From Casual to Formal: Fashion as Intergenerational Communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/jcicom.vol6no1.150Keywords:
Communication Accomodation Theory, Islamic University, Fashion, Intergenerational Communication, PhenomenologyAbstract
This phenomenological study explores how academics across generations interpret fashion as a medium of communication within an Islamic higher education environment. The study aims to examine: (1) the meaning of fashion among cross-generational academics; (2) intergenerational experiences in interpreting formal and casual attire; and (3) fashion as a form of communicating identity and professionalism. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, this study involved 20 participants from Generations X, Y, and Z, consisting of lecturers and educational staff at an Islamic private university in Bandung, Indonesia. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews to explore participants’ lived experiences and interpretations of fashion in academic settings. The findings show that fashion functions as a form of nonverbal communication reflecting moral values, religiosity, professionalism, and generational identity. Generation X tends to emphasize ethics and institutional credibility, Generation Y balances comfort and professionalism, while Generation Z highlights aesthetic self-expression and flexibility. Differences in interpreting formal and casual attire indicate that fashion becomes a symbolic space for negotiating institutional norms, personal identity, and intergenerational relationships. The study contributes to the understanding of fashion as a form of moral-visual communication within Islamic academic environments and highlights how clothing practices mediate professionalism and intergenerational interaction across generations.
Downloads
References
Agrawal, D. K. (2023). Increasing digital dissemination and online apparel shopping behaviour of Generation Y. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An In- ternational Journal, 28(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-03-2022-0072
Ambás, G., & Gárgoles, P. (2025). Fashioning Society: An Exploration of Collective Be- haviour and Cultural Change Through Symbolic Interactionism. Filosofija. Soci- ologija, 36(1). https://doi.org/10.6001/fil-soc.2025.36.1.6
Ananta, D., & Falah, A. M. (2023). Perspective of Generasi Z Fashion As Manifestation of Social Constructionism. MODA, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.37715/moda.v5i2.4113
Barnard, M. (2002). Fashion as Communication. Routledge.
Barnard, M. (2007). Fashion Statement: Communication and Culture. In Fashion Theory 1st Edition (p. 12). Routledge.
Barnard, M. (2013). Fashion as Communication. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315013084
Barnard, M. (2020). Fashion as communication revisited. Popular Communication, 18(4), 259–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2020.1844888
Bongco, R., & Ama, K. A. (2023). Intergenerational Communication among Faculty and Students in Higher Education. The Normal Lights, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.56278/tnl.v17i1.1922
Castaldo Lundén, E. (2020). Exploring Fashion as Communication: The Search for a new fashion history against the grain. Popular Communication, 18(4), 249–258. https://doi.org/10.1080/15405702.2020.1854952
Cherevach, V. (2023). Fashion as a Cultural Practice: Identification by Main Character- istics. National Academy of Manajerial Staff of Culture and Arts Herald, 3. https://doi.org/10.32461/2226-3209.3.2023.289820
Christine B, C., Kim Camille O, D. T., Sharmel J, C., & G Lazaro, B. (2024). Uncovering Gen Z’s Styles: A Deep Dive into the Consumer Behavior in the Fashion Industry. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies, 4(3), 421–
427. https://doi.org/10.62225/2583049X.2024.4.3.2803
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. In H. Salmon, C. Pearson, & M. Markanich (Eds.). SAGE Publisher, Ltd.
De Klerk, N. (2024). Fashion forward: insights into the style choices of South African Generation Y. Proceedings of the International Conference on Contemporary Mar- keting Issues. https://doi.org/10.12681/iccmi.7589
Ejigu, E. F., Haile, A. W., & Bayable, S. D. (2022). Assessment of the Influence of Physi- cians’ Attire on Surgical Patients’ Perception. Across-Sectional Study in Aabet Hos- pital, AddisAbeba, Ethiopia, 2021. Patient Preference and Adherence, Volume 16, 605–614. https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S353609
Elhami, A. (2020). Communication Accommodation Theory: A Brief Review of the Lit- erature. Journal of Advances in Education and Philosophy, 04(05), 192–200. https://doi.org/10.36348/jaep.2020.v04i05.002
Elhami, A., & Roshan, A. (2021). Communication Accommodation Theory in Covid-19 Pandemic. Academia Letters. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1641
Essiz, O., & Mandrik, C. (2021). Intergenerational influence on sustainable consumer attitudes and behaviors: Roles of family communication and peer influence in en- vironmental consumer socialization. Psychology & Marketing. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21540
Gao, M. H. (2023). From the Traditionalists to GenZ: conceptualizing intergenerational communication and media preferences in the USA. Online Media and Global Com- munication, 2(3), 422–445. https://doi.org/10.1515/omgc-2023-0011
Gazzola, P., Pavione, E., Pezzetti, R., & Grechi, D. (2020). Trends in the Fashion Industry. The Perception of Sustainability and Circular Economy: A Gender/Generation Quantitative Approach. Sustainability, 12(7), 2809.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072809
Gentina, E., Huarng, K.-H., & Sakashita, M. (2018). A social comparison theory approach to mothers’ and daughters’ clothing co-consumption behaviors: A cross-cultural study in France and Japan. Journal of Business Research, 89, 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.12.032
Giles, H., Coupland, N., & Coupland, J. (1991). Accommodation theory: Communication, context, and consequence. In H. Giles, J. Coupland, & N. Coupland (Eds.), Contexts of accommodation: Developments in applied sociolinguistics. Cambridge University Press.
Giles, H., Edwards, A. L., & Walther, J. B. (2023). Communication accommodation the- ory: Past accomplishments, current trends, and future prospects. Language Sci- ences, 99, 101571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langsci.2023.101571
Gjoni, A. (2025). The Influence of Fashion on Identity and Aesthetics: A Sociocultural Perspective Within the Framework of Sustainable Development Goal. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 5(4), e06116. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965- 730X.SDGsReview.v5.n04.pe06116
Hakim, I., & Suraya, S. (2024). Citayam Fashion Week as the Cultural Identity of Jakarta’s Generation Z. Jurnal Komunikasi Ikatan Sarjana Komunikasi Indonesia, 9(2), 430–
440. https://doi.org/10.25008/jkiski.v9i2.914
Hatzir, N. A., & Segev, E. (2023). Intergenerational Communication: The Meaning of Communication Channels and Their Affordances. Journal of Family Communica- tion, 23(1), 41–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2022.2126476
Helal, G., & Ozuem, W. (2019). Social Media and Social Identity in the Millennial Gener- ation (pp. 43–82). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7344-9.ch003
Huggard, E., & Cope, J. (2020). Communicating Fashion Brands. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429464423
Hwang, J., & Zhao, L. (2022, September 23). How COVID-19 Has Shaped Gen Z’s Fash- ion Consumption Values? Breaking Boundaries. https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13761
Jain, R., Singh, G., Jain, S., & Jain, K. (2023). Gen Xers: Perceived barriers and motivators to fashion renting from the Indian cultural context. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 22(5), 1128–1145. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.2189
Ji, D., Giles, H., & Hu, W. (2025). The Role of Students’ Perceptions of Educators’ Com- munication Accommodative Behaviors in Classrooms in China. Behavioral Sci- ences, 15(4), 560. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040560
Johnstone, L., & Lindh, C. (2022). Sustainably sustaining (online) fashion consumption: Using influencers to promote sustainable (un)planned behaviour in Europe’s mil- lennials. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102775. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102775
Kestler, J. L., & Paulins, V. A. (2014). Fashion Influences between Mothers and Daugh- ters: Exploring Relationships of Involvement, Leadership, and Information Seeking. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 42(4), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.1111/fcsr.12066
Keszeg, A. (2022). Exhausting Beauties, Fashion Faux Pas, and Sartorial Rights. How Fashion Shaped the Self-definition of Gen X, Y, Z? A Case Study of Euphoria, Girls, and Sex and the City. Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Social Analysis, 12(1), 77–96. https://doi.org/10.2478/aussoc-2022-0004
Kowsalya, Dr. M. (2025). Exploring Gen’z Influence on Fashion Market Trends. INTERANTIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT, 09(03), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.55041/IJSREM42792
Li, L., Tang, X., & Piper, A. M. (2023). Understanding Extrafamilial Intergenerational Communication: A Case Analysis of an Age-Integrated Online Community. Pro- ceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 7(CSCW2), 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1145/3610052
Luka, I., Drozdova, V., Šakytė-Statnickė, G., & Budrytė-Ausiejienė, L. (2023). Solving In- tergenerational Communication Problems in Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises. Journal of Education Culture and Society, 14(1), 207–228. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2023.1.207.228
Matějka, M., & Kořán, R. (2024). Intergenerational Exchange: Connecting Learning Ex- periences Across Generations. R&E-SOURCE, 165–175. https://doi.org/10.53349/resource.2024.is1.a1252
Miftahul Jannah, Noniya Dewinta Anggi Ritonga, & Muhammad Farhan. (2023). Tan- tangan Komunikasi Antar-generasi dalam Lingkungan Kerja Organisasi Modern. SABER : Jurnal Teknik Informatika, Sains Dan Ilmu Komunikasi, 2(1), 70–81. https://doi.org/10.59841/saber.v2i1.648
Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological Research Methods (1st ed.; A. Virding, Ed.).
SAGE Publisher, Ltd.
Nengsi, E. G., & Azhar, A. (2025). Fashion as A Form of Self-Identity: A Semiotic Analysis of Millennials’ Dress Style. Pedagogic Research-Applied Literacy Journal, 2(1), 182–
186. https://doi.org/10.70574/fdp90z76
Nixon, B., & Guajardo, N. R. (2023). The Digital Chameleon: Factors Affecting Percep- tions of Convergence in Computer-Mediated Communication. Journal of Lan- guage and Social Psychology, 42(3), 355–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X221146143
Nobile, T. H., Noris, A., Kalbaska, N., & Cantoni, L. (2021). A review of digital fashion research: before and beyond communication and marketing. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 14(3), 293–301. https://doi.org/10.1080/17543266.2021.1931476
Ovsiankina, L., & Kuprii, T. (2021). Fashion As Sign and Symbolic Conditionality: Philo- sophical and Sociological Aspects. Skhid, 1(1), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.21847/1728-9343.2021.1(1).225446
Park, S., Choi, Y. J., & Lee, Y. (2019). Understanding fashion communication between Korean middle-aged mothers and daughters. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 43(1), 58–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12483
Pines, R., Mallard, Y., Jones, L., & Sheeran, N. (2025). Investigating Patient Preferences for Their Doctor’s Communication Strategies Across Cultures Using Communica- tion Accommodation Theory. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 44(5), 789–799. https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X251318752
Polisetty, A., G., S., & Pahari, S. (2025). Exploring minimalist fashion drivers for Gen Z: mixed-method insights. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An Inter- national Journal, 29(5), 863–894. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-07-2024-0269
Prakash Shrestha, & Sanu Babu Bhujel. (2024). Demographic characteristics and cloth- ing purchases: the case of casual and formal wears. Pravaha, 30(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.3126/pravaha.v30i1.76891
Reddy-Best, K. L. (2020). Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society. https://iastate.pressbooks.pub/dressappearancediversity/
Sadovskaya, Ye. Y. (2023). Communication of generations: Types of discourses and their essential features. Philology and Culture, 4, 71–78. https://doi.org/10.26907/2782-4756-2023-74-4-71-78
Soliz, J., Giles, H., & Gasiorek, J. (2021). Communication Accommodation Theory. In Engaging Theories in Interpersonal Communication (pp. 130–142). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003195511-12
Soloviova, O. (2020). Personal Features of Identification and Uniqueness in the Anthro- pological Field of Social Discourse. Visual Anthropology, 33(1), 81–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/08949468.2020.1696131
Sotak, K. L., Serban, A., Friedman, B. A., & Palanski, M. (2024). Perceptions of Ethicality: The Role of Attire Style, Attire Appropriateness, and Context. Journal of Business Ethics, 189(1), 149–175. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-023-05347-7
Stephan, A. (2021). Intergenerational Learning in the Family as an Informal Learning Process: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 19(4), 441–458. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2020.1817830
Sun, Y., Zheng, P., & Zhang, N. (2025). The Impact of Linguistic Accommodation on Transactional and Relational Goals in Business Communication. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 68(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.1109/TPC.2025.3541984
van Manen, M. (2016). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sen- sitive pedagogy (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Wang, X., Wang, X., Lei, J., & Chao, M. C. (2021). The clothes that make you eat healthy: The impact of clothes style on food choice. Journal of Business Research, 132, 787– 799. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.063
Zulkefli, M. Y. (2024). Exploring the Perspective of the Visual Communication on Tradi- tional and Modernised Baju Kurung among Women. Al-i’lam - Journal of Contem- porary Islamic Communication and Media, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.33102/jcicom.vol4no1.94
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Yulianti Yulianti, Nabilla Anasty Fahzaria
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of this article will be vested to author(s) and granted the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license, unless otherwise stated.
