Matters of Style - Social Psychology & the Selfie

Friendships and relationships are often drawn from your surrounding circle. We assume the friend of a friend to have certain common qualities or interests. Same applies to a regular at a favorite bar or volunteer center. Those within the outpouring of common links will be the basis of what we consider our community.  As our circle becomes increasingly technology based through social media, the dynamic of new friendships and relationship is altered. Whether in Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, the addition of new community to our circle is now based on small clips of how we present ourselves. The basis in human response to visual stimuli, however, still operates on the same principles as our self, an homage the past experiences, current situations, and hopes for the future. 

Obligatory Work-Out Clothes Selfie. Makes up for way too many photos in bars, also, if I cast myself as a fit person, aren't I more likely to live up to that?

In the 1930s, Koffka, Kohler and Wertheimer, collectively known as the Gestalt psychologists, sought to understand links between visual stimuli and perception. One theory from their experiments was the rather obvious sounding idea that similar stimuli are grouped together. This theory was later expanded upon by Richard Gregory by suggesting that the brain combines visual stimuli with prior knowledge to develop a perceptual hypothesis. Example: If you have always had good experiences with women wearing Louboutin heels and notice a woman wearing Louboutin heels, you will create a perceptual hypothesis based on prior experiences that you will have a good experience with this woman. 

Super artsy, vintage dress apparently screams please talk to me about your collection of aura-enhancing crystals and how science is a conspiracy, but I was going for free-spirited and creative.

As the influence of social media on the creation of our community grows, the manner in which we communicate is altered. Instead of extensive face-to-face conversation, more emphasis must be placed on indirect communication through visual stimuli. Assign meaning, making inferences and communicating through dress and appearance. 

Example: That tool in the center is my husband. If I met him in this setting, I would think he is a skeesy prick. Luckily, I met him in person a long time ago, and now he can get away with dressing a mix of rock star and 70s pimp sans the dirtbag reputation...Well, at least with me.

Depending on your history, experiences and values, the response to a Facebook avatars will vary. Without prior communication or knowledge of the individual, I am far more likely to add a young woman with tattoos on Facebook than to add a picture of a man golfing in a Lacoste t-shirt. The assumption is based on my perception of myself, seeking those who have visual cues I relate to, and my prior history, having a handful of awkward silences at country clubs.  

The point being fashion is not always an exercise in vanity. In our store, I enjoy reading about the history of fashion and the ways in which the styles reflect the current events and social values of the era. The curve-enhancing wiggle dress accentuate breasts and hip, a marker of the post-war return to family values. The 1980s shoulder pads mimic a masculine figure as women seek to find balance between their gender and positions of authority in work. 

When it comes down to it, my real style is my history, my mood, who I relate to and who I hope to be. I'm convinced blazers make believe I'm smart, and it's a little homage to becoming a lawyer. Deconstructed Motorhead shirt from 9th grade, when I made most of my clothes and thought I could start an Anarchist commune. Cut off Seven jeans, because I wasted to much cash on those and have done lunges like a boss for years. My beat down Miu Miu motorcycle boots, because I love  high fashion attempts to mimic subcultures, especially those opposed to traditional designer trends.

Furthermore, style is more than social factors alone. While we may model our look on those we admire or whose social groups we wish to feel connected to, we still balance this with the pursuit of our own individuality. A unique style is a balance of conflicting factors, our present self with that which we hope to be or portray, our self-expression with desire to find belonging.