Fashioning That First Impression

Above is a video of the backstage processes that take place just before the final catwalk that exhibits the designer's pride and joy for that season - after the clothes are ready of course. Basically, the work done on the models, the touch-ups, hair styles, how the clothes are all put together, et cetera. Just for that moment of reckoning, where the audience will view the clothing - and the decision of the fashion editors, movie stars and fashion icons will be made based on the what they see: inspiring or boring?

It just goes to show how vital society prizes first impressions to be. Often, much of what we notice about a person when we meet them for the first time tends to have a hold on our perception of them for a while, especially if our contact with them is infrequent. Fashion, perhaps, can be said to be the result of human being's desire to be physically striking/ remembered, especially in a more complimentary light. Why else do women search for the "perfect outfit" and a "good cut" that "compliments and enhances" them? They desire to be remembered in a good light.

To fashion something is to make something into a required form. In the context of society and physical appearance, this would usually refer to the adherence to popular clothing trends. Some would consider this to be part of a process where the individual in society is increasingly defined by the standards of society and what it demands, rather than by the choice of the individual himself/ herself, leading to the loss of personal identity. Yet, perhaps it can be argued as well that while admittedly, there may be some who pay no mind to their external appearance who stand as exceptions, many who so-called fashion themselves in a certain manner do so to identify themselves with a certain group with similar interests. For example, the cute “kawaii” Japanese girls with lots of ribbons and prints with cartoons, or the “emo” (emotional) youths that characteristically adopt styles such as skinny jeans and lots of eyeliner (though even within this particular group, there are many other ways of associating oneself with them by dressing). Simply by how one dresses, some aspects of their character and interests can be deduced. At times though, these first impressions are hardly justified and highly probable to change over time.

In my own experiences, I’ve met people who are so vastly different from how they appear at first glance that it’s almost amusing. Over time, their physical appearance – though from time to time still throwing me off balance, especially when they opt for a drastic change and I have not seen them for awhile – is discounted more and more, in place of who they actually are and the type of people they become to me.

What about you? Does the first impression of someone (especially by appearance) hold true for you throughout the entire course of interaction with them? Or how do you think the first impression one has of a person affect their behavior afterward?