identity construction using both fashion and language

Like fashion, language is one of the most important ways individuals use to express their identities, their preferences, and their lifestyle. Language communicates far more than its semantics. With choice of language, a person aligns with a specific generation, a geographic location, or a cultural group. Language can also differentiate between an in-group and an out-group, as when native speakers revert to using their own language in the presence of foreigners. On the contrary, using English as a universal or international language is a symbol of globalization, interconnectedness, and interdependency. Like fashion, language can become trendy or go out of style. Language can convey wealth, status, and level of education. What one chooses to say, or not to say, has a strong bearing on how that person wishes to be perceived by others. Fashion, language, and identity construction are therefore closely connected with one another.
Given the importance of language to identity, it is easy to see why language is critical in branding for fashion or any other industry that relies heavily on identity markers. Fashion and language are both “sign systems,” (“Dress, Language, and Communication.” (n.d.). Whereas fashion is primarily a visual sign system, language is verbal. Fashion is a visual language. Language performance refers to the deliberate construction of personal identity using verbal symbols. Often, verbal symbols coincide with fashion markers of identity to create a cohesive image or brand identity. One example is the convergence of hip-hop language with hip-hop fashion. Language, like fashion, can also express gender identity or sexuality. The decision to use slang, slurs, or curse words communicates the person’s core identity and alignment with various subcultures.
Both language and fashion convey cultural, ethnic, and national identity. Traditional dress can denote one’s culture or role in the society, and a rejection of traditional dress also speaks volumes about the person’s politics or identity. Similarly, language is a direct expression of culture. The Basque people cling to their language because it symbolizes their culture; to preserve Basque culture and identity, the people of the Basque regions need to retain and speak their language. Similarly, Celtic/Gaelic languages and Native American languages are used to preserve ethnic and cultural heritages. “Language is the soul of a nation, the supreme manifestation of its cultural identity, the foundation of its true spiritual life,” (Brown 247). Language establishes one’s membership in a particular ethnic, cultural, or national group, while also excluding those who do not speak or value that language. In fact, speaking with an accent in spoken language can become a marker of personal identity. When a person speaks with an accent, she or he is marked as being a newcomer to that language or culture. Some accents mark someone with a specific social class status, which is especially noticeable in England or in the United States.
Personal identity does not emerge in a vacuum. On the contrary, personal identity is constructed in relation to externalities and environmental factors like culture. Culture informs issues like gender identity and gender performativity, and likewise, culture impacts language use. The term bricolage refers to the “composition or arrangement on the body of a collection of incongruous objects,” which together create a cohesive whole (“Dress, Language, and Communication,” 6). Just as marketing of fashion items depends on designing a cohesive brand identity, the “marketing” of the self, or self-presentation to the world, depends on the conscious construction of a personal brand. An individual can change his or her own “brand,” in a process of rebranding, or remain true to a specific “look.” Speaking certain words or phrases, or weaving in and out of different language systems can also be potent means of expressing identity. The link between fashion, language, and identity can be palpable. As Arvanitidou and Gasouka put it, “clothing is a full visual language with a distinct vocabulary, probably it is more similar to music or poetry, where yielding clear concepts depends on the emotional mood of the person,” (5). A person can shift between different languages, tones of voice, or informal versus formal diction depending on the social context.
A person’s identity can be fluid, which is why language use will change depending on the situation. For example, we will use very different language when assuming an identity as “mother” talking to a child, versus the language used as “student” speaking to a professor. The language used to communicate with a lover is going to be substantially different from the language used to speak with a parent. Not just the actual words, but the expressions, pacing, and communication style will change according to the situation. The overt and subtle changes in language usage in different social situations are similar to the way we wear different clothing on different social occasions. In most cases, the fashion choices will parallel language choices. For example, formal events call for formal language and formal outfits. Informal events call for informal language and informal outfits. Outdoors activities require a different set of clothing and different types of language used to describe nature, versus the clothing and language used in an urban setting. Just as a fashion designer can have different “lines” or even different brands under the same parent rubric, one person can develop different looks or outfits suitable for different social events and correspondingly change their language. Verbal language is also not the only factor in communicating personal identity; non-verbal expressions and body language achieve similar goals in the same way that accessorizing is as significant in identity construction as garments.
When a person is bilingual or multilingual, it offers the opportunity for fluid identity. For example, speaking Spanglish marks the person as having the ability to move easily between Latin and Anglo cultures. The person who speaks multiple languages also has the chance to interact with people from different backgrounds without changing their overall brand image or identity. For example, a person can use informal or slang Spanish when speaking with their Spanish-speaking friends at a concert. When speaking with their English-speaking friends at the same concert, the person will also use informal and slang terms. When people are learning a new language, they often learn that language formally, using phrases and grammar constructions that seem unnatural to native speakers. Their use of formal language sets them apart from native speakers, reflecting their identity as outsiders who are learning a new culture. In the same way, a person might look funny if they are trying on a new “look” in their clothing but after a while might come to wear the new outfit with aplomb.
Fashion branding depends a lot on the use of language to construct identities, both collective and personal. The language and wording used in fashion branding denote things like luxury, active lifestyle, indulgent, or businesslike. Consumers gravitate towards brands that reflect their identities and convey the lifestyle choices that mirror their political worldviews, too. Fashion can also carry language, as with t-shirts that have catchy slogans. Through a brand and also through wearing specific language-based fashion, a person actively constructs and displays their identity. Although language is not necessarily a commodity in itself, it can have some of the markers of commodification. Some languages are perceived of as having higher status than others, which is why French is often used in branding to impart a sense of luxury. Consumers are often unconscious about the ways their language choices reflect their identities, but are fully aware of the important role that fashion plays in communicating personal and collective identity. Being more aware of language performance helps us to see how we can easily judge others as much by the way they speak as by what they wear.




Works Cited

Arvanitidou, Zoi and Gasouka, Maria. “Fashion, Gender, and Social Identity.” Retrieved online: https://process.arts.ac.uk/sites/default/files/zoi-arvanitidou.pdf
Brown, Tony. “Key Indicators of Language Impact on Identity Formation in Belarus.” Russian Language Journal 63(2013): 247-288.
“Dress, Language, and Communication.” n.d.. Retrieved online: http://www.margaritabenitez.com/readings/dress_language_communication_full.pdf
“Language and Identity.” Chapter 2. Retrieved online: http://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/assets/hip/gb/uploads/M02_HALL5068_02_SE_C02.pdf