The Imaginary Dress. An Interdisciplinary Fashion Approach among Sociological, Anthropological, and Psychological Orientations

This article presents an interdisciplinary approach to fashion theory, in support of those studies in the field of subcultures and alternative lifestyles. The thesis of this work is that fashion shows the lasting correlation between forms of consumption, relationship, communication processes, cultural practices, systems and structures of production. The social meanings of the “objects of culture” are continually renegotiated in the relationship not only with each other but also with the context, while highlighting forms of opposition, conformity, differentiation and symbolic resistance. They communicate changes in the social structure, which are well manifested in the field of fashion. This complexity of fashion would require a joint effort from social scientists, but this does not happen, due to the theories of fashion continuing to be fragmented. The article underlines the importance of an “interdisciplinary approach” central to recognizing some theories of fashion and the cultural significance of self-fashioning, including not only clothing but also body alterations such as tattooing and piercing. Fashion represents a complement and reflects far deeper and more structured social transformations and events. It analyses specific anthropological and psycho-sociological theories considered essential in the development of fashion studies. Duesenberry (1969) and the demonstration effect is discussed, along with “the objects” of Baudrillard (1969), considering the importance of the idea of circularity between production and consumption proposed by Isherwood & Douglas (1979). The theories of Bourdieu and Yonnet are also described, along with the approach of cultural studies proposed by CCCS of Birmingham and Polhemus. The theories presented in the article are useful as theoretical patterns for the study of alternative lifestyles and youth fashion styles. From the analysis of the theories presented in this article, we can argue specific research subjects in the study of fashion style and its relationship with youth sub-cultures, starting from the hypothesis presented in the conclusions that consider fashion as a technique of identity exercise, of socialization to a new social role.