Jeans in our Media (Blog 4)

For decades famous artists and personalities have influenced the minds of the youth by how they act, what they sing about, and also by how they dress.  As fans of a particular type of singer, an actor, or an athlete we take much interest in how they present themselves, especially by how they appear. Their outfits represent many aspects of their personalities so it comes to no surprise why the fans and the press take so much interest in celebrity outfits, especially their jeans. The one piece of clothing that Americans spent $15 billion in 2005 has been the icon of American fashion.

 When looking back at the Velvet Years of 1965 and looking at today’s trend in jeans fashion, we can see how music has influenced the industry. The trend cycle starts when artists of various music genres choose to wear a certain type of jeans, and then that artist advertises that specific style to their fans. This, in turn, dictates the fashion industry into producing to the masses that particular design, thus creating a fashion trend. From Eminem’s low, baggy style to The Fray’s straight cut jeans, singers of different genres of music have identified themselves with specific types of jeans. Since music is by far one of the biggest factors in defining cultures, the faces that represent the music industry influence their fans like none other. An icon of the music industry, Sean “Diddy” Combs, started his clothing line ‘Sean John’ in 1998 that specializes in jeans. His clothing line has become one of the most successful clothing enterprises in the world. The same goes for sports figures. For instance, the quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre; and the NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., both are the face of the mega jean company Wrangler. They both have appeared in numerous commercials that air during prime time television. This is just another example of how influential celebrities are.

Cultures are defined by what is popular, what the masses appeal to. In our society there is certainly no lack of celebrities or fashion designers, so when the two driving forces combine, people rush to see the latest fashions worn by their favorite personalities.

Jeans in our Media

For decades famous artists and personalities have influenced the minds of the youth by what they do, how they act, what they sing about, and also by how they dress.  As fans of a particular band or singer we take much interest in how they present themselves, especially by how they dress. Their outfits represent many aspects of their personalities so it comes to no surprise why people and the press take so much interest in celebrity fashions. One particular piece of clothing that is highly critiqued is jeans. The jeans that different celebrities wear create fashion trends and in turn model the fashion industry.

When looking back at the Velvet Years of 1965 and looking at today’s trend in jeans fashion, we can see how music has influenced the industry. It is particularly easy to observe that artists of different music genres adapt a particular style of jeans and symbolize that style of jeans with their cause. This affects the fans of different genres of music and thus creating different trends that catch on to the masses. From the hip–hop genre we have artists like lil’ Wayne that has recently started to wear skinny jeans recently and has caused his fans to also follow the trend. Another example would be that of Rap artist Eminem who has always worn baggy jeans and thus has fans that also wear baggy jeans along with fans of other Rap artists such as Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z. Other genres of music like alternative rock have portrayed the sort of straight jeans/regular fit jeans. In the 1960s, rock artists like The Beatles, wore tight jeans that fit just right. That trend still remains for a lot of rock music listeners.

It is understandable to see why fans follow their favorite personalities and allow them to influence different aspects of their lives, such as fashion. The sheer admiration for a singer can and does affect jean fashion trends.

Literacy Narrative - Wireless word

My day starts by getting a hold of my cell phone and checking what text messages, emails, Facebook updates, and Twitter updates I have received overnight. As I cruise through one update to the next I struggle to keep my eyes open as they are still struggling to stay closed. This is my daily routine, day in day out. I sometimes feel that modern technology has without a doubt taken hold of my daily life with a rather strong grip. As a few minutes have passed, I disable the last snooze on my alarm, which also happens to be on my phone. From there I begin to get up and plan my day ahead. As I leave my house, leave my classroom, or work I unconsciously pull out my cell phone and check the latest news, scores, and the local forecast.

Reading these short messages has become the way many people communicate nowadays. Text messaging is the center of it all, then come Facebook messages, and then Tweets. Writing them only requires some quick typing and it does not necessitate too much thinking as they are on average about a sentence or two. I personally find this very convenient. However, I do fear that these forms of communication have made us a little bit informal. But again, who is to blame as a big majority of society is to blame, including me.

Word count: 233

About me

Hey there

My name is Chaudhry Wahab and I have been a student at UMBC for longer than I should be. I foresee myself graduating in Financial Economics this upcoming spring season. I also work at the Mall in Columbia at a cell phone accessory kiosk. So if you ever need anything for your cell phones, stop by and I will be happy to help you.

This past month was very demanding yet rewarding for me, since it was the month of Ramadan and being a Muslim we are required to fast for 30 days, sunrise to sunset. And tomorrow is Eid ul Fitr, the day that culminates the month with celebrations and festivities. Being from Pakistan it is a little saddening as the floods have ravaged the whole nation. Therefore, this Eid is a little bittersweet for many Pakistanis.

I will be back next week, until then please visit my Pakistan Flood Relief page.

Word count: 155