What’s Our Attitude?

by Cheyenne Gardner

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It’s safe to say that we’re all witnesses to the continuous changes throughout our society.Whether we all conform to them is truly irrelevant -the real importance lies in our realization thatevery change (in politics, entertainment, or fashion) is connected somehow. With each change,our day-to-day needs and desires evolve, shaping our attitudes. These dominating attitudes andour need to simultaneously fit in, yet stand-out cause changes in fashion—which is alwaysstriving to capture the spirit of the times, better known as the Zeitgeist. One of the most impactful dominating attitudes of today is the desire for equality amongpeople. As of 2013, we’ve heard the cries of young African-Americans and supporters for theneed for reform within criminal justice, in hopes of preventing unlawful street violence andpolice brutality, seen with the “Black Lives Matter” and “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” movements.We’re seeing strides being made in communicating acceptance to the transgender community,now that they’re allowed to take part in the Olympics. After 54 years, the Confederate flag at thestate capitol in South Carolina has been removed—a source of controversy due to its long historyand association with racism. Although we aren’t quite there yet; the “Black Girls Rock” award show is meant to celebrate and empower successful black women, First Lady Michelle Obama’s attendance created a bit of controversy between some black and white online commenters.

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Like with most trends, the attitudes of today’s youth are especially influential. It’s no secret that marijuana use is growing in acceptance—a recent poll found that 58% of American adults support marijuana legalization. As a dominant social group, the youths’ attitudes towardpolitics and election do not go ignored. Overall, youths hold negative views regarding politics,and are disengaged despite their interest in societal issues. And with successful college dropouts, such as, Bill Gates and Michael Dell being celebrated for their achievements, collegedoesn’t seem as important to many of our youth. There’s also an attitude of entitlement in our youth in acquiring high-paying, dream jobs, simply because they have attended college.

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Now, let’s look at fashion. Simplicity and ease is everything. From clothes to household

goods—minimalism is in. With the need for simplicity and ease comes convenience andcomfort. Athleisure is now comfortable clothes designed for the workplace. Aligned with theseevolutionary changes is body image. Ashley Graham made history, as the first plus-sizedwoman to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. Body acceptance for U.S.women is a leading trend.

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Our dominating attitudes reflects our growing need for equality and safety, comfort, and peace of mind. And fashion hasn’t missed a beat. Body image acceptance is likely to improvethe availability and quality of plus-sized fashions. Clothing will be made to reflect confidence,while meeting our desire for comfort. It’s likely that we will see growth in the developingmarket for transgender clothing. Between our attitudes of politics and equality, not only will west rive to communicate strength and power in clothing, but freedom too—the essence of the Zeitgeist, to imitate, yet differentiate.