Class And Consumption: Who Can Afford To Be Unique?
Photo Source : (Studio Tywon)
The freedom to express yourself through fashion, hobbies, and creative identity is tightly linked to money. Style is often praised when it appears effortless — curated but disguised as impromptu. For example, a thrifted blazer on a wealthy teen is considered “vintage cool” or stylish, but on a working-class person, it’s seen as “cheap” or “frugal.” We often fail to recognize how the aesthetics of self-expression are romanticized. Many low-income people face expectations and standards they’re required to conform to — like “neatness” or “professionalism” — without the luxury of creativity or spontaneous fashion. For them, jobs, safety, and even respect as individuals can be jeopardized if they stray from these standards. Why is it that when a wealthy person dresses up, they’re praised and worshipped — but when someone from a low-income background does, they’re expected to follow strict norms? Why does that inequity exist in fashion? And has that gap only widened? Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves through dress — regardless of gender roles, social norms, or class. This division has quietly damaged the heart of fashion, because we’ve become so focused on “standards and expectations” rather than truly expressing individualism.
