A study of U.S. high school graduation photos over the past 60 years has revealed an intriguing pattern: the more unique a student’s style, the more likely they are to engage in innovation in the future.
This unexpected finding is based on the analysis of 14.5 million photos taken between 1950 and 2010 and patent activity data from the same regions.
How does style influence innovation?
The study, conducted by professors David Yanagizawa-Drott and Hans-Joachim Voth from the University of Zurich, showed that outward attributes like hairstyles, clothing, and accessories are indicators of cultural and economic shifts.
The researchers analyzed three key parameters:
- Individualism – how much a student’s style differs from that of their peers.
- Conservatism – how similar the graduate’s style is to that of their parents’ generation (20 years prior).
- Novelty – the appearance of previously unseen style elements.
The study’s results showed that novelty and individualism in students’ style were directly correlated with future patent activity. In regions where students were more daring with their appearance, there were significantly more patents registered 10-20 years later. For example, a one-standard deviation increase in style novelty led to a 0.06 standard deviation increase in patent applications, while an increase in individualism had an even greater effect, raising patent applications by 0.15 standard deviations.
The economic implications of self-expression culture
This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that style, especially during adolescence, reflects not only cultural changes but also society’s readiness for innovation. Novelty in style is essentially a manifestation of creative thinking, a willingness to take risks, and a break from tradition. Those students who chose bolder, unconventional styles in their youth turned out to be more likely to become innovators and inventors later in life.
Example: Steve Jobs – a pioneer in style and technology
A quintessential example is Steve Jobs’ 1972 high school yearbook photo, where he is shown with long hair, in a tuxedo, and a bow tie—a very unusual combination for that time. In 1972, only 0.075% of American students wore such styles. Steve Jobs, who later co-founded Apple, filed more than 1,114 patent applications, with 960 of them being registered.
The study showed that in regions where students’ styles were more unique, women, on average, filed three times more patents 10 years after graduation, and men—twice as many. This effect persisted even 20 years later: women filed twice as many patents, and men 1.5 times more.
Social polarization and style differences
In addition, the study revealed an important territorial trend. Until the mid-1960s, high school graduates across the country had nearly identical styles—regardless of region. However, starting in the 1970s, stylistic segregation began to intensify. In some regions, individualism and novelty were at very high levels, while in others, conservatism prevailed for decades. This polarization reflects deeper social changes in American society from the 1970s onward.
Interestingly, at the family level, higher income correlates with higher individualism in style, but at the district level, the pattern is surprisingly reversed: lower median income is associated with greater encouragement of individualism and novelty, making less affluent regions more dynamic culturally.
Impact on future innovations
The study’s main conclusion is that cultures that encourage creative self-expression become breeding grounds for innovators. The more society supports individualism and creativity, the more capable it becomes of generating new ideas and technologies. Unconventional style is not just a fashion statement—it’s an indicator that the region is ready for an innovation boom.
As historian Joel Mokyr wrote in his book “A Culture of Growth: The Origins of the Modern Economy,” the pursuit of knowledge and willingness to challenge established views were key factors that led to the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Similarly, today’s teenage styles can serve as an early indicator of a region’s readiness for an innovation breakthrough.
Conclusion: Style as a signal of creativity
Thus, the unconventional style choices of school students are not just a rebellion against tradition. They are an indicator of society’s ability to embrace new ideas and foster innovation. If teenagers in your area are choosing bold, unusual hairstyles and clothing, it might not just be about fashion but a sign that technological progress is on the horizon.
Prepared by: Elvira Baturova
expert at Economy.kz portal
