Maintaining Tradition and Identity

The tradition of formal dresses cultures like the Vietnamese and Filipino dresses have created an identity that made them recognizable. Can it be possible to maintain an appealing look and make a statement? I was thinking of the idea of how does a single dress make individuals in who they are. The very first thing that's the first thing that comes into mind when another person (typically a male) is the looks, but not the purpose in what they are wearing in the first place. However, Western culture has been a major influence for the rest of the world in perception especially in the United States for the past several decades. As Roces states: "Western dress reflected the powerful colonizers (Roces 8)." Meaning that it classifies who are the "powerful" or "weaker," but that seems to be the overstated.



The respective articles manages to discuss issues that come into play: Valverde's looks at maintaining the look, but maintaining the tradition. While Roces takes on the idea that the more tradition of wear clothing tends to be more of a class. In contrast with the two articles, Roces states that Filipinos wear western clothing in gaining power, but deems that the traditional clothing are seen as lesser; on the other hand Valverde mentions about a sense of empowerment in the sense of wearing the Ao Dai (Valverde 183). It feels like maintaining an idea that individuals have to meet a status quo politically through wearing a particular clothing and not being what an individual should be in representation. As a result of this, I think that wearing clothing of your helps individuals make their identity and represent what's best for them in their interest especially in terms of there views. Here in the U.S. where people sense of fashion tends to be seen from a marketing standpoint, Asian Americans and most important of all the younger generation. As time passes, their should be an understand that clothing from their cultures have a particular meaning than just wearing it and it's best while creating a more modern and comfortable to understand the medium behind wearing such clothing.

Coming up with a compact challenge though is probably the toughest thing I had in mind, but I noticed that I've been purchasing too much t-shirts that I don't need and as a result I declared that I don't need anymore clothes until I need some. If that's the case, then I take some used clothes that my brother used during his days as an undergrad. There's always that saying: "If ain't broke, then don't fix it."


Andrew Legaspi
Week 6
February 6, 2010

Readings
Jessica, "Women Wearing Men's T-Shirts-Is it Okay?" 28 June 2008. Fibers.com. 7 February 2010 .

Roces, Mina. "Women, Citizenship and the Politics of Dress in Twentieth-Century Philippines." Women and Politics in Asia. 2004.

Images
Ao Dai
http://s.ecrater.com/stores/2153/436b20c8e99a6_2153n.jpg

Terno
http://www.skokienet.org/community/filipinopage/Diane/clothing/terno2.jpg