Your Fashion Mall

Of all the intelligent, knowledgeable people in the fashion world today, few can hold a candle to Dr. Anna Akbari. With over ten years experience working in the clothing industry and a Ph.D. in visual sociology, professor Akbari now teaches at New York University and is the founder of Closet Catharsis, a wardrobe consulting company. Having written her Master’s thesis on corporate dress codes and a doctoral dissertation on the relationship between fashion and power, much of professor Akbari’s research is focused on self identity and fashion. Even with the pressures of a new semester, professor Akbari was kind enough to talk with us about her research and her passion for fashion.

Shirts My Way: You describe yourself as “the thinking person’s shopper.” What does this mean and how does it set you apart from other wardrobe consultants?

Anna Akbari: I use this phrase, “the thinking person’s shopper,” because I don’t look at trends and then apply them to individuals – or force a particular aesthetic upon the individuals. Rather, I take each client as a sociological case study. Who is this person? What defines them? Who do they want to be? How is their appearance helping or hindering the actualization of that perceived identity? (Because it really is about “perceived identity,” not “actual” identity – biography is trumped by the creation of a preferred self, which need not compromise the authenticity of the individual expressing that preferred self.) I talk to the client and, through our conversations and their descriptions of their lifestyle and wardrobe, we go through almost every piece of clothing they own, one-by-one – they reveal to me (and to themselves) what their immediate and long-term goals are and the role that fashion can play in making those goals a reality. THEN I look at trends, designers, resources, etc. to build upon that identity and help them create a coherent, comprehensive visual message. It is a very cerebral process, and yet it is rooted in physicality and the visual.

SMW: Can you tell us something about visual sociology? Is this a relatively new field?

AA: Visual sociology is focused on the visual dimension of social life, drawing from a diverse collection of visual data and resources to inform its analysis. In this sense, captured images (be they from film or photography) become as central to data collection and ethnographic field work as is a tape recorder. Visual sociology is not only about using images as a method of capturing and recording data, but also using the images produced by a culture as a means of better understanding the culture and its people. Fashion is one such example, and I like to think of what I do as a sort of sociology through fashion. We’re a visual culture – we most often see first and then act based on perceived observations. Visual sociology is an emerging subfield within the more traditional discipline of sociology, yet it is still very much embedded in sociology and sociological theory — it is a subset, not an appendage.

SMW: On your website, it reads that you are an expert on the relationship between fashion and power.  While many non-experts are probably aware that certain kinds of clothing may give you more authority or respect, have you discovered anything over the course of your research that you found especially surprising or thought-provoking about the connection between these two concepts?

AA: The link between fashion and power is not about a particular tie or a specific designer – though those things can certainly contribute to the social capital one raises via conspicuous consumption. I shun the point system (designed to keep women from over-dressing or over-accessorizing) and don’t advise by the “dress for success” rule book. Rather, I believe powerful fashion is about cultivating a tenuous balance between expressing individuality (standing out, getting noticed) and demonstrating group belonging (expressing some element of conformity; showing you’re part of the team). Regardless of your exact position, you want your sense of self to be communicated, but you must also be mindful of your audience and how they can locate points of connection via your visual self presentation. You don’t want to come across as intimidating or disrespectful through your visual self-expression. People who say they dress for themselves are doing themselves a disservice by not also considering their audience. It’s not about ignoring personal preferences, but rather visually acknowledging that you also exist within a structured social environment with aesthetic norms and sartorial symbols that communicate even when we aren’t speaking. Balance is necessary. That balance shifts significantly depending upon one’s role, but it must always be a combination of both individuality and conformity.

SMW: Even for people who enjoy dressing well, it may be hard to think of style as an academic/scholarly disciple. Do you think this idea might be true in the general population? Are you noticing that the average person is starting to take style more seriously than they were in the past?

AA: People are taking fashion more seriously and (this is perhaps even more significant) they are enjoying it more. I think this is due in part to the increasing democratization of fashion. It is accessible to almost everyone, which produces a society that has higher standards for general fashionability (no more excuses that you just can’t afford to look good), with greater rewards for creativity and the mixing and matching of high and low. New media and street fashion blogs also contribute to this fashion frenzy, as anyone can capture or be captured at any moment for their personal style interpretation. In that sense, everyone becomes both a model and a critic.

Through the courses I’ve developed for both Parsons and NYU, I’ve tried to bridge that theory and practice divide: I want practitioners and designers to have a language with which they may articulate the social significance of their life’s work, and I hope to impart to those scholars outside of the industry a sense of seriousness that accompanies the fashioning of the self. Fashion is not mere frivolity – social success depends just as much on outward appearance as it does on interpersonal communication and social skills. We are a visual culture, and appearances matter. Clothing becomes an extension of our bodies, our identities. It is time to start thinking critically about this subject.

SMW: As a wardrobe consultant, who are the most interesting/rewarding clients to work with?

AA: People who are going through some sort of life transition are particularly rewarding to work with. They tend to be open and receptive to change and they are actively trying to articulate who they are and what they want – all of which is a great recipe for a successful partnership with a wardrobe consultant. I enjoy being a part of that transition, and it is my hope that my services offer a new layer of meaning to them as they make that shift.

SMW: While most people, consciously or unconsciously, want to look strong or handsome or sophisticated, what do you see as the barriers holding people back from looking good on their own?

AA: Some people want to look “good,” but think it should happen effortlessly or that investing too much time or too many resources into the cultivation of that look is indulgent or vain. Of course, that can certainly be the case, but to think that one can make a single purchase and be finished is naïve. Maintaining a strong personal aesthetic is like exercise: even if your body is currently fit, one’s fitness routine must be repeated indefinitely. Zygmunt Bauman said that identity is a sentence to lifelong hard labor, which I think is very apt. Our identities are an evolutionary process that is constantly in flux. Visual upkeep is crucial as we transform, and even a fashion-agnostic individual must “play the game” to remain socially relevant.

SMW: How does having a good presentation benefit the individual? Are there any deeper mental/emotional/behavioral changes that result from knowing that one looks good?

AA: Absolutely. In my research on professional dress, many individuals (including individuals who don’t consider themselves particularly “fashionable” in the traditional sense) articulated how important clothing is in their enactment of their role as a professional. They feel and act differently in a suit than in sweats. Their posture, demeanor, and energy all shift and their confidence increases, all of which greatly affects the ways in which other people respond to them. If you look good, you feel good – and people notice.

SMW: Are there any final words of wisdom you’d like to impart our readers with?

AA: I’d like to encourage people to rethink their relationship with their wardrobes and the images they’re projecting as a result of that union. Don’t take your personal aesthetic for granted – or make the mistake of thinking that even if you’re disinterested in your appearance that people around you aren’t noticing and reacting to it. Because they are. I’ve had clients who never gave their wardrobes a second-thought come to me because they want to attract the opposite sex or are looking for a professional promotion. I think they’re somewhat skeptical at first, dismissing fashion – and wardrobe consultants – as something that only concerns socialites and movie stars, but once the compliments start rolling in (and many times this is the first time these people have ever been complimented on their appearance), it transforms them and they become a stronger presence. Fashion IS a powerful social tool. Period.

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