The Sociology of Fashion and Youth Identity in Calabar, Cross River State

Fashion as a social practice is a powerful medium through which Nigerian youth construct identity, signal belonging, and negotiate the tension between global cultural influences and local norms. This study examines the sociological dynamics of fashion and youth identity among young people aged 18 to 30 in Calabar, Cross River State. A qualitative research design was employed, combining ten focus group discussions with eighty youth participants from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds with a six-week participant observation study at key fashion sites including shopping malls, street fashion markets, and social media influencer events. The Symbolic Interactionism and Consumer Culture Theory provided the analytical frameworks. Findings reveal that fashion choices were strongly tied to peer group identity performance, with brand consciousness serving as a social differentiator within youth networks. Globally circulating fashion trends were selectively adopted and indigenized, creating hybrid styles that simultaneously signaled cosmopolitan aspiration and local cultural grounding. The Calabar Carnival's international reputation had elevated fashion awareness in the city, creating an unusually vibrant local fashion culture relative to other South South cities. Low-income youth employed creative adaptation strategies including tailoring reproductions of branded items to maintain social appearance. Gender differences in fashion identity were significant, with female respondents demonstrating higher emotional investment in fashion and greater vulnerability to body image pressures tied to fashion norms. Social media platforms were identified as the primary source of fashion influence for 78% of respondents. Recommendations include academic attention to fashion as a sociological field and policy support for Calabar's emerging creative economy. Keywords: fashion, youth identity, Calabar, symbolic interactionism, consumer culture.