Clothing, hairstyles, and accessories are things that we think about every day, even if it is only for a few minutes. When people discuss cultures, however, they often focus on other issues like religion, politics, or history.
This page includes information that may not reflect the current views and values of the Penn Museum.
Clothing, hairstyles, and accessories are things that we think about every day, even if it is only for a few minutes. When people discuss cultures, however, they often focus on other issues like religion, politics, or history.
I am a fashion major at Drexel and I’m really interested in material culture and the effect it has on economics and cultural identity. I hope the final exhibition talks about how fashion defines a cultural group and reflect the roles and the people within that group.
Yes, I think personal appearance important as a reflection of a larger cultural dialogue. The things we wear are meaningful in the context of the culture that created them.
Yes. I think personal appearance is a reflection of the cultural aesthetics a person is exposed to.
Absolutely. In any culture, an individual’s personal appearance is constructed by and in response to society’s conventions and expectations. By looking at personal appearance, sartorial trends, or body modification, so much is revealed about things like social values, cross-cultural influences, gender relations. It’s exciting!
Yes. Personal appearance usual reflects the values held by a culture.
[…] Kim Jones’ background and how he was inspired to use these Maasai prints in his collection. What do you think? How do Jones’ use and interpretation of traditional Maasai textiles stack up to the real […]
Looking specifically at Africa, what do the fashion trends tell us about societies. If you’ve never been google.image various countries and its people. Society groups Africa as if they all dress like the Massai when in reality a majority of the continent is wearing American and European hand-me-downs. What does this say about the continent?
The following entry is from students in Mr. Rooney’s World Cultures class at Saint Basil Academy, who researched this Imagine Africa theme as part of the course.
Yes, in general, personal appearance is a very important element when examining a culture. There are many different ways of expressing oneself. In Africa, they use colors and accessories to express themselves, and much more. Many cultures have a very specific style of dress that reflects their personality, rituals, beliefs, and people. In Africa, their styles and fashion are very colorful and symbolic, which reflects African way of life. It shows they have a strong belief in God or gods, and trust in them. In some cultures, they believe that every garment has a spiritual and symbolic meaning. Their ceremonial costumes depict their many rituals and traditions. They wear masks during weddings or other celebrations to represent their family heritage. Appearances can say many things about people, such as how they celebrate, what’s modern in their regions, and if their culture is made up of wealthy or poverty-stricken people. Each culture has different festivities, making each of their wardrobes very unique and fascinating. In many countries, you can tell what ethnic group they belong to from their fashion; it is very distinct. With that, most times you can recognize a culture by someone’s outward look. In many African cultures, they have a certain pattern of cloth, or a way of wearing the cloth that makes them stand out. Therefore, personal appearance is crucial in examining a culture.