Today we looked at what fashion is, the way it has developed over time and it's morality problems in greater depth. Fashion is somewhat a reflection of culture and the constant changes around us.
It can only be appreciated if others understand it. Something highly fashionable in one country may not be viewed the same in a place with a completely different culture. It also helps people to feel like they fit in. We discussed the idea of belonging to a crowd. Fashion allows us to pinpoint different categories of people. You could quite easily go around a school or college and put people into certain groups based upon what they are wearing. The judgement may not be entirely true about the person, but people definately fit into certain categories here from the popular, sporty people, the super girly girls and the goth group who all hang out in black hoodies.
Fashion is different based upon who is viewing it and again different to whoever is wearing it. Like art it is a number of signs, symbols and iconography that communicate a meaning about the person.
The reading task after this was Street Style & It's meaning in Postwar Japan - Hiroshi Narumi.
The text generally is about how the youth subcultures in both Britain and Japan are very similar in the visual language they use, although the influences as to why would be vastly different. After the war many subcultures formed within Japanese cities mainly Tokyo, with lolita, ganguro and gyaru girls to name a few. Japan very much so took to frowning upon the groups of young people wearing clothes which did not conform, they were moved along for simply wearing what they did because of the statement the clothing itself was making to people. Not only did the clothes not fit, but if worn differently to the way something was meant to be worn that was also a statement of rebellion in itself.
Not all subculture groups were simply dressing to make a statement, the bôsô-zoku were the biker gangs who actually caused trouble. The costumes worn by this group of people however, were also designed entirely to shock. Symbols from right-wing political parties and military groups were used to make them appear intimidating. This visual system of appearing shocking also showed up in Britain in the form of Punk culture.
British fashion moved on to create new meanings for people, however Japanese fashion seems to have more emphasis on the effects of other cultures.
It can only be appreciated if others understand it. Something highly fashionable in one country may not be viewed the same in a place with a completely different culture. It also helps people to feel like they fit in. We discussed the idea of belonging to a crowd. Fashion allows us to pinpoint different categories of people. You could quite easily go around a school or college and put people into certain groups based upon what they are wearing. The judgement may not be entirely true about the person, but people definately fit into certain categories here from the popular, sporty people, the super girly girls and the goth group who all hang out in black hoodies.
Fashion is different based upon who is viewing it and again different to whoever is wearing it. Like art it is a number of signs, symbols and iconography that communicate a meaning about the person.
The reading task after this was Street Style & It's meaning in Postwar Japan - Hiroshi Narumi.
The text generally is about how the youth subcultures in both Britain and Japan are very similar in the visual language they use, although the influences as to why would be vastly different. After the war many subcultures formed within Japanese cities mainly Tokyo, with lolita, ganguro and gyaru girls to name a few. Japan very much so took to frowning upon the groups of young people wearing clothes which did not conform, they were moved along for simply wearing what they did because of the statement the clothing itself was making to people. Not only did the clothes not fit, but if worn differently to the way something was meant to be worn that was also a statement of rebellion in itself.
Not all subculture groups were simply dressing to make a statement, the bôsô-zoku were the biker gangs who actually caused trouble. The costumes worn by this group of people however, were also designed entirely to shock. Symbols from right-wing political parties and military groups were used to make them appear intimidating. This visual system of appearing shocking also showed up in Britain in the form of Punk culture.
British fashion moved on to create new meanings for people, however Japanese fashion seems to have more emphasis on the effects of other cultures.
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