DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES EXPERIENCED BY

PRIVATE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN BANGALORE

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO CHRIST UNIVERSITY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF APPLIED SOCIOLOGY

BY
JUPI BHUYAN
REGISTER NUMBER: 1424512

RESEARCH GUIDE
Dr. PRITHA DAS GUPTA
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
CHRIST UNIVERSITY, BANGALORE
2014-2016

DECLARATION
This is to certify that this research is done by me, Jupi Bhuyan 1424512, of Christ University,
Bangalore- under the guidance of Professor Pritha Das Gupta Head of Department of Sociology,
in fulfillment of 2rd Year, Semester VI examination, 2016.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
1

I am extremely grateful to my professor and supervisor, Pritha Das Gupta, for enhancing the
quality of my research, and constantly guiding me in every step of my project.
I would also like to acknowledge the help provided by the Professors of the Department of
Sociology, who have directly or indirectly contributed to my research.

I would like to acknowledge the contribution of my male and female respondents for cooperating
with me, throughout my research process.

I would especially like to thank my friends Smritika Gloria Surin and Navneet Das who have
helped me a lot with my research.

Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the contribution of my family for their constant support and
would like to thank all who have helped me with my research work.

CONTENTS
2

INTRODUCTION

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

METHODOLOGY

DATA TABULATION AND DATA ANALYSIS

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ANNEXURE

INTRODUCTION
3

Appearance is the most important factor in our daily lifestyle. In current society a person
appearance, dressing and clothing do matter a lot. Dressing sense is said to be the reflection of a
person's personality as well as it reflects the occasion for which the individual person attends.
Depending upon this person of different tastes, cultures and behavioral of works. Dresses or
clothes divided into casuals wear, formal wear, comfort wear, and traditional wear. As classified
above those all are situational and occasional wears. Here the main role is played by the issue of
dressing sense, it comes into picture .that means providing a sense of the situation and relating
our dress to a particular dress. That means wearing formals for office and blazers and trousers for
official purposes, wearing swimming wear as well as casuals when u go for beach locations A
good dressing sense can do wonders with the right kind of fashion. Dressing sense doesn't only
mean situational wearing of clothes but it also states the color combinations of your wear. Black
trousers and white shirts are the ideal and everlasting combinations in a similar way we can state
that any kind of dark shirts with light color trousers can also be stated as the ideal form of
dressing. As stated dressing sense can vary from gender to gender that means females and males
have different choice and their interest of dresses and coming to kids they also have dresses with
respect to their age groups. Fashions also place the main role part of our clothing and dresses. It's
not just a dress with a dress one should account his or her hairstyle, accessories, makeup etc. to
complete a full attire doesnt matter what attire but those are essential to complete a dress. For
instance, a watch or a pair of shoes defines his status and taste.
With this, a question arises why it is so necessary to dress accordingly to every situation,
occasions etc. its just because a person cannot stay without socializing. A human being is called
as social animal always tries to be a part of the society for which a dress or what one wears
matters a lot. A dress is about what material, color, and design it is. A dress is a way how one
defines oneself. It depicts ones confidence and self-esteem.
Dressing well is not all that important if you are good at what you do. But yes, a well-dressed
person is always taken more seriously and commands more attention from people especially in a
professional environment. We live in a world where appearance speaks before you do, sometimes
you need to look the part to play the part. Also, dressing well will boost your confidence and
that's when you will stop caring about people judging you. The need of this study is required to
find out how a person give importance to one's dress when he or she works out of his doorstep. It
is all about ones appearance presentation because they like to be presentable/well-dressed or
people do just to get importance and acceptance in the particular group in the society.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
India being a dynamic country have its own rich culture. It terms of every field it has its own
way of portraying its religion, customs, beliefs and tradition. And it differs from every state in
the country. As the article was reviewed it says that traditional clothing in India varies with
region, religion, and community. Every state of India has its own culture, customs and standard
of living to follow and to celebrate fairs and festivals with these traditions. Festivals are the best
way to explore India and its culture, which is unique in every state. India is a land of color and
varied cultures, so clear in the varied dresses that decorate its folks. It also points out the Indian
dressing styles are marked by many variations wide variety of conventional Indian clothing
includes sarees, salwar kameez, and Ghagra choli. Folk costumes are best to know the traditional
clothes and dress of Indian states.
Traditional clothing is a significant part of a regions history and identity. Some areas regard their
national dress as an unofficial uniform, to be worn only on ceremonial occasions. In other
societies, traditional clothing is mandatory for both men and women. However, in the 21 st
century is the personal choice in terms of everything is given more importance because people
are no more confined to ones own region or practicing rituals every now and then. It is far more
practically seen in terms of dressing because both male and female goes for work and wears
whatever it makes them comfortable.
As it is said dressing sense differs region to region followed by it is also seen the difference
between the rural and urban community. Because a person who belongs to the urban community,
his mindset, means of earning, standard of living is totally different from a person in the rural
community. After reviewing the article on the difference between rural and urban community it
says that rural community is an area which is underdeveloped and not civilized, based on
geographical conditions. This society is homogeneous in nature and the source of earning is
agriculture and this is transmitted from generation to generation. There is no sense in the people
out there to dress up in so many varieties. Whereas in urban areas there is an exposure where one
is conscious of their own self and the dresses they wear. There are various occasions to dress up
in urban areas and also people are conscious because people judge you in what type one dresses
up.
There is a big difference between urban and rural India. One of the major differences that can be
seen between rural India and urban India is their standards of living. People living in
urban India have better-living conditions than those living in the rural parts of India. There is a
large economic gap between rural and urban India. Rural areas are less modern and open than
urban areas. Here rural people are not extremely excepting anything like urban people. Live in
the society was very simple and reflected in the way of living, dressing, food habits and manners
etc. However, life in the city is not simple but very complex and complicated.

Authors have argued that purdah is not merely a religious symbol tied to a belief system, but it
is also a symbol of purity and honor particularly among richer families who are more conscious
of their high social status. With regard to the religious custom, most rich families simply do not
permit their women to go outside their home. Due to the practice of purdah, women are
generally prohibited from going into the public and they are mostly restricted to the home. Social
exclusion plays a major role in this purdah system. Because of the dress code they have, people
judge them as conservative and orthodox for which they tend to lag behind in certain ways. For
the particular dress code, they wear it molds their personality where they are not open to any
other people. The purdah tends to suppress the woman in the society. However, it also shows the
dominance of a man in the society and makes man privilege in every field in the society in this
religion.
The importance of a dress code for professionalism varies somewhat by industry, but the
correlation between the two is generally strong. Some companies prefer to allow employees to
dress freely or casually for comfort, which works in more creative work environments. However,
companies in which employees routinely interact with prospects, clients, and business partners
typically need a dress code to maintain a professional image. Formal dress code is always
appreciated in an organization, does not matter if it is mandatory or not. It shows how a person is
professional in his own workplace and also comfort zone to be an essential part when it comes to
an organization. A dress in a corporate world should be simple and comfortable. Small
businesses may benefit by maintaining a strong professional image.
The nature of professional dress is somewhat tied to our industry. The professional behavior for a
lawyer, for example, is likely different from that of a retail store manager or manufacturing plant
worker. However, the standard of professionalism remains constant in that each of these workers
is generally expected to exhibit traits and behaviors up to a certain standard of excellence for
someone in his position. This also brings out the importance of dressing according to an occasion
or situation. It is not to follow a style statement but also to fulfill the basic needs or expectation
of a person which one holds in a society. An attire should not hurt ones sentiments, for instance,
in a funeral a person have that consciousness in his mind that he should not wear anything loud
which would not be appreciated by people out there. Yes, dressing differently or maintaining
ones own style of dressing uniquely is always appreciated, it shows how creative or innovative
one is to dress like that but he or she also have that sense when and where he or she is wearing.
One should always dress where nobodys sentiments are hurt.
Fashion designing today is a lucrative profession. It also depends on a person how he or she
looks at this particular industry. The stereotype is always seen in this field either in the designer
or the model. As article reviewed it says that thousands of people are employed in this field.
Dressmaking firms engage fashion designers and beautiful models to boost the sales of their
dresses. Fashion parades and shows are held to exhibit the latest dresses. Fashion and modeling
have generated a great enthusiasm among young people for physical fitness.
6

Earlier, fashion used to be found only among the affluent class of people. But now the times have
changed. Now, the class doesnt matter in any way on the road to becoming fashionable. In fact,
everybody is fashionable these days. We can hardly see anyone on the streets who isnt fashion
conscious. One of the many factors responsible for the spread and the craze of fashion among
people so much is Television and Internet. Fashion or style in the colloquial language can be
called contagious because people get influenced by one who already is fashion conscious. Being
fashion conscious not only makes you popular among your folks but also upgrades your
confidence level. Celebrity fashion is one more factor for which people becomes fashion
conscious because a person tends to follow his or her favorite actor on the television. Moreover,
celebrity is forced to wear designer wears and also conscious of what is in trend from a hair color
to the nail paint one should put on ones toe.
There are some who say that 1960s hippie fashion is a bit of an oxymoron because the idea of the
counterculture was that it was nonconformist. Though the clothing was worn as a means of selfexpression, not a way of following the latest trends, there are certain recognizable styles that
made a big impact on the fashion world.
Hippies (derived from the word hipster) were the natural outgrowth of the Beat movement in
the 1950s. Interested in an alternative lifestyle and rebelling against a society grown increasingly
conformist and repressive, they were focused on freedom and getting back to nature. Their
clothing was often loose and made of natural fibers like cotton and hemp. Men and women grew
their hair long and eschewed products and fussy styling (although, contrary to popular belief,
they did still shampoo). The black turtlenecks and trousers worn by the Beatniks, male and
female, morphed into peasant blouses and jeans. Anything handmade, whether sewn, knit or
woven as macram, was prized. Gradually, this extended towards dyeing one's own clothes and
the colorful tie-dye style became popular
While this was not the first time in fashion history that a youth movement affected the clothing
industry, it did have the strongest impact. Designers found themselves very much taking their
cues from the young people, and never again would the majority of American women be dictated
to by the fashion industry. Trends continue to come and go, but women who found their own
style and individuality in the 1960s have never let it go and passed much of it on to their
daughters.
Clothes offer a field in which we can explore the cultural constitution of age. Clothes are
Cultural artifacts, embedded in current and historical sets of meanings, shaped by social and
economic forces, reflecting current social and cultural concerns. Among these sets of meanings
are assumptions about the nature of age and its role within the social order. As we have seen
clothes have historically been age ordered, reflecting embedded assumptions about age and its
role in society. Age has always been a one of the key structuring principles, and we should not be
surprised to find it reflected at the bodily level in the clothes that people wear. Indeed, part of the
wider role of clothes, as we noted, is to render social difference concrete and visible. But these
7

traditional forms of age ordering are increasingly under pressure. The democratization of fashion
and the growth of involvement of older people in consumption are in the process of changing the
nature of age ordering in a dress in ways that point to wider shifts in the experience and
understanding of later years. We now have what appears to be an extended plateau of late middle
years, broken only by the onset of serious disability or illness, in which there is cultural
continuity with earlier stages and cohorts, cemented by the common field of Consumption. Dress
is part of this.
Clothing also enables us to address questions of the plasticity of the body and identity. Though
clothes need to be seen as cultural artifacts, they operate in conjunction with an in response to the
body, so that their materiality needs to reflect the materiality of the body. In the case of older
bodies, this means responding to changes that occur as people age, so that the nature of clothing
for older people is to some degree determined, or at least influenced, by such changes. Although
we rightly focus on the ways in which the body and aging are both culturally defined, constituted
in and through discourses, embedded in cultural meanings, we need to retain a sense also of their
physicality and the interplay that occurs around this. Clothes can indeed be a means for
individuals to present themselves ways that are less compromised by the negative stereotypes of
wider culture, embodied in frumpy, drab, self-effacing older persons dress. Clothes have
particular significance here because of their capacity to stand alone as artifacts, separate from the
individual and their body though at the same time acting as an intermediary between the body
and its public presentation. Unlike the face or hair, or other aspects of the bodily appearance,
they are wholly cultural productions, and they can literally be put on or off.
But as we noted, this capacity to transform and redefine is limited. Clothes operate in
conjunction with the body; there is an interplay between the two. An old body in youthful dress
is not transformed but exaggerated. Adopting youthful styles, or, at least, avoiding age-associated
ones, can help to present the self in a less clearly age defined manner. All of this supports the
view that identities are to some degree optional, but the extent of this has been over emphasized.
The postmodern dream of fluidity and self-fashioning has been exaggerated, certainly in regard
to old age and the role that appearance and dress play in its constitution. As many critics have
commented, old age is not optional even in the land of postmodernity.
These days social mobility increased, people are becoming highly brand conscious. Renowned
brand labels on eatables, outfits, footwears and electronics give satisfaction to the conspicuous
consumers. They are becoming more self-conscious, which raise the temptation to them to follow
the craze of the brand race. The street trends are getting down market and latest styles tagged
with the brand name are dominating the market. This writing can be moved in different
directions, for instance, we can say signature wear raise the confidence level. The quality,
comfort, and style become a major motivation for getting designer stuff and it gives a great boost
to the personal ego. If we move to another aspect, social pressure is a major factor for choosing
branded things. Even some say brand helps them to become a style icon. Stereotype shoppers
today are highly brand obsessed. These snobs are mainly categorized into youth and the working
8

class. Youth prefers brand because it gives them funky style. Whereas working class is particular
about using branded products so their personality can be enhanced and also gives them
sophisticated and professional look.
Youth is conscious about the brand but they do not stick to one brand in daily life as they have
many options to go for. If we look gender wise girls are more conscious about brands. These
days, youth focus on brand name and its quality as well so the overall results show youth are
aware of the brands. In Pakistan, many brands are targeting a new generation of different
segments.
The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life was the first book to treat face-to-face interaction as a
subject of sociological study. Goffman treated it as a kind of report in which he frames out the
theatrical performance that applies to face-to-face interactions. He believed that when an
individual comes in contact with other people, that individual will attempt to control or guide the
impression that others might make of him by changing or fixing his or her setting, appearance,
and manner. At the same time, the person the individual is interacting with is trying to form and
obtain information about the individual.
Goffman also believed that all participants in social interactions are engaged in certain practices
to avoid being embarrassed or embarrassing others. This led to Goffman's dramaturgical analysis.
Goffman saw a connection between the kinds of acts that people put on in their daily life and
theatrical performances.
In social interaction, as in theatrical performance, there is a front region where the actors
(individuals) are on stage in front of the audiences. This is where the positive aspect of the idea
of self and desired impressions are highlighted. There is also a back region or stage that can also
be considered as a hidden or private place where individuals can be themselves and set aside
their role or identity in society.
According to Goffman, the social actor has the ability to choose his stage and props as well as
the costume he would wear in front of a specific audience. The actor's main goal is to keep
coherent and adjust to the different settings offered him. This is done mainly through interaction
with other actors. To a certain extent this imagery bridges structure and agency enabling each
while saying that structure and agency can limit each other.
Fashion is viewed by some as retrograde, profligate, superficial, even anti-feminist, while others
have a deep passion for fashion and describe themselves as fashion addicts or fashion junkies.
Fashion being a largely female dominated sphere generally affects womens lives more than
it does mens. Drawing on Erik Eriksons theory of development and identity formation in which
an individuals development spans his or her lifetime, this paper explores the different ways in
which womens identities are shaped by, and expressed through, fashion. It also discusses the

notion that being fashionable is anti-feminist and explores the various ways in which fashion can
be used to achieve feminist objectives.
A matter of identity
"You ought to have some papers to show who you are," the police officer advised me.
"I do not need any paper. I know who I am," I said.
"Maybe so. Other people are also interested in knowing who you are."
--B. Traven, the Death Ship
Our identities are not only ours to form and to anchor our existence on; they guide other peoples
interaction and behavior towards us. A myriad of opportunities exists to present or express
ourselves to the people around us, to guide them about how they should act towards us, to have
their actions towards us reinforce our identities or to disregard them when they fail to. We have
bio lines or about me pages on online social platforms, signatures at the end of our emails,
passports and identification cards, body language, opinions, behavior and mannerisms, and tools
with which we communicate our identities. And visual communication of our identities through
dress and/or fashion is ubiquitous and a fundamental tool that proclaims who we are, both to
ourselves and to people around us. Getting dressed every day is a compulsory, non-negotiable
activity for most people; we can hardly ever exercise our preferences on the matter. Instead, we
decide how to execute the dressing process. What we choose to wear can determine rejection or
acceptance into different social groups, whether or not we get a job, a promotion, respect,
admiration, and attention. Our dressing and fashion choices have psychological, social, political
and economic meanings and consequences.
Identity is a complex and sometimes ambiguous concept, which can be loosely understood as the
set of different meanings that define a person in his/her society (Burke 1980). An attempt to
understand identity has resulted in an agreement by scholars of the subject that we possess
multiple identities. There is three widely accepted basis of identity social, role and personal
identity. Our overall identities are a blend of the three identities we possess. We play different
roles in society one could be a student, mother, daughter, wife, politician, woman, mentor and
many others. The roles we play in society dictate our identities and our identities prescribe our
feelings, mannerisms, thoughts and general behavior. Our identities are inextricably linked to our
society; we cannot be understood outside our societies, as Erik Erikson postulated. Personal
identities are tied more to individuals than they are to social and role identities. The three bases
of identities social, role and personal are interrelated but expressed separately in separate
contexts (Burke, Stets, 2000).
In discussing how fashion has shaped the identity of women, we must examine the ways in
which fashion has shaped womens social identities, role identities, and personal identities. Greg
Stone (1962: p. 93) says a persons identity is established when others place him as a social
object by assigning him the same words of identity that he appropriates for himself. According
to Stone, outward appearance and presentation helps in forming and maintaining ones identity.

10

Presenting ourselves in whichever way we choose proclaims to the society and to ourselves the
identity we are enacting or embodying.
According to the American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929), the degree of
personal insecurity you display in social situations is determined by what you believe other
people think of you. This theory of Cooley is relevant in this research because it is the self that is
inside a man. It can be anything related to a self-image portraying to others in terms of
personality and wisdom. Here, a dress plays a major role where people think twice what to wear
each day matching with particular occasion and situation because of the feeling of getting judged
by other people around.
Cooleys concept of the looking glass self, states that a persons self grows out of a persons
social interactions with others. The view of ourselves comes from the contemplation of personal
qualities and impressions of how others perceive us. Actually, how we see ourselves does not
come from who we really are, but rather from how we believe others see us. One imagines how
he appears to others. One imagines the judgments that others may be making regarding that
appearance. One develops a self- image via their reflection; that is, the judgments or critique of
others. There are not many among a general population who do not imagine how they must look
to others, how their actions must look to those observing, and finally-changing themselves or
perhaps rebelling against change due to the judgments of others they interact with. A large
portion of personalities are determined by their reactions to appearance, speech, belief, actions,
and so on. The above quote explains one of Charles Horton Cooleys many theories that were
written. The Looking Glass Self is a concept where we become what or who we think others
think we should be. This theory argues that we develop a sense of self based upon how we think
others perceive us.
According to Cooley, the development of a sense of self is always ongoing and happens with
interaction. As stated by Cooley, we become who we are based not on how others actually see
us, and not on how they judge us, but on how we think they will judge us based on what we think
they perceive(Cooley 1902). Its that feeling you get when youre in a large crowd, and all eyes
are on you, and youre thinking people think that you look a little weird.
Most importantly a dress is not just about fashion. It goes beyond. A dress depicts who you are.
A dress defines what type of person you are what is your taste in every field of life. Its not the
only youth who is conscious about their style of dressing its from an infant how a mother makes
him or she look through a simple frock or shoes, to an aged man who is conscious maybe of
maintaining his status he holds in a society. Hence, all this is about the acceptance a person needs
in a group where she or he wants to be a part of it maybe in a peer group, community, the
corporate world or any other institution and organization.

11

METHODOLOGY
Methodology refers to the philosophy of the research process, which is a significant part of any
research endeavor. This includes the assumptions and values that serve as a rationale for research
and the standards or criteria the researcher uses for interpreting data and reaching conclusions.
A researchers methodology denotes such factors as how he/she writes a hypothesis and what
level of evidence is necessary to make the decision, whether or not to reject the hypothesis.
In other words, the hypothesis is a tentative and testable proposition that, predicts a particular
relationship between two or more variables, if we think that a relationship exists; the first state it
as a hypothesis and then test the hypothesis in the field.
Websters (1968) definition of hypothesis is, a tentative assumption made in order to draw out
and test its logical and empirical consequences.hypothesis implies insufficiency of presently
attainable evidence and, therefore, a tentative explanation. Our definition is only slightly
different. A hypothesis, as we will use the term, is a tentative explanation for which the evidence
necessary for testing is at least potentially available. By test, we mean either to conform it to our
satisfaction or to prove it wrong.
A hypothesis is clearly not the statement of wishful thinking or of value. The hypothesis is
merely a statement, as yet tentative and unproven of what the researcher thinks the facts are. For
the statement to be proved, it must be tested as precisely as possible.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
Humans engage in the act of dressing every day, with a wide range of supplements and
modifications to the body. Dress is an assemblage of those supplements and modifications, and it
is also an act or a behavior. How we dress and with what communicates a world of information
about the individualin relationship to others and to society at large. In this questionnaire, I
want to examine how a dress relates to culture and society to understand the meaning of dress in
different places and over time.
12

My dissertation topic mainly centers on the acceptance of dressing styles in different parts of
society. This research is to see whether an attire really makes a difference for an acceptance in a
particular group or society. To see whether personalities and attitudes are judged on the basis of
dressing sense. To analyze social inclusion as well as exclusion are manipulated by dressing
sense

RESEARCH DESIGN
A research design is a systematic plan of studying a particular social problem. The design of a
study defines the study type and subtype. Research design can be classified as:

Exploratory research (focuses on What questions)

Descriptive research (focuses on Who and How questions)
Explanatory research (focuses on Why questions)

Exploratory research is conducted in the interest of getting to know or increasing our

understanding of a new phenomenon or a researched one. It rarely yields definitive answers and
frequently uses qualitative techniques.
Descriptive research offers a detailed picture or account of some social phenomenon, setting,
group etc. It is very important to be precise and pay attention to facts, focusing on- How did it
happen? Who is involved, the frequency of occurrence. It is therefore aligned with quantitative
methods.

Explanatory research looks at causes and reasons, why a particular relationship exists, why is a
particular event occurring. Quantitative methods are mainly used in explanatory research.
The research design for my dissertation topic is explanatory as well as exploratory. It is
explanatory because through my research I want to find out about the social exclusion and
inclusion of a person due to his or her style of dressing. I want to find out the cause and reasons
of the exclusion and inclusion of people in the society. It also looks through the peoples
consciousness of presenting themselves and what actually people feel what is an ideal dress to
present oneself.
The research design for my dissertation topic is exploratory to a certain extent because my topic
focuses on getting to know what the reasons behind such an importance in one dress. I am trying
to increase my understanding of the phenomenon of dressing and how it manipulates human
mind to judge a person through the way one dresses. I have utilized relatively small samples for
my study in order to get first hand up-close information.
13

The primary purpose of my research is to examine the issue of acceptance as a problem, to

develop preliminary ideas and move towards refined research questions by focusing especially
on why and what questions.

SAMPLING
Sampling refers to a planned way of selecting subjects for ones research. Samples include coins,
diaries, artifacts, films, group of individuals and so on. The samples for my project are a group of
individuals mainly consisting of the youth. Sampling designs are divided into:

Probability sampling
Non-probability sampling

Probability sampling enhances the likelihood of accomplishing this aim and also provides
methods for estimating the degree of probable success. There are four types of probability
sampling:

Simple random sampling: where each and every unit of the population has an equal nonzero and specifiable chance for getting selected in the sample. It is applicable in the case
of a homogeneous population.

Systematic sampling: is denoted by the term Kth element. This Kth element is
supposed to be our sample unit. It is applicable in the case of a homogeneous population.

Stratified sampling: is a method of obtaining a greater degree of representativeness by

increasing the probable error.

Multistage cluster sampling: where clusters are sampled in multistage that is why it is
called multistage cluster sampling. This sampling involves the repetition of two basic
steps; listing and sampling.

Non- probability sampling is just the opposite of probability sampling. This type of sampling
includes:

Convenience sample: which is used when time is less, less skill of the researcher, the
population is mobile, less expertise.

14

Judgmental sampling: where the researcher knows the purpose and judgment of his
research and also his respondents.

Quota sample: this is always represented in terms of percentages.

Snowball sample: where the sample size gets bigger and bigger with the help of samples
themselves.

The selection of my sample population follows a Non-probability sampling, which includes

convenience sample and judgmental sample. A convenience sample is available to sample which
appears able to offer answers of interest to your study. Therefore, I choose this particular sample
for my study because it was more convenient. My sample includes judgmental sampling as well
because I have chosen my respondents who know the purpose and judgment of the research.
My sample population consists of the students and employees of our society who are taking the
age group from 20 years to 26 years. My sample size includes a total of 40 respondents.

VARIABLES
A variable is something that is liable to vary, in research attribute is a characteristic of an object
person or thing. The attribute is often intuitive; the variable is an operationalized way in which
the attribute is represented for further data processing. Therefore, variables make research work
easy because it converts social characteristics into measurable forms that can be analyzed.
The variable for my research is occupation and gender. As my research mainly focuses on
grasping the viewpoints of both the genders from different occupation and compare it I have
made gender and occupation the variable for my research. My research talks about the
acceptance of dressing, therefore, an attire becomes a necessary variable I have therefore tried to
analyze the of the need or importance of dressing through occupation differentiating the views of
employees and students from different age group.

RESEARCH TOOL
I have conducted a survey with the help of a questionnaire. My research tool is a questionnaire
which includes closed ended questions.
I have structured my questionnaire in such a way that gives me precise answers. The closedended question is in a format of yes or no, these close-ended questions I formulated in such a
15

way that the respondents gives an idea about themselves and also how they view other people
from the way they dress. Therefore to conclude I did not face an ethical dilemma as such in my
research process, and the methodology adopted in my research helped me get the required
information related to my topic.

Data Tabulation and Interpretation

(On the basis of my data collection, I have made the following observations, which have been
tabulated and analyzed below)
TABULATION AND ANALYSIS OF PERSONAL DETAILS:

TABLE NO.1: SEX WISE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Gender
Frequency Percent
Valid Male
19
47.5
Female
21
52.5
Total
40
100.0

Valid
Percent
47.5
52.5
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
47.5
100.0

My sample population consists of 40 respondents. The respondents are not equally divided which
consists of 19 males that is 47.5% and 21 females that is 52.5% of the total of 100%, all of whom
are students of different colleges and employees of organizations.

Sex of Respondents in %

16

TABLE NO.2: AGE WISE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONDENTS:

Age of the respondent

Valid
Frequency Percent
Percent
Valid 19-22
11
27.5
27.5
23-26
23
57.5
57.5
27-30
6
15.0
15.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
27.5
85.0
100.0

In my sample population, out of 40 respondents that make a total of 100%, 11 respondents fall
under the age group of 19-22 years that is 27.5% of the total, 23 respondents fall under the age
group of 23-26 years that is 57.5% of the total and there are 6 respondents who fall under the age
group of 27-30 years, therefore, it is 15%.

Age of Respondents in %

17

TABLE NO.3: OCCUPATION OF RESPONDENTS:

Occupation of the respondent

Valid
Frequency Percent
Percent
Valid employee
16
40.0
40.0
student
24
60.0
60.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
40.0
100.0

In my sample population, out of 40, that makes 100%, 16 respondents that are 40% are
employees and 24 respondents that are 60 % are students since my research mainly focuses on
grasping the viewpoints of both students and employees.

Occupation of Respondents in %

18

TABLE NO.5: RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:

Religion
Frequency Percent
Valid Hindu
23
57.5
Muslim
4
10.0
Christian
11
27.5
other
2
5.0
Total
40
100.0

Valid
Cumulative
Percent
Percent
57.5
57.5
10.0
67.5
27.5
95.0
5.0
100.0
100.0

My research doesnt have a religious aspect to it but I have distributed my questionnaire in a way
that out of 40 respondents that are, out of a total of 100%, 23 respondents are Hindus which
make up 57.5 of the total percentage. 11 respondents are Christians which makes up 27.5% and 4
respondents are Muslims that is 10% and 2 respondents that are 5% falls under the category of
others.

19

TABLE NO.6: NATIONALITY:

Nationality
Frequency Percent
Valid Indian
37
92.5
Other
3
7.5
Total
40
100.0

Valid
Cumulative
Percent
Percent
92.5
92.5
7.5
100.0
100.0

In my sample population out of 40 respondents that make 100% out of which, 37 respondents
that are 92.5 % are Indians and 3 falls under the category of Non-Indians that is 7.5%.

20

TABULATION AND ANALYSIS OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS:

TABLE NO.1: % RESPONDENTS WHO Consider A PROPER DRESS HAS AN

IMPORTANT IMPACT ON PRESENTING THEMSELVES

Yes
Valid No
Total

Necessity of proper dress

Frequency Percent
Valid
Percent
39
97.5
97.5
1
2.5
2.5
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
97.5
100.0

In this table, it is very visible enough that out of 40 respondents that are out of 100%, 97.5%
accepts that a proper attire is a need to present themselves. It also shows that 1 respondent do not
consider a proper dress is not a necessity to present one. Therefore, out of 100%, 97.5% are in
the favor of proper dress to present themselves and 2.5% that is 1 respondent do not feel that it is
important to present one.
21

TABLE NO.2: % OF RESPONDENTS WHO CONSIDERS CULTURE AND ECONOMIC

CONDITIONS PLAYING MAJOR ROLE TO PRESENT THEMSELVES

Valid Yes
No
Total

Culture and economic condition

Valid
Frequency Percent
Percent
33
82.5
82.5
7
17.5
17.5
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
82.5
100.0

In this table, it shows whether culture and economic conditions affects in one's way of dressing.
It shows that 33 respondents agree with the fact that yes, culture and economics does affect the
way one dresses up and 7 says culture and economic condition doesnt affect it much. Therefore,
out of 100% of the sample population, 82.5% do agree that culture and economic conditions
have an impact on dressing and 17.5% doesnt agree that culture and economic conditions have
an impact on dressing.

22

TABLE NO.3: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHETHER AN ATTIRE PLAYS A ROLE IN

ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION IN A GROUP
Acceptance or rejection in a group
Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
28
70.0
70.0
70.0
No
12
30.0
30.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows whether people face acceptance and rejection within a group. It shows that
28 respondents agree with the fact that yes, an attire has a role in acceptance and rejection in a
role and 12 of them says that an attire has no role in acceptance and rejection in a group.
Therefore, out of 100% of the sample population, 70% agrees an attire has a role in acceptance
and rejection and 30% of the sample population do not agree with the fact that an attire has no
role in the acceptance and rejection of a person.

23

TABLE NO.4: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHETHER THEY DRESS ACCORDING

TO OCASSION AND SITUATION
Dress according to occasion/situation
Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid yes
36
90.0
90.0
90.0
No
4
10.0
10.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population in terms of dressing according to occasion
and situation. It shows that 36 respondents agree with the fact that yes, they dress according to
the occasion or situation and 4 respondents says that they do not dress up according to an
occasion or any situation. Therefore, out of 100% of the sample population, 90% of the
population says that they dress according to the occasion and 10 % says that they do not dress in
occasions.

24

TABLE NO.5: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO FEELS DRESSING HAS AN

INFLUENCE ON ONES PERSONALITY

Yes
Valid No
Total

Influence on your personality

Frequency Percent
Valid
Percent
28
70.0
70.0
12
30.0
30.0
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
70.0
100.0

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population in terms of dressing whether it have an
influence on ones personality. It shows that 28 respondents agree with the fact that yes, a dress
influences a persons personality and 12 respondents say that they do not think that a dress
influences on ones personality. Therefore, out of 100% of the sample population, 70% of the
population said that they feel dress has an influence on ones personality and 30 % said that a
dress has no influence on a personality.

25

TABLE NO.6: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO FEELS A SENSE OF ACCEPTANCE

IN A PARTICULAR PEER GROUP/COMMUNITY FOR A DRESS

Acceptance in a pure group or community

Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
32
80.0
80.0
80.0
No
8
20.0
20.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether they feel a sense of acceptance in a
particular peer group or community. It shows that 32 respondents agree with the fact that yes,
they feel acceptance in a peer group and 12 respondents say that they do not feel accepted in a
peer group of the way they dress. Therefore, out of 100% of the sample population, 80% of the
population said that they feel dress has an influence on acceptance in a peer group or community
and 20% said that a dress has no influence has nothing to do with acceptance in a peer group or
community.

26

TABLE NO.7: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHETHER THEY DRESS TO MAINTAIN

IDENTITY IN THE SOCIETY.

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether they dress to maintain their
identity in the society. It shows that 26 respondents agree with the fact that yes, they feel that to
maintain an identity in the society dressing is a must and 14 respondents say that they do not feel
that dressing is that important to maintain ones identity in the society. Therefore, out of 100% of
the sample population, 65% of the population said that they feel dress has an influence on an
individuals identity and 35% said that a dress has no influence in maintaining ones identity in
the society.

27

Valid Yes
No
Total

Dress to maintain identity

Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
26
65.0
65.0
65.0
14
35.0
35.0
100.0
40

100.0

100.0

TABLE NO.8: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHETHER THEY FEEL THAT THEY ARE
BEING JUDGED BY THE WAY THEY DRESS

Valid Yes
No
Total

Feeling of getting judged

Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
23
57.5
57.5
57.5
17
42.5
42.5
100.0
40
100.0
100.0

28

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether they feel that they are being
judged by the way they dress in the society. It shows that 23 respondents agree with the fact that
yes, they feel that dressing does brings a sense of judgment in other peoples mind. And 14
respondents says that they do not feel that they are being judged by other people regarding their
dress in the society. Therefore, out of 100% of the sample population, 57.5% of the population
said that they feel that they are being judged by the way they are dressed and 42.5% said that
they do not feel that they are being judged based on their dress by others in the society.

TABLE NO.9: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WITH THE OPINION THAT A PERSONS

MODESTY IS DEFINED THROUGH HIS/HER CLOTHING IN THE SOCIETY

Valid No

Opinion on person's modesty

Valid
Frequency Percent
Percent
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
100.0

In this table, it is very visible enough that out of 40 respondents that are out of 100%, 40 said
yes that a persons modesty is defined by his/her dressing. It also shows that not even a single
29

respondent considers that an individuals modesty is not considered by his/her dressing.

Therefore, out of 100%, 100% are in the favor that modesty of an individual is defined by his/her
clothing or dressing.

TABLE NO.10: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO BELIEVE THAT person WHO

DRESS TRADITIONALLY ARE NARROW MINDED
People dressing traditionally are narrow-minded
Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid yes
16
40.0
40.0
40.0
no
24
60.0
60.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows the % of the sample population who believe that people who dress
traditionally are narrow-minded. It shows that 16 respondents agree with the fact that yes, they
believe that people who dress traditionally are narrow-minded and 14 respondents say that they
30

do not believe that if an individual dress up traditionally he/she is narrow-minded. Therefore, out
of 100% of the sample population, 40% of the population said that they believe that people
dressing traditionally are narrow-minded and 60% said that they do not believe that people
dressing traditionally are narrow-minded.

TABLE NO.11: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO ARE OF THE OPINION THAT A

PERSONS CHARACTER IS REFLECTED THROUGH HIS/HER DRESSING
Person's character reflecting through dressing
Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
12
30.0
30.0
30.0
No
28
70.0
70.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether people are of the opinion that a
persons character is reflected in the way people dress. It shows that 12 respondents agree with
the fact that yes, they a persons character is reflected in the way they dress and 28 respondents
said that they do not believe that an individuals character is defined by a dress. Therefore, out of
100% of the sample population, 30% of the population said that they believe that people dressing
31

reflect his or her character and 70% said that they do not believe that people dressing help in
reflecting ones character.

TABLE NO.12: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO PREFERS TO DRESS ON A

REGULAR BASIS FOR INSTITUTIONS OR ORGANIZATION

Valid Yes
No
Total

Dressing on regular basis

Valid
Frequency Percent
Percent
21
52.5
52.5
19
47.5
47.5
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
52.5
100.0

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether people dresses up on a regular
basis. It shows that 21 respondents agree with the fact that yes, they dress up on a regular basis
and 19 respondents said that they do not dress up on a regular basis. Therefore, out of 100% of
the sample population, 52.5% of the population said that they dress up regularly and 47.5% said
that they do not dress up regular for their college or office.

32

TABLE NO.13: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO FEELS PEOPLE ARE

OVERDRESSED FOR A PARTICULAR OCCASION/EVENT
Overdressing for a particular event
Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
37
92.5
92.5
92.5
No
3
7.5
7.5
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether the respondents feels that
sometimes people are overdressed for a particular occasion. It shows that 37 respondents agree
with the fact that yes, people are overdressed for a particular occasion and 3 respondents said
that they do not feel any people are overdressed for a particular occasion. Therefore, out of 100%
of the sample population, 92.5% of the population said that yes people are overdressed for a
particular event and 7.5% said that they do not feel people are overdressed for an occasion or
event.

33

TABLE NO.14: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO FEELS PEOPLE DRESSES

CASUALLY FOR A PARTICULAR OCCASIONS

Valid Yes
No
Total

Casual dressing for occasion

Valid
Frequency Percent
Percent
25
62.5
62.5
15
37.5
37.5
40
100.0
100.0

Cumulative
Percent
62.5
100.0

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether the respondents feels that
sometimes people are too casual for a particular occasion. It shows that 25 respondents agree
with the fact that yes, people are overdressed for a particular occasion and 15 respondents said
that they do not feel that any people are casually dressed for a particular occasion. Therefore, out
of 100% of the sample population, 62.5% of the population said that yes people are too casually
dressed for a particular event and 37.5% said that they do not feel people are casually dressed for
an occasion or event.

34

TABLE NO.15: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO THINKS A DRESS CODE IN AN

INSTITUTE OR ORGANIZATION IS GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE AND ITS
ENVIRONMENT

Dress code in institution/organization

Valid
Cumulative
Valid Yes
No
Total

Frequency Percent
18
45.0
22
55.0
40
100.0

Percent
45.0
55.0
100.0

Percent
45.0
100.0

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether the respondents thinks that a dress
code in an institute is important or the people and its environment. It shows that 18 respondents
agree with the fact that yes, the dress code is necessary for an institute and 22 respondents said
that they do not feel that there should be a dress code in an organization. Therefore, out of 100%
of the sample population, 45% of the population said that yes dress code is important and 55%
said that they do not feel dress code is a necessary part of an institution.

35

TABLE NO.16: % OF THE RESPONDENTS ADDING THEIR OWN STYLE IN THE

DRESS CODE OF AN INSTITUTE TO LOOK DIFFERENT

Addition of own style in dress code

Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
21
52.5
52.5
52.5
No
19
47.5
47.5
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0

In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether the respondents adds their own
style to the dress code of an institute to look different. It shows that 21 respondents agree with
the fact that yes, they do add their own style to the dress code of an institute and 19 respondents
said that they do not add their own style in the dress code. Therefore, out of 100% of the sample
population, 52.5% of the population said that yes they add their own style to dress and 47.5%
said that they do not add their own style in an institute.

36

TABLE NO.17: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO BELIEVE THAT A WELL-DRESSED

PERSON IS MORE CONFIDENT AND PREFERABLE

Confidence of well-dressed person

Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
36
90.0
90.0
90.0
No
4
10.0
10.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether the respondent who believe that a
well-dressed person is more confident and preferable. It shows that 36 respondents agree with
the fact that yes, an individual who is properly dressed always feels more confident and they are
preferred everywhere and 19 respondents said that they do not believe that proper dressing is
required to build up confidence nor it is preferred everywhere. Therefore, out of 100% of the
sample population, 90% of the population said that yes they believe that a properly dressed
person is more confident and preferred and 10% said that they do not believe that only properly
dressed person is more confident and preferred everywhere in the society.
.

37

TABLE NO.19: % OF THE RESPONDENTS WHO FEELS THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE
DISRESPECTING OTHERS BY THE WAY THEY ARE DRESSED

Disrespecting others, by the way, they are dressed

Valid
Cumulative
Frequency Percent
Percent
Percent
Valid Yes
26
65.0
65.0
65.0
No
14
35.0
35.0
100.0
Total
40
100.0
100.0
In this table, it shows the % of the sample population whether the respondents feels that some
people are disrespecting others by the way they are dressed. It shows that 26 respondents feel
that some people are disrespecting others by the way they are dressed and 14 respondents said
that they do not believe that people disrespect others by the way they are dressed. Therefore, out
of 100% of the sample population, 65% of the population said that yes they feel that if an
individual is not properly dressed then some people in the society doesnt give respect and 35%
said that they do not feel that people don't disrespect others by the way they dress.

38

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
My research on Dressing Sense and its Acceptance in The Society aimed to find out whether an
attire really makes a difference for an acceptance in a particular group or society. It also aims to
see whether personalities and attitudes are judged on the basis of dressing sense and to analyze
social inclusion, as well as exclusion, are manipulated by dressing sense. In a country like India
where a variety of culture and tradition exists it is very difficult to reach any concrete conclusion.
Hence, I approached to the different institution as well as the organization and took peoples
review on their thinking of dressing.
The total sample population of my research is 40 respondents, divided into 21 female and 19
male respondents. I have mainly focused on corporate employees and college going students.
On the basis of my data collection and data analysis, I have summarized my research findings in
the paragraphs given below.
In my first table, I analyzed peoples views on the necessity of proper dress. Out of 40
respondents, 39 people said that dressing is an essential part of society and hence it is necessary.
Only one respondent view was against it. Further, the analysis took a different angle when I
analyzed based on gender, age groups, and occupation. In a corporate world both the genders felt
that to work in a global platform dressing is very much necessary. Now when I analyzed the
same with the college going students it was bit diverging from the corporate world. Students
39

generally feel that dressing is not that necessary in educational institutes but there are certain
students who feel that yes an educational institute should have a disciplinary aspect towards
dressing. Now there is also a contradiction when my analysis reached the age group of 19-23
which is generally the age of college going students but there are people under this age group
who works in the corporate world. These people feel that dressing is not that necessary in the
corporate world who are in startup companies.
In my second table, I analyzed the way of dressing According to culture and condition of the
people in the society. Out of 40 respondents, 33 said yes culture and economic condition does
play a major role in the way people dresses up whereas 7 of them said that culture and economic
condition do not really make any difference in a persons dressing style. The corporate world
generally follows the western culture and tradition. But, in India due to a wide variety of culture
and tradition changes have been seen. In India generally, if we observe males follows the
traditional western culture in the dressing which generally the formals. The changes are observed
when I analyzed my female respondents that Indian traditional attire has also been accepted in
the corporate world, for e.g. Salwar kameez, saree. When my analysis went to the age group of
college going students there was the wide difference from the corporate field because a few
students are of the opinion that culture and economic condition doesnt really matters. They feel
that they can get along with other culture and they do not feel economic condition matters
because they feel to dress presentable one do not need money always. They feel one can dress
proper adjusting both culture and economic condition by their own choice of choosing their
attire.
In my third table is where the % of respondents given on whether they feel an attire plays a role
in ones acceptance and rejection in a group or not. Out of 40 respondents, 28 respondents said
yes there is acceptance and rejection based on attire in a group. Starting from a traditional attire
there is always a unity defined in a traditional dress of a community. Hence, in a particular
community where one belongs, feels the acceptance and rejection in ones own group. Because a
dress represents a community, one always gets the feeling of belongingness and togetherness. On
the other hand, 12 respondents are of the opinion that they do not think there are any acceptance
and rejection based on an attire. They feel an attire doesnt really matter for acceptance or
rejection in a group. As they feel if a person possesses inner confidence within himself than
dressing doesnt make any difference. According to them if an individual carries a positive
attitude than dressing doesn't come into the picture.
In my fourth table, the analysis was based on peoples review whether they dress according to
occasion and situation. Out of my 40 respondents, 36 said yes they dress according to the
situation and occasion whereas 4 people said they do not dress according to situation and
occasion. The views of the people in corporate people was almost equal. In corporate world
people accepts that yes they dress according to the situation and occasion example in business
meetings, corporate meetings, corporate parties people prefer to dress up in formals and semi
formals respectively. Now the views of the college going student was completely different, they
40

feel that dressing is ones own choice. It doesnt matter whether they are dressing up for parties
or any family meetings or any college functions. Yes, on the other hand, there are few students
who believe that dressing is important in fields of sports and cultural activities, for example, a
sportsperson always feels confident and boost up when he/she is in proper jersey. Similarly,
when a group of dancers. They believe that dressing accordingly to the occasion or situation
shows a respect for the occasion and also it helps in the unity of the society which is very much
important in a country like India where people belonging to different race and caste resides
together. Now when the field of hospitality was examined it was observed that everyone accept
that yes dressing accordingly to the situation and occasion is a must. Hence, my study came up
with the conclusion that yes dressing accordingly is an important part of an individual.
In the fifth table, shows the respondents view on ones dress influencing one's personality. Out of
40 respondents, 28 respondents said yes a dress influences on ones personality. It also brings out
the fact that ones culture is a base of how a person takes dressing. It makes differences in ones
tradition and culture influencing a dress along with ones personality. Cultural background can be
said as a base in which people make changes in their dressing when they get exposure and
understands dressing as a group. As female employees wear formals which make them
comfortable to work and go along with the particular organization and trend. Here most of the
students also feel dressing influences one's personality because different personality will prefer
different dressing according to their own choice and comfort. 12 respondents do not agree with
the fact that dressing actually defines or influences his or her personality because they believe
more than dressing an individuals attitude and behavior plays the important part in
communicating with the society rather than dressing.
In my seventh table shows the respondents views on whether they dress up to maintain their
status or not. Out of 40 respondents, 26 respondents says yes they dress up to maintain their
identity. Status can define through culture and economic status. A person can prefer to dress
traditionally or add a traditional touch to ones dressing which also shows maintaining cultural
status. People in higher official posts tend to dress up to maintain their status. People in a higher
government, official posts, a police official, court judges etc. for them it is mandatory to dress in
the particular attire which shows an act of discipline. Hence, I can say dressing plays a vital role
in making an individual to maintain their own identity. Now, when the analysis went to the
people who are financially efficient for them also it is necessary to dress up to maintain their
identity. Now, a big contradiction came up into scene them the analysis went to the age of the 1923 it was observed that students/employees belonging to the rich background families feel good
and more confident to dress up to maintain their identity. Whereas people belonging to the
middle or lower class for them economic condition comes into the scene in dressing to maintain
their identity. 14 respondents said that they do not dress to maintain their identity, they believe a
persons identity is defined more by his or her excellence and achievements in life. They believe
knowledge and wisdom can make a persons identity more valuable rather than a person who
believes that a persons identity can only be enhanced through the dressing.
41

In table no. 8 of my research question, 23 respondents feels that they are judged by the way they
dress in the society. People dress up differently to maintain their own identity or status, where
fear of getting judged is always there. People accept a person in the society on the basis of how
she or he dress, it may turn into rejection that is social exclusion too. 17 respondents feel that
they are not judged by their dressing where people feel a person has his own choice of dressing
which is acceptable enough to be a part of society.
In the 9th table, it shows the percentage of person modesty based on the basis of dressing. It
shows that100% says persons modesty cannot be judged on the basis of his or her dressing.
Seeing the views in table 10, it reveals that 24 people believe that people who dress up
traditionally they are narrow-minded. They believe that they are not advance in their thinking or
they are not updated. Whereas 16 respondents said that no they cannot be judged as narrowminded because they dress traditionally. They believe some people dresses according to their
tradition and culture but they are not narrow-minded. In table 11, out of 40 respondents, 28
respondents believes that people cannot be judged on his or her character on the basis of his or
her character. Whereas 12 respondents are of the opinion that yes they can be judged as
characterless on the base of his or her dressing.
In table 15, 18 respondents feel that a dress code is necessary for an institute or an organization
for the people and its environment. A dress code is a uniformity in an organization which shows
that people are united irrespective of age, sex, class etc. It also maintains a status of an institution
or organization. Out of 40 respondents, 22 respondents which include both students and
employees feels that a dress code is not necessary. As to maintain a dress code one needs time to
dress up accordingly. There is no freedom to dress the way one is comfortable. Hence, they
prefer organization without a dress code where they can dress on the basis of their own choice
and comfort.
In table no. 16, 21 respondents said yes they add their own style to the dress code of the institute
or organization to look different. These respondents prefer to style on their own to look different
from others using different accessories, hairstyles, makeup etc. 19 respondents said that they do
not add their own style to look different in their institute or organization.
In table 17, 36 respondents feel that a well-dressed person is always preferable and confident.
People feel dressing is an important part of ones self. To represent or present himself in front of
the people around is very important. It also shows that a well-dressed person is always welcomed
and preferably in an organization. 4 respondents said its not necessary to be well-dressed to
become preferable and confident because a persons wisdom itself is a confident that he or she is
wearing.
In table 19 of my research question, 26 respondents feel that people disrespect other people the
way they are on the basis of what they wear. They feel it is wrong how one is judged and
assumed to be a person which he or she may not be. It is disrespect because people stereotype
42

other people assuming the persons characteristics. 14 respondents said that they do not feel that
people disrespect other people on the basis of ones dress. They respect the way people are in the
society.

CONCLUSION
My research work is mainly focused on whether an attire really makes a difference for an
acceptance in a particular group or society. It also aims to see whether personalities and attitudes
are judged on the basis of dressing sense and to analyze social inclusion, as well as exclusion, are
manipulated by dressing sense. In a country like India where a variety of culture and tradition
exists it is very difficult to reach any concrete conclusion. Hence, I approached to the different
institution as well as the organization and took peoples review on their thinking of dressing.
On account of my questionnaire peoples views on dressing, sense can be accounted. Firstly the
necessity of good dressing is very much important in the society as an individual is first judged
by the way they are dressed as well as whether they are dressed according to the situation and
occasion. Yes, of course, economic condition plays an important role here. A person who is
financially sound will be having full access to the variety of wardrobes whereas a person who is
financially not sound may have a problem in this genre.
Our society is a mixture of various culture and every individual and community have their own
aspects and views on dressing. There are people who believe more in traditional dressing than
any other. For them, a sense of acceptance comes in their mind. Some people face problem to
mingle with such people as they always have an instinct that they are being judged by the people
around them.

43

Dressing makes an individual internally confident in presenting themselves in the outer world.
Both corporate, as well as student age groups, accepts that yes a well-dressed person is accepted
everywhere. To maintain ones identity dressing plays an important role. A persons identity is
more clarified according to their dressing sense. Also, when it comes to identity, dressing helps
in recognizing an individuals taste of dressing. For example, a financial broker or banker always
prefer to dress in proper formals whereas for a musician or a dancer it is different. They prefer to
dress according to their art of living.
Hence, from the different views, it can be concluded that dressing is a major part of every
individuals life no matter whether its on account of daily dressing, uniform or any casual or
formal dress. A proper well-dressed person is accepted everywhere by the majority of the society
and hence it helps one in maintaining their identity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In J. Powell and T. Gilbert (2009) Aging and Identity: A Postmodern Dialogue, New

Hamid, Paul N. (1969), "Changes in Person Perception as a Function of Dress," Perceptual

and Motor Skills, 29, 191-194.

Coursey, Robert D. (1973), "Clothes Doth Make the Man, in the Eye of the
Beholder," Perceptual and Motor Skills, 36, 1259-1264.

Rosenfeld, Lawrence B. and Plax, Timothy G. (1977), "Clothing as

Communication," Journal of Communication, 27, 24-31.

Smith, Natalie. "Eliminating Gender Stereotypes in Public School Dress Codes: The
Necessity of Respecting Personal Preference." Journal of Law & Education; 41.1 (2012):
251-60.

Herbon, Beth, and Jane E. Workman. "Dress and Appearance Codes in Public Secondary
School Handbooks." Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences 92.5 (2000): 68-76.

44

Ahmed. H.M, Razi. A (2013) Is Youth Brand Conscious, A Global Journal of Management
and Business Research Marketing Volume 13 Issue 5 Version 1.0; Double Blind Peer
Reviewed International Research Journal Publisher: Global Journals Inc. (USA)

Varyanne. Sika, Fashion for Feminists: How fashion and dress shape womens
identities; 2014.

Goffman, Erving. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Doubleday: Garden City,
New York, 1959.

Maynard, Margaret. Globalization and Dress, in the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress
and Fashion, Volume 10, Global Perspectives. Berg Fashion Library, 2010.

Norris, Lucy. Cloth That Lies: The Secrets of Recycling in India, in Clothing as
Material Culture, edited by Suzanne Kuchler and Daniel Miller. Berg Fashion Library,
2005.
Rebecca H. Holman (1980),"Clothing As Communication: an Empirical Investigation",
in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 07, eds. Jerry C. Olson, Ann Abor, MI:
Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 372-377.

Laver, James (1969), Modesty in Dress, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Goffman,E. (1971) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. London: The Penguin
Press.
Prout,A. (2000) (ed) The Body, Childhood and Society. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press.
Arnold, Rebecca Fashion, Desire and Anxiety: Image and Morality in the 20th Century
(London and New York: I.B. Tauris 2001).
Lehmann, Ulrich Tigersprung: Fashion in Modernity (Massachusetts and London: MIT
Press, Cambridge 2000).

Lipovetsky, Gilles The Empire of Fashion: Dressing Modern Democracy (New Jersey:
Princeton University Press 1994).

Cooley, Charles Horton 1998. On Self and Social Organization. University Of Chicago
Press. 1 edition.

45

ANEXXURE
Questionnaire`
Humans engage in the act of dressing every day, with a wide range of supplements and
modifications to the body. Dress is an assemblage of those supplements and modifications, and it
is also an act or a behavior. How we dress and with what communicates a world of information
about the individualin relationship to others and to society at large. In this questionnaire, I
want to examine how a dress relates to culture and society to understand the meaning of dress in
different places and over time.

The interest of this research focuses on how a person thinks of presenting himself according to
the occasion and situation? Do people feel through their particular styles are they judged and
categorized in various groups of the society?

Kindly find some time out to answer this questionnaire. All information gathered will be strictly
confidential.

Thank you
46

PERSONAL DETAILS.

1) Gender
2) Age

M
20-22

3) Occupation

employed

4) Religion

Hindu

5) Nationality

Indian

F
22-24
unemployed
Muslim

24-26
student
Christian

Other

Non-Indian

RESEARCH QUESTIONS:
1

Do you think a proper dress is important to present yourself?

Yes
No

2. Do you feel the culture and economic condition plays a major role in how you present
yourself?
Yes
No
3. And because of which do you feel you are a member of the particular group where you are
welcomed but no other groups?
4. Do you dress according to the occasion/situation?
Yes
No
5. Do you find a dress matters a lot to your personality?
Yes
No
6. Do you feel a sense of acceptance in a particular peer group/community for a dress?

47

Yes

No

7. Do you feel unwanted/rejected?

Yes
No
8. Do you dress for the society to maintain your identity?
Yes
No
9. Do you feel that you are judged by the way you dress?
Yes
No
10. Are you of the opinion that a persons modesty is defined through his / her clothing?
Yes
No
11. Do you believe that people who dress traditionally are narrow-minded?
Yes
No
12. Are you of the opinion that a persons character is reflected in his / her clothing?
Yes
No
13. Do you consider a person to be not your type through their way of dressing?
Yes
No
14. Do you prefer dressing on a regular basis?
Yes
No

15. Do you sometimes feel people are overdressed for a particular occasion/event?
Yes
No

16. Do you feel people dress up too casually where they are supposed to match with the
occasion/event?
Yes
No
17. Do you think a dress code in an institution/organization is good for the people and its
environment?
Yes
No

48

18. Do you add your own style to the dress code of an institution to look different?
Yes
No
19. Do you think a well-dressed person is more confident and preferable?
Yes
No
20. Do you feel some people are disrespecting other people the way they are?
Yes
No

49