A Fashion Revolution By Sarah Hankins
“A Fashion Revolu0on” By Sarah Hankins SRP Final Project Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy Advisor: Ty Buxman
A"en%on!
All photographs are permiCed under fair use. All photos obtained are in the public domain and have been labeled for reuse by the copyright owners. This magazine feature is for educa0onal purposes only.
What’s in an Outfit? When you get up in the morning and (to different extents) a freedom of dress. When you wake up in the morning, every dress yourself, how much thought do you put into what you decide to wear that day? morning, you can wear whatever you wish. Even school uniforms allow other freedoms For the most part, the average American between as socks, shoes, hair styles, spends less than a minute picking out the day’s outfit; for most working persons, these accessories, and other embellishments of ensembles are low-risk, tried and true. For your choosing. As with many things freely students who attend private academies, such given to us, Americans take freedom of dress for granted in this sense. There is no reason as myself, uniforms are a requirement. I to give every day your all if every day has have worn a similar school uniform since I equal fashion potential. was in kindergarten, so I can practically dress If you look below at the image of the three myself in the dark! To me, and most of my women, you might find their choice of peers, clothes are just clothes. clothing odd, to say the least, but what if you I hypothesize that most people who were to live in a society where not only your are indifferent about the clothes they wear daily dress, but many aspects of your life and are also people who are comfortable with identity were so restricted that this was the who they are and who they appear to be. It only way to reclaim individuality, or rather makes sense that someone who is brimming protest against harsh, traditional controls? with confidence or feels accepted by others Though it is true that this is an exploration of and society would find their clothing to be fashion in Japan, more so is it an explanation of the societal problems from whence these of little importance. Additionally, an overstated interest or importance placed on fashion trends made their genesis. clothing and appearance in American society can seem petty. Despite those hypotheses, there is one more big one that I would like to present: perhaps we do not pay much mind to our daily fashion because we are always assured
Three women pose in a market in Shinjuku, Japan, standing out from the crowd.
Tradition and Rebellion Street fashion has existed in Japan since the early 1970’s, especially in Harajuku, but most early trends were short lived. What makes the street trends today different from the ephemeral trends of the past has much to do with the continued downward spiral of the social and economic conditions of Japan. Unemployment rates have skyrocketed, marriage rates and fertility rates have plummeted, divorce rates have increased, and suicide rates have increased dramatically as well (Kawamura 34). In fact, Japan has the 7th largest suicide rate in the world (Hopkins) and many blame Japan’s rigid values of responsibility (sekinin) and adult life (seijin-ki) for creating the environment for these life-ending conclusions. Kawamura asserts, “A society which makes death more coveted than life for such a grand number of its citizens is no doubt unjust in many respects… It is an unfortunate reality the Japanese public must face” (Kawamura 73). Street fashion in Japan has taken the reality many working adults face, described by one whitecollar worker as “strictness day in and day out...life is lonely” (Kinsella 242), and have rejected it, producing fashion that instead “celebrates life, youth, and individuality in pastel dresses trimmed with lace” (Kawamura 66).
Emerged in the 1990s in Japan and worn almost always by females, Lolita fashion, juxtaposed with a woman in kimono (see photos), as described by Dr. Monden, “Is characterized by images of women adorned in elaborate dresses with delicate fabrics, inspired by stylistic interpretations of early modern European clothing such as Rococo and Victorian dresses...this style exudes the look of European bisque dolls” (Monden 165). A wearer of the classic Lolita may have hoop skirts, tulle slips, petticoats, pastel calf-length dresses, lace bonnets, knee-high socks, Mary Janes, long curly hair, and lace-trimmed parasols on their person at any given time. Lolita is by far the most prominent street trend in modern Japan, and there are a great many different varieties, each with its own characteristics and goals. I will explore a few different types of Lolita as well as other popular fashion trends that butt heads with traditional Japanese values.
(Above) A maiko, off-‐ duty, dressed in tradi0onal kimono in Kyoto. (Below) A Lolita wai0ng at the bus stop.
The School Uniform
A group of school girls wearing sailor-‐style uniforms walk home from with candied apples. One of the most profound, longest upheld, wrong. Before understanding how modern Japanese traditional values in Japan is unity (danketsu). This fashion is a negation of the idea that individuality is unity has a different meaning than it does in the wrong, it is important to look at another fashion West. In the West, unity gives off an impression of trend inundated in Japanese society: the school solidarity, that together everyone makes each other uniform. If a prison were symbolically translated stronger. In Japan, on the other hand, unity means into Japanese clothing, street fashions would be the uniformity; you are only one part of the whole, and key and the uniform would be the shackles. without the whole, you are nothing! There is an old The first school uniforms were modeled Japanese proverb that goes “The nail that sticks out aSer uniforms worn by soldiers in the will be hammered down” (deru kugi wa utareru), Russo-‐Japanese War. meaning that one who is different or unique will be put back in a place of sameness. In Japanese society, uniqueness (ichii-sei) is equated with individualism (kojin shugi), which is considered selfish and
A new class of students stands to aCen0on during their high school entrance ceremony. Each student must be in perfect uniform.
Though the image of the girls eating candied apples is quaint, the scrutiny under which their uniforms are examined each day is no sweet thing. It is customary for teachers in Japan to inspect students as they walk into school. These inspections include measuring skirt length or pant hem, approving the color of hair accessories, ensuring nails are trimmed a certain length and are free of forbidden polish, personal items are inspected, hair is checked for appropriate length, bangs must be trimmed (some schools have a mandatory hairstyle for both boys and girls and failure to comply can result in an on-campus haircut), and in some cases, students will have their underwear checked to ensure that it is white and will have their hair checked to make sure it is its natural color.
A group of school girls in Yohoham, Japan.
As one teacher admitted, “Every aspect of the student’s lives—from the milk they drink to the clothes they wear—is supervised and managed by some committee or section” (McVeigh 52). Many students have been traumatized by these rigid regulations, take for example one girl who got a perm (not allowed) and was expelled from school. She goes on record saying, “I couldn’t believe it… I was an ordinary student. I want people to understand that my life plans for marriage and career have been ruined...” (McVeigh 71). The actions taken against any expression of self not approved by the schooling system bleeds through to the rest of society too. Uniformizing in school is just practice for the real thing: uniformizing in the adult world, so it is no wonder so many youth turn to “outlandish” dress to escape.
Anguish in Adulthood Although adulthood is thought of in America as a period of great liberty and independence, Japanese society has dictated that adult life be disciplined and dull. The business suit is an article of clothing owned by any and every Japanese adult. It is the uniform of almost every white-collar job and a symbol of the adult in Japan, which takes from the very real notion that “Growing up is dressing in” (McVeigh 50). There is a three phases cycle of uniforms in Japan: (1) Uniformize [ages 3-18]; (2) De-Uniformize
Office workers in Fukuoka, Japan. Note the similarity between these suits and school uniforms.
[ages 18-22]; (3) Re-Uniformize [ages 22 and up]. The first phases is the schooling phase where school uniforms are definitely instated, the third stage is adulthood where the uniform business suit holds one in their place, the second phase is the most interesting. The second phases is an in-between period when young adults have the least restraints. It is within this niche that modern, rebellious Japanese street fashion trends were born.
A group of salary men on their way to work. Fashion rebellion is so condensed to 18-22 year olds (as I saw in the popular magazine FRUiTS), but it is not because it is a simple “youth rebellion” (also supported in Sharon Kinsella’s work “Cuties in Japan”); it is because those ages are the only group that has a small window of freedom to outwardly express the shared sentiments of people from ages all across the board. There is a less-popular extension to the “nail” proverb previously mentioned (see page “The School Uniform”). In the other version, it continues on to say “...but a stake that sticks out too much (a lot)
will not [be hammered down]” (...desugitakui wa utarenai). Although this part of the saying is little referred to in traditional society, it presents the possibility that one’s individuality will not be hammered down if it it big enough and loud enough, which is exactly what these big, colorful, provocative, and eye-catching fashions are doing: sticking out considerably so they will not simply be ignored. Modern fashions antagonize the repressive, traditional values of Japan by letting wearers figuratively become “a stake,” not “a nail.”
Sweet Lolita
“Society forces me to grow up too soon, but I want to preserve my youth!”
Checklist: • Knee-length dress • Pastel colors • Long hair • Ribbons & bows • Mary Jane shoes • Knee-high socks • Natural makeup • Doll pose • Child-like demeanor
This look is inspired by a country-‐style doll.
Ask a Lolita I was given the pleasure of receiving feedback on the topic of Lolita fashion by two students at FSHA who dresses in the Lolita style. They will remain anonymous.
Q: How does dressing in Lolita make you feel? A1: “Actually, some dresses really make me feel Two girls pose in like a princess. I do not care about what others are twin sweet-‐ Lolita thinking about me, I just enjoy the feeling when I Q: Does wearing Lolita make you feel like an individual? Give you am wearing the dress I confidence? like.” A2: “It will make me feel A1: I do not care about how others confident and free because think of me, therefore I do not feel I am wearing what I want more confident. But, I do realize and am not restrained by many people always look at me for a couple of seconds.” normal social aesthetic A2: “Of course! It won’t make me standards. Also, when I nervous because I am wearing wear Lolita, I feel great something so different. Contrarily, it because I am enjoying gives me a lot of confidence because I things I like.” am brave enough to enjoy the things I love without caring about other’s thoughts.”
Ask a Lolita Q: My research shows that many people wear Lolita to rebel against the idea of being a "boring adult" or facing the harshness of adult life. Do you think this is true in some cases? A1: I think, somehow, this is true. Wearing Lolita dresses sometimes makes me feel like being a princess, who has a castle and a crown.” A2: “It could be true for some people because I think most people wear Lolita because they think it is a way to reach the life they want to have. So for those people, they might think Lolita fashion could be rebellion for an easy life without that adult harshness.”
This Lolita wears a dress reminiscent of a child’s, which is a popular Lolita troupe.
The motivation for classic Lolita, or Ama(sweet)-Loli, is a direct rejection of the traditionally valued idea of maturity (seijuku) because it exudes youthfulness, whimsy, and a femininity much different than the traditional characteristics expected of adult women. Dr. Monden, author of “The Nationality of Lolita fashion,” recognizes this while also pointing out its social commentary, saying “Lolita has often been perceived as mirroring the wearer’s rejection of maturity and social conformity to the normative mode of femininity… Lolita fashion stirs criticism in Japanese society less because of its embodiment of infantile eroticism or fetishization, and more because it signifies a form of subversion and resistance to assumes norms” (Monden 174).
This photo shows the girl giving a pout, which is the model’s way of exuding a childish demeanor.
Harajuku, the fashion capital of Japan and a hang-‐out area for many different street fashion trends.
A group of Lolitas, in a park in Kyoto.
The value of responsibility (sekinin) is thus rebelled against as well because, as Kinsella elaborates in Cuties in Japan, “Rather than acting sexually provocative to emphasize their maturity and independence (as in the West), Japanese youth act pre-sexual and vulnerable in order to emphasize their immaturity and inability to carry
out social responsibilities” (Kinsella 243). Kawamura, author of Fashioning Japanese Subcultures, explains that Lolita is a “silent rebellion” in which their message is conveyed through the unapologetic wearing of infantile garb (Kawamura 68).
Ganguro
Ganguro, or “blackface,” is a popular, overwhelmingly female, fashion trend that emerged In Japan in the late 1990s. Ganguro is characterized by tanned skin, miniskirts, high heels or platform boots, hoop earrings, bleachblonde hair, thick makeup (usually white and shimmery
(above) Ganguro to exaggerate their women in Shibuya. tan skin), tight tops, neon colors, and this reason that the large pieces of Japanese public jewelry (Liu). To disdains them” (Liu). draw a mental The Japanese public comparison, think looks down upon “Snooki” from the Ganguro girls for Jersey Shore. Girls throwing away who wear Ganguro traditional values of are generally obligation, unity, and “academically a responsibility to fill disinclined and lack their prescribed roles. ambition for personal Instead, the virtues of success in education Ganguro are… (continue on next page). and life… It is for
Two girls in Ganguro in Tokyo. Note the tan skin, bleached hair, and this makeup.
Two women in Ganguro. Note the neon colors and accessories.
…fun, freedom, standing-‐out, that caused people to adorn and defiance. Although themselves in that rebellion. Ganguro looks different from Liu noted that “researchers kawaii and Lolita trends, Liu, in the field of Japanese author of “Ganguro in studies believe that Ganguro Conflict with Japanese as a fashion style is the Society,” no0ces that all younger genera0on’s modern fashion trends strive revenge against tradi0onal for a similar goal, saying Japanese society”—against “Like all individuals, Ganguro the society that created girls want to enjoy life. They neglec^ul parents (Japanese prefer to wear flamboyant adults spend 90% of the ou^its and hang out with day0me fulfilling work their friends for fun instead obliga0ons), fierce of struggling with their compe00ons that teach compelling school tasks or them from kindergarten boring jobs” (Liu). that life itself is a I no0ced a strange, compe00on, and uniformity self-‐inducing cycle. that kills individual Tradi0onal society looks expression at a young age down upon wearers of (Liu). Observers of Ganguro Ganguro (and other trends), (American study abroad but it is society’s restric0ons students) agree that “by
adop0ng that lifestyle, they are able to absolve themselves of the obliga0ons omnipresent in Japanese culture...using visual cues to say they they are not par0cipa0ng on the same terms as everyone else” and “Ganguro are rebels, albeit cheerful on the outside for they are essen0ally star0ng a revolu0on—breaking free of the rules and expecta0ons passed down from genera0on to genera0on and set upon them” (Liu). Ganguro rebellion is flavored by a sort of revenge, but is outwardly stated by their eye-‐catching look.
(below) Two Ganguro women walking the streets in Shibuya.
Gothic & Guro
A girl wears Gothic Lolita, as characterized by the overstatement of the color black and the Victorian-‐ style dress.
A girl wears Guro or “gore” Lolita. This look is oSen achieved with fake blood and scares. This wearer wore white to extenuate the blood-‐splaCer.
Gothic Lolita, characterized by the color black and stylized Victorian dress, is another of the many different variations of the Lolita style. This style is one of the more popular ones and it is a rejection of the expected amicableness of women in traditional society. Women in Japan are expected to be “light and white,” but this trend not only brings out the darkness of reality, but it revolves around it. The wearers of Lolita, be they Punk, Gothic, or Sweet, all agree that they somehow transform into their true selves when in their outfits. Similarly to the cosplay phenomenon (as described by Peirson-Smith), Lolita wearers feel their body a “transformative instrument” in which the clothes they wear enhances their authentic selves. Lolitas interviewed by Dr. Monden said things like “Lolita is central to my everyday life. I cannot imagine a life without Lolita,” “This is the real me. When I am not dressed in Lolita, that’s not me. Lolita is the real me,” “I couldn't talk to you without being dressed in Lolita. When I am at school, I am shy and quiet, but in Lolita, I am powerful,” and “From Monday to Friday I work as an administrative assistant. I wear a uniform. I feel so oppressed on weekdays. But I am Lolita on weekends. I feel so free!” (Monden 166). Lolita helps women alleviate the pressure of a restrictive society.
A Gothic Lolita poses in Harajuku.
The very name “Lolita” has its own story to tell. There is debate over whether or not the name comes from the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. Some say that the “fetishized” style of the clothing points to its relation to the book’s protagonist while others insist the two are unrelated. Even so, assuming that the book and fashion are somehow related can shed more light on the idea of the fashion’s closeness to oppression. Sophomore year in English class I read Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi and although many interpret Doloris, or “Lolita,” to be a promiscuous or tarty girl, Azar Nafisi offers an alternative interpretation. In Nafisi’s memoir, in which she interprets the novels she reads through the lense of the oppressive regime in place during the Iranian Revolution, Lolita is considered the ultimate victim. She is not able to articulate her own story, “no fact is more touching than Lolita’s utter helplessness… She has absolutely nowhere else to go” (Nafisi 43). Lolita, as interpreted by a woman living in an oppressive society (just like the wearers of Lolita fashion in Japan), is a victim of society’s repressive values, which adds yet another reason why Lolitas name themselves and dress themselves the way they do: to broadcast to society that this is what oppression has made them. Guro (gore) Lolita may look terrifying, but perhaps the more terrifying fact is that these Lolitas dress to match their brokenness; they are victims of traditional society's restraints on everything from individuality to sexuality.
Gruo girl in Ikebukuro
Gyaru
A Gyaru woman in Tokyo poses for a photo. Note the large hair and short skirt.
Gyaru is known for its use of fur, large, colorful hair (wigs), and s%le"os.
“Gyaru Girl” Illustrated by Dylan Hankins
u r a Gy One fashion trend that has gained notoriety is known as Gyaru (taken from the English word “girl”) and Gyaru-o (the male equivalent). This trend considers sexual, moral, and social deviance a virtue. Gangs of Gyaru typically dress in a mix of “cool” and “punk” clothing, but what really separates them is their extreme disregard for social norms. These teenagers are sexually active (usually participating in monthly scorekeeping of sexual encounters based off of a point system in which points represent partners), stay out all night drinking and dancing, and exhibit extreme behaviors such as “jumping into a lake in the middle of the cold winter, drinking their own urine, or setting pubic hair on fire” (Kawamura 63). These gangs even walk the line of legality in Japan and many people see this trend as an extreme example of when fashion rebellion becomes anarchy. Perhaps the most unique portion of the book “Fashioning Japanese Subcultures” by Yuniya Kawamura, Associate Professor of Sociology at the Fashion Institute of Technology New York, is the criticism of some Japanese fashion trends, such as Gyaru, for undoing or extreme-ifying the original goals of these fashion trends, which were individuality and freedom from oppression. Although many people in Japan hold steadfast to the idea that modern fashion trends create a good type of individuality, others also argue that it creates a difficult dichotomy; on one side, individuality and solidarity, on the other, further division and isolation between trends and sub-trends. Can a wearer of kawaii (cute) and a wearer of Ganguro (blackface) get along? Lolita and Gyaru? The question raised is if these modern fashion trends are simply alternative “uniforms” that promote a false unity and separate, for example, Lolita from non-Lolita or even moderate Lolita from authentic Lolita. Brian McVeigh in the book Wearing Ideology poses a similar question, but still insists that modern fashion trends do indeed “create genuine unity and freedom in Japan” (McVeigh 235).
C O S P L A Y
More than Play Cosplay (a portmanteau of “costume” and “play”) is a popular ac0vity in Japan, involving the dressing-‐up or “playing” of characters found in anime, manga, or other pop culture. However, to the players, cosplay is more than just an ac0vity—it is their en0re life and is an expression of their inner, idealized self through the internal and external embodiment of a character. Peirson-‐Smith, PhD, author of “Fashioning the Fantas0cal Self,” argues that “the wearing of extraordinary costume connected to a theme symbolically transforms the iden0ty of the player, enabling them to represent their ordinary self as a kind of
magical instrument” (Peirson 79) and the no0on that outward dress creates inward transforma0on is reinforced by the accounts of players who insist cosplay is “ a way of life” and and “pugng on a costume enables me to explore other selves...to take myself beyond the normal rou0ne and ordinary person” (Peirson 92, 99). These players will spend months picking-‐ out and hand-‐making their costumes, spending upwards of $500 (U.S. equivalent) on each ensemble. Most share this player’s sen0ment, saying “I just dream all week of gegng dressed up in my ou^it to get through the worst parts of my work” (Peirson 99).
Escape into Fantasy Although cosplay seems lighthearted, which it is in many respects, it also calls aCen0on to the trouble that surround it. The name itself contains the word “play,” which implies something theatrical (staged or over-‐the-‐top) and childish (escapist and whimsical). Most of the characters that cosplayers choose to play are those which they iden0fy with personally, making the costume a sort of extension or exaggera0on of themselves. The expressive act of “being a player” brings up a concerning point, which is, as Peirson-‐Smith words it: “It is problema0c when individuals feel they must wear a costume to express themselves” (Peirson 104). The virtues of cosplay are self-‐ expression, frivolity, entertainment, and standing-‐out which combat the tradi0onal values of unity, maturity, and responsibility. One player said that cosplay is “a libera0ng experience,” which points to the unjust societal confinement many experience due to Japan’s strict tradi0ons. Cosplay can only go so far. Although cosplay offers an escape for those who choose to par0cipate, many cosplayers are aware of society’s tradi0onal frame and cannot handle the pressure of going out in their costumes alone for fear of being mocked or harassed. One cosplayer describes this, saying “In my costume, I’m not always ready to take on the real world on my own… If I wear a costume in the street, people might oSen stare and point at me” (Peirson 95). Another female cosplayer explains “I only feel safe dressing up with friends and would never dress up like a Cosplayer at work” then going on to say “...but on bad days I do mentally put on my blue wig and red contact lenses and imagine that I am the queen of that office!” (Peirson 92). Though not a perfect solu0on, cosplay is a tac0c many use to escape the harshness of socially tradi0onal life in Japan.
So What? So the big question still remains: So What? Why does this concern me? Well, if I managed to convince you that Japanese fashion reflects society, it should not come as a huge surprise that American fashion throughout history has also changed greatly to reflect the current issues. Consider the Sexual Revolution of the 1950s and 1960s as an example. The 50s and 60s were times of great change and the idea of sex and sexuality was normalized more so than it had ever been before. Just as street fashion rejected tradition, women, against the traditional American garb of wives and mothers, began to dress more provocatively as a statement of freedom, sexuality, and feminism. In September of 2015, Playboy—one of the most influential enterprises to play a role in the Sexual Revolution—stopped printing nude photographs in their magazines, and Hefner, the founder, has agreed to this. One magazine writer from the New York Times said “Playboy has been overtaken by the changes it pioneered” (Somaiya). Even the company that unapologetically tore the veil between sexual conservativeness and sexual exposure is still answering to society’s demands. What we wear—who we are and who we present ourselves to be—is very much influenced by social values and tradition.
Huge Hefner marching with the “Playboy Bunnies” in 1953. Though the Playboy industry is controversial, its birth marked the beginning of a new age where sexuality was brought into the public sphere.
Fashioning Culture Society has changed further still and it is quite likely that trends we think are too bold or outlandish today might be the fashion norms of tomorrow. Working on this project, researching the functions of a society not my own, and reading many books on fashion and culture, I have newfound interest and appreciation in what I wear and the freedom and empowerment that comes with that. The fact that I have the freedom to wear shorts and a crop-top—when in the past such an outfit was unthinkable—proves to me that even through something as simple as clothing, I can see the change and progress society has made. But even further, I have found that society does not only influence us and our self-image, but we can likewise change society through our choices on how we present ourselves. It is a two way street. We have the power, through speech, press, and even dress to change our society as it has changed us.
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