For most, a piece of clothing is not something folks just throw on. Clothing has meaning. Choices reflect cultural, social, and personal identity, values, and beliefs. Clothing can be a tool for self-expression, political and social activism, and a way to distinguish oneself from others. Fashion can be used to communicate status, membership in a group, or to conform to certain norms and expectations. 

For this Chapter #5 discussion on Consumer Behavior, students must focus on fashion symbolism, product choice and consumer perceptions. The way people perceive and consume various items of clothing varies across cultures, social groups and situations. 

In any case, consumers ascribe different meanings to clothing.

Students accepting the challenge of this discussion must:

• Use APA format (formal reference page and in-text citations). In APA, each reference must have a corresponding properly formatted in-text citation.
• Include the standard course cover page.
• Locate and include as references at least three commercial/business references. See Content > Tools > Marketing References. No blogs, Wikipedia, Ask or Investopedia like sources. An academic journal reference is not required but may assist in framing the discussion.
• Write a three-hundred-word response. Keep it simple. Use the introduction > body > conclusion format. 
• Be mindful of paragraph formation, grammar, and punctuation. Adhere to formal business writing guidelines.

What is symbolic consumption? Is clothing a non-verbal communicator? Select an item of clothing (wedding dress, athlete shoes, a hoodie, baseball caps, red bottoms or any item). Describe how the selected item reflects cultural, social, personal identity, values or beliefs held.