Fashion, Identity
& Korea
Fashion is a big part of identity, whether it is used
to express yourself in outlandish ways, maybe dressed head to toe in outfit
made from your grandma’s old curtains. Or you use it to blend in, wearing a
black t-shirt with black jeans and are constantly mistaken for the barista at
your local café. No matter how much people say they do not care about the way
they dress, they still have to make a choice every morning and that choice will
in some way represent who they are.
Two years ago, I spent three months in Korea, most of
which was spent in Seoul, it was the longest period of time I had spent in a
foreign city. During this time, I spent many hours of my day roaming the
streets of different areas of Seoul, taking in the different landscapes and
cultural differences, but mostly looking at the people. I had always admired
Korean style, an almost uniform look that is favoured by K-Pop and K-Drama
stars. Beginning my time in Korea I was surprised at how many people dressed
like this, thinking that Koreans as a whole are very stylish. But I soon found
that as individuals this wasn't so true, everyone was a copy of everyone. This
wasn't congruent to just the young, it would seem that if you fit into a
specific socio category then you dressed appropriately. I realised that in
Korea, fashion wasn’t so much about showing how different to everyone you are,
but how similar you are, which highlights the collectivism ideals found in
Korea.
A lot of Korean trends can be traced back to
interpretations of styles that first appeared in western societies,
particularly the US. Yet with the current rise of Korean media, we are seeing a
shift, with Korean influence seeping into the foreground of western societies.