Clothing choices change perception

Deciding what to wear in the morning just became more serious. Whether it is choosing between the colorful T-shirt with giant Greek letters sewn across the front or the jeans with torn holes on the knees, it's not just about what "looks good" anymore.

Students and organizations aren't choosing clothes — they're picking an identity.

Sociology professor Elaine McDuff said that in a social environment like Truman's, students who wear certain clothing exhibit a persona with their appearance. Regardless of the persona's form — whether it supports an organization or role in a social clique — the instantaneousness of clothing and appearance makes it that much easier to interpret, she said.

McDuff said students demonstrate social communication through looks, saying the messages sent through attire are "not always conscious."

"It's much easier to control words than it is to control your appearance," McDuff said. "By wearing a piece of clothing, we are creating meanings that we may not always catch at first. We need to pay close attention to non-verbal cues like on clothing. There are different elements of control in social communication, and they all are intended to create a response and serve a greater purpose."

Junior sociology major Kiera Hulsey said she studied how sociological norms exist in McDuff's classes. She learned appearance is as important as verbal communication when portraying a social message.

"It's a part of your culture," Hulsey said. "There are social identifiers in clothes. In choosing clothing, people are making a statement about who they are and what person they represent."

Junior Emily Love said she learned how clothing links people together and the power of visual appearance in McDuff's sociology classes.

"Attire really links people together and it shows that you're part of a group," Love said. "I think that people naturally want to fit in in some way, and attire is one of the easiest ways to do that."

While some students might denounce being "labeled" by what they wear, Love said she doesn't think having an identity closely related to another group is necessarily a bad thing.

"I don't think having a label is positive or negative in that sense," Love said. "[Students] choose the label, no matter what. It's how you define yourself."

With so many new organizations popping up across Truman, the opportunity to join a bigger, more unified identity has become easier to find.

"The collectiveness of a group or organization has its own agenda," McDuff said. "In conjunction with others in the group, there's a degree of consensus when displaying an inside joke, so the group identity is stronger. It's really about how the group wants to be perceived."

When T-shirts display cartoon-like, cryptic puns or inside jokes, it can help a group attract interest.

"I think if [a group's] strategy is to get more people, then being subtle with the messages seems like a better idea," Love said. "People are curious and want to be part of the reference. They're more likely to show more investigation in this group if the message is more subtle."