What do you think the role of style in society is?

I make no effort whatsoever for work. No make up, tie my hair back, crap clothes. For home, full make up, hair down and straightened, nice smart clothes.

Don’t care what people think of me at work, I do at home.

People at work probably think that is me, someone who couldn’t give a shit about what I wear, but really, I know I look crap at work. Right now, it’s 10.10pm and I have full make up on, nice hair, short black skirt, smart top and high heels. This morning I had trousers, plain top, no make up and hair brushed back. The complete opposite to me now.

Style creates a market for a particular style. If it becomes popular, it can make a lot of money for the stylist. Other people are turned off by the latest styles and prefer to do their own thing. We’re lucky to be where we have the choice.

A big function of style is manipulating the image others have of you. It often says as much or more about how you want to be seen than about who you actually are. It can be a visual proclamation of which groups you identify with (or want to be accepted into), which will invite interactions with people who share that identity (and repel unwanted interactions).

Style can be a desperate plea to be noticed and seen as unique. It bolsters one’s sense of significance.

And it also can have a role-playing function. Dressing a certain way let’s you “wear” a different persona for awhile, which can be either an attempt to find one’s identity, or just a playful adventure from the ordinary.

I don’t care about style.

I’m my own trend actually. Thrift store junkie.

I think the role of fashion has many facets. It can identify us with our “group.” Religious group, social class, clique in school, career, it helps us identify other people who might have similar interests and views on life, but style obviously is not a sure bet another person has similar interests. Sometimes style differentiates us from a group. Like purposely dressing different. Fashion also changes our figures depending on what is being coveted at the time. Broader shoulders, longer legs, larger busts, smaller waists. Of course, no one has to be a slave to fashion or style or dress like the people around them or not like the people around them, many people don’t give much care or thought to what they wear.

It’s part of your self-presentation, along with body language, facial expression, speech, etc. Out of all of those, style is the most recent development for humans, but we’re not the only ones who use it. Animals have different colors and textures of fur, feather, or scales to communicate with other animals. They use it to attract mates, repel predators, and lure prey.

Depending on how cynical you are, you could see human style as that same sort of thing- a cutthroat evolutionary tool within our society, which lets people compete and rank each other. I see it as a means of self-expression and (nonverbal) communication. That can be a good thing, if we don’t take it to extremes.

I agree with @JLeslie “it helps us identify other people who might have similar interests and views on life.” I believe it also sends a message to people about how they should think of you and how they should treat you.

I tried dressing like I wanted and getting the respect I felt I deserved based on who I was and what I did (not what I looked like), but then I decided to give up and just wear what people thought a successful person should wear. Life has been a lot easier. I get better service in stores/restaurants and get more respect at work and from people I meet. I don’t go overboard, just the bare minimum. I wouldn’t say I sold out, cause I like how I look, but I am the same person regardless of what I am wearing. It’s too bad most people are too shallow to realize that.

I think it’s dumb and people need something to make them feel good about themselves while giving them something to do (shopping, dressing up, spending hours on makeup and hair) I think it’s sad.

@marinelife “I don’t care about style.”

That my friend, is in and of itself, a style.

No offense intended. But though you (we) may not care about it… the not caring is a style whether we like it or not. It may be the ultimate style. It’s like Michael Jordan doesn’t care about the slam dunk… He just does it without effort. And while all others care about emulating Michael Jordan slam dunk style, they never will. They can’t. Because their style is one of caring about the Michael Jordan style which is care free.

No one can strive with the one who does not strive.

Style used to be about recognizing a persons station or vocation. After WWll we became a consumption based economy and changing fashion trends were created to feed the economy. If fashion and style didn’t change we would buy higher quality clothes that lasted longer and wouldn’t consume as much and weaken the economy.

Style and fashion is a form of art, like music or paintings. I prefer music.