it’s

come from, that worry of someone saying ‘oh, you wore that last time’ but it’s like you’ve worn

that once, why does that matter?” (Griffin). This unwritten rule of outfit repeating is an integral

part of teenage clothing culture. The idea that it is embarrassing to be seen in an article of

clothing more than once is perpetrated by fast fashion companies that truly have their businesses

in mind. Meanwhile, according to HuffPost, 65% of us fail to wear at least half of our clothes on

a regular basis. (Katsha). This expectation has extremely negative impacts on one’s self-esteem,

when they aren’t able to keep up with what they perceive as normal.

In a 2020 attitudes survey conducted by GirlGuiding UK, 88% of girls consider changing

their appearance to fit in, and most of them feel pressure to shop for the latest clothes and be

caught up with recent trends. (Griffin). This phenomenon can all be traced back to fast fashion

and social media. People don’t feel proud of what they are wearing unless it is new, and this

serves as a barrier, especially for young people, from dressing their full selves. This is one way

that clothing has a negative impact on high schoolers. Failing to meet the expectations of the fast

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fashion industry, and being deemed an outfit repeater all have a negative effect on the

perspective of young people in fashion. This fear of being seen as un-original can greatly stunt

the creativity of young fashionistas.

Clothing conveys a message. Most traditionally, clothing can convey a certain gender. A

masculine or feminine air, clothing has almost always been gendered. In the modern age, we

often reject this notion. How could clothing, a lifeless textile, be exclusive? What we have

accepted as normal is incredibly arbitrary. For example, gender reveal parties have completely

engrossed the millennial age group. A contest to see who can come up with another way to

conceal and then reveal blue or pink to let the world know if they’re expecting a baby with a

penis or a vagina. Shockingly, “Sexual “color coding” in the form of pink or blue clothing for

infants was not common in this country until the 1920s” (Peoletti). There is no reason that

certain designs, colors, and structures are assigned to either gender. Apart from differences in

body shape, the norms we accept were largely chosen capriciously.

Unfortunately, the biases of historical norms still come to affect the way we perceive

clothing and gender. This can extend to patriarchal themes of history that have an effect on the

way women dress today. Gendered clothing can reinforce outdated societal norms. Mary

Whinser showcases her research on the matter in Harvard’s Women’s Journal, as she states

“Requiring women and only women to wear skirts and men and only men to keep their hair

short, for example, forces people to “wear” their gender for all to see, setting the stage for

differential treatment, and reinforcing the belief that “the sexes” are “opposite.” And, because

differentiation takes place in the context of patriarchy, it works to the determinant of women as a

class” (Whinser 76-77). Clothing as a medium has the power to put people in boxes. Throughout

the oppression of minority groups in the past, clothing came to reflect those oppressions. Barring

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women from wearing pants, cutting their hair short, and presenting themselves as masculine, was

all done in an effort to “preserve” herself. The misguided view of women as those who needed to

be saved, taken care of, the “damsel in distress”, all led to the classic idea of what clothing was

for women. Through the 20th century, many of these “classic” standards for women were lifted.

With liberations such as voting rights, came a “masculine” wardrobe for women. What was most

influential to this era of women’s fashion: World War II. The second world war greatly increased

the number of women who joined the labor force, “Because women were now taking on more

labor-intensive tasks like driving trucks, flying military aircraft, and working in shipyards, safety

and practicality took precedence over glamour and femininity” (Kratz). Practicality became the

main concern of fashion, and women shedded the loud adornments and long skirts for the more

practical military-inspired outfits. Also, with America in wartime production, most of everything

was going in and out of shortages. This led to clothing that required less fabric, dawning more

form-fitting and shorter silhouettes. Though fashion has changed since then, this remains the

“uniform” for the modern-day woman. This is the standard women hold for themselves and their

peers. Often, straying from this norm can lead to exclusion. A playground battle of the Girly

Girls versus the Tomboys, how we adhere to societal fashion expectations determines who we

are. Though this is largely an elementary battle, those who dress apart from their gender norms

can often be ridiculed. Due to the predisposed biases we have reinforced by years of historical

fashion patriarchy, we judge those who do not necessarily adhere to what we think is

“normal,”which is only exacerbated by the hostile environment of high school.

To get more nuances on this, I sat down with my mentor, Susan B. Kaiser. With a Ph.D.

in Fashion Design, Dr. Kaiser has been in the industry for 40-plus years. She is a professor

Emerita in the Departments of Design and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the

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University of California, Davis. She is the author of several books, including, The Social

Psychology of Clothing and Fashion and Cultural Studies, in which she dives into clothes' place

in society. Through our interview, I understood the perspective of someone who has been

analyzing and teaching fashion for multiple decades.

We first discussed how the nature of high school encourages “blending in” Kaiser

comments, “But even in contexts where people want to belong, there is often a degree of

expressing individuality. That is, there is a combination of safe conformity, coupled with a bit of

uniqueness”. Safeness is found in conformity, and this is especially true for high schoolers. The

fear of standing out amongst a crowd can often hinder high school students from dressing how

they want. Just the condition of high school fosters these conditions. It is common in American

high schools for “norms” to form. When someone dares to step outside that norm, they are

subject to ridicule. Whether this is due to outside narratives or one’s internal insecurities, the

very nature of high school does not allow people to express themselves beyond what is expected

of them. This translates to all aspects, from the way people speak to the way people dress. In this

sense, clothing does not exactly inhibit the high school experience, but the high school

experience inhibits expression through clothing.

Additionally, when Dr. Kaiser initially advised me, she encouraged me to explore the

relationship that social groups like race, class, religion and sexuality have on fashion. She

comments on how these social groups can limit but ultimately foster more creativity for people,

“These factors can definitely be limiting (such as laws requiring hijab or head coverings for

women who don’t want to wear them), but people can often find avenues for expression in

unexpected ways (for example, gender and religion, for those who can afford to be expressive, as

we’ve seen in the 21st century with Muslim fashion)” (Kaiser). The social groups we speak

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about are not limited to adults. Students often see their background as a barrier to how they can

dress. Whether that is the gender/cultural norm that they are put into or just their insecurity, there

are many reasons why students may not feel comfortable dressing to their full potential.

Nevertheless, clothing is a big part of a high schooler's identity. A local high school paper

for Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston, Texas, states that 82% of Students use their

appearance as a form of expression (Yampuller). However, these case studies often only focus on

cisgender individuals. Clothing has a whole different meaning to transgender and LGBTQ+

individuals. It is more than a means of expression, but a mode to mute gender dysphoria. Gender

dysphoria is the strong sense of unease a transgender individual faces concerning the discrepancy

between their biological sex and gender identity. There are many ways in which trans individuals

will make strides to combat this. Dysphoria takes a major toll on the individual; for example, “In

multivariate models, we found that social, psychological, and medical gender affirmation were

significant predictors of lower depression and higher self-esteem”(Glynn). Being able to access

gender-affirming procedures and communities had a great effect on the psychological health of

transgender people.

Concerning clothing, there are three major themes when combating dysphoria with

clothing. Theme one is that ready-to-wear clothing fails to accommodate the fit of transgender

people. For example, “Thus, transmen may have a hard time fitting into men’s pants, and may

not be able to find pants that are sufficiently masculine while still they are Accommodating their

height and waist to hip ratio” (Reilley). The fashion industry is not taking into account the

differing body types, when making either masculine or feminine clothing. This can often lead to

heightened senses of gender dysphoria, when a person is unable to fit into clothing of their

gender identity, and instead feels trapped by the body type of their biological sex. Theme two is

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that clothing can serve to hide parts of one’s body that they wish to conceal. One example that is

widespread among trans-men is the use of chest binders, “Made of thick spandex and nylon,

binders resemble tight undershirts, creating a masculine profile…said that almost 95 percent of

the transmasculine teenagers in the program bind” (Sohn). Chest binding is one way that trans

youth conceal part of their appearance using clothing. Among the use of looser clothing to cover

up traditionally male/female body structures, clothing can be used as a way to conceal certain

attributes, in order to present oneself in the most favorable way. Theme number three is that

transgender people use clothing to accentuate certain features of themselves that do align with

their gender identity, “In addition, another transwoman participant described the purpose of form

fitting clothing, saying; “I try to … find clothes that accentuate my feminine attributes, I try to

you know, get shirts that kind of hug so, to give an hourglass shape, or wear pants that make my

butt look good.” (Reiley). Creating a silhouette is extremely important in these contexts.

Clothing gives the power to customize the way you present yourself. Controlling the way one

dresses, in addition to accessories and hair styles, gives transgender people a way to customize

their appearance to the outside world. This is a way that clothing fosters social inclusion; in this

scenario, clothing can make people feel like they belong not only in a group but in their skin.

Clothing is a means by which we present ourselves to the world. Clothing has always had

significance in a multitude of ways. Cultural, social, and personal significance can be expressed

in what we choose to wear. Social expectations from social media and the market's fast trend

cycles can create unreal expectations for people’s wardrobes. It is not uncommon for people to

be shamed for wearing something more than once, dawning the line from a classic 2000s Teens

TV Show, “Lizzie Mcgurie, you are an outfit repeater!”. This pressure on students to have a

constantly varying wardrobe pushes them toward the fast fashion industry. The shame of feeling

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that your wardrobe is not extensive enough can damage one's self-image. Gender expression

through clothing can reflect on our patriarchal past, as a barrier between dressing to someone’s

true self. Society limits the style expression from what women and men are “allowed” to wear.

Though gender fluidity in clothing is increasing, and textiles are becoming more and more

genderless, these societal expectations serve as a barrier to people dressing how they truly want.

However, these rigid gender roles can foster inclusion when it comes to gender affirming

clothing. Clothing can serve as a means of helping one’s gender dysphoria. Controlling your

appearance means also controlling the gender you are perceived at. Clothing gives that power to

trans youth, and that fosters inclusion. Clothing fosters and inhibits social inclusion in high

schools. From different perspectives, clothing can create different experiences. Clothing can

limit, but it can also increase expression significantly.

For me, clothes serve as a means of social inclusion. I felt myself repressing my love for

dressing it up for a long time. I wanted to appear brighter, and in my mind smarter meant more

masculine. I abandoned all things that were feminine. Traded the skirts for long shorts and a

textbook. It took years of relearning my norms, but it wasn't what others thought of me that made

me intelligent. It was the quality of my knowledge. Caring about how I look and being clever

aren't mutually exclusive. Clothing has been an integral part of re-discovering my femininity.

Putting together outfits is my hobby, but it also plays a vast huge role in my confidence. I don't

feel like myself if I’m not confident in what I’m wearing. I love talking to others about why they

wear what they do. Learning about how others choose to present themselves through clothing.

Ultimately, even though despite barriers, clothing may contribute present, it fosters a community.

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Works Cited

Bennett, Lennie. "THE ART OF THE KIMONO; In subtle designs and in experimental strokes
the garment reveals much about the Japanese men and women who wore them." St.
Petersburg Times [St. Petersburg, FL], 23 Nov. 2008, p. 4L. Gale In Context: High School,
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6d1. Accessed 13 Mar. 2023

Fong, Priscilla. Personal Interview. 1 March 2023.

“Florida Atlantic University.” FAU,

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Fraser, Kennedy. The Fashionable Mind: Reflections on Fashion, 1970-1982. D.R. Godine,

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Transgender Women.” Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, U.S.

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Portfolio, https://mccs-studentcontent.gold.ac.uk/ba2jnt/?p=99.

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UK, HuffPost UK, 2 Sep.Sept. 2022,

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10778fe4b07744a2fd895c.

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Kaiser, Susan. Personal Interview. 11 April 2023.

Media. “Fast Fashion's Increasingly Rapid Trend Cycles Are Driving Major Overconsumption.”

The Aggie, 18 May 2021,

https://theaggie.org/2021/05/18/fast-fashions-increasingly-rapid-trend-cycles-are-driving-

major-overconsumption/.

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Journal of Women in Culture and Society, vol. 13, no. 1, 1987, pp. 136–143.,

https://doi.org/10.1086/494390.

Reilly, Andrew, et al. “Clothing Fit Issues for Trans People.” Fashion Studies, vol. 1, no. 2, 2019,

pp. 1–21., https://doi.org/10.38055/fs010201.

“Shorter Skirts and Shoulder Pads: How World War II Changed Women's Fashion.” National

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rld-war-ii-changed-womens-fashion/.

Sohn, Amy. “Chest Binding Helps Smooth the Way for Transgender Teens, but There May Be

Risks.” New York Times, 31 May 2019,

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/31/well/transgender-teens-binders.html.

Yampuler, Danielle. “82% Of CVHS Students Report Using Appearance as Self-Expression.”

Upstream News,

https://cvhsnews.org/6043/news/82-of-cvhs-students-report-using-appearance-as-self-exp

ression/.

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Whisner, Mary, Gender-Specific Clothing Regulation: A Study in Patriarchy (May 1, 1982).

Harvard Women's Law Journal, Vol. 5, p. 73, 1982, Available at SSRN:

https://ssrn.com/abstract=1344762

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GAGNÉ, P., TEWKSBURY, R., & McGAUGHEY, D. (1997). COMING OUT AND

CROSSING OVER: Identity Formation and Proclamation in a Transgender Community.

Gender & Society, 11(4), 478–508. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124397011004006

“UF Study of Lice DNA Shows Humans First Wore Clothes 170,000 Years Ago.” News,

https://news.ufl.edu/archive/2011/01/uf-study-of-lice-dna-shows-humans-first-wore-cloth

es-170000-years-ago.html#:~:text=A%20study%20of%20clothing%20lice,clothes%20ab

out%20107%2C000%20 years%20

agoclothes%20about%20107%2C000%20years%20ago.

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