Clothes, Culture, & Character Writing Task 2 Topic || WWW.AMANIELTS.IN ||

 Some people say that it is possible to tell a lot about a person’s culture and character from their choice of clothes.

Do you agree or disagree?

Many believe that fashion choices communicate information about an individual’s personality and culture. I am largely in agreement though I would concede globalization has partly obscured these distinctions.

Those who argue that a person’s culture and character cannot be determined from their clothing point to the impact of globalization. There are now international companies like Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, and Louis Vuitton that manufacture and ship identical clothes all around the world for consumers. These consumers are influenced by the same media and admire the same public figures. This modern convergence of production and culture means that disparate nations are more similar than at any point in human history. It is not unusual to see an individual living in South America, for instance, wearing the same shoes and clothing as someone in Asia or Europe.

Nonetheless, fashion preferences still reveal what a person values and what they wish to project to the outside world. A person who wears a suit and tie appears professional and this likely matches their personality. If they dress very formally when at work it might also indicate the office culture in their country. For example, it is common in East Asian countries for workers to dress very formally for work while in Southeast Asia the clothing is more casual due to the tropical climate. There are also individual differences that are, on average, greater than the disparity between cultures. A person who is into sports is more likely to wear sporty clothes regardless of where they live. Social media and globalization can even contribute to this trend as a consumer can follow their favorite artist and emulate both their personality and fashion choices.

In conclusion, though globalization theoretically makes it more difficult to distinguish a person’s culture and character from their clothes, in fact, these choices continue to be revealing. This self-expression is one of the benefits of modern fashion.