Clothing is a motif that represents the characters’ attempts to either stand apart from or assimilate into American culture. This motif is effective because culture and class are often expressed through clothing. Mr. Chang, for most of the story, refuses to dress in a socially appropriate way, often wearing grubby clothes. He does this because he says that he does not care what other people think. By contrast, Mrs. Chang becomes interested in espadrilles, a type of shoe, as her husband becomes more financially successful, and she starts to dream of American status symbols.

Toward the end of the story, Mr. Chang agrees to wear a suit that Mrs. Chang picks out to a party, which indicates his new attempt to assimilate. The suit is ill-fitting and inappropriate for the weather, foreshadowing that the Changs will fail to fit in at this party. Sure enough, the other guests are wearing “bermudas and wrap skirts” (37), showing that Mrs. Chang’s knowledge of avoiding white after Labor Day is insufficient. Despite the Changs’ best attempts to understand and fit in, American culture is complex.

Clothing takes on additional significance in Mr. Chang’s confrontation with Jeremy Brothers.