NOW I CAN BUY STUFF!

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical when I found out that ASA 189B was a fashion class. I did not think that the study of fashion would be as intricate and sometimes difficult as I have come to realize. The study of fashion is indeed multi-facted and quite complex. It transcends simple discussion over aesthetic properties and finds itself involved with economics and politics. This class has definitely shown me that fashion is not as transparent as most people think it is.

The conclusion in "Fashion-ology" provided a brief summary on the transgression of fashion. France has long been known as the center of fashion. The development of haute-courture boutiques solidified it as a fashion capital. However, the conclusion explains that this is an ever shifting idea. Although the fashion world still revolves around Paris, the process of globalization and the ever increasing popularity of street fashion have begun to take hold.

Globalization has allowed for the development of fashion institutes internationally. To cite "Fashion-ology", this began primarily with the emergence of Japanese designers. A new aesthetic took shape as the world began to accept the notion of ethnic fashion designers.

Street fashion has become omnipresent. Designers now are steering away from developing high fashion and look to street culture for inspiration. This then develops the interesting argument as to who is truly responsible for street fashion. In summation, "Fashion-ology" asserts that France has begun to lose its prominence in terms of dictating what is considered fashionable, and what is not.

The pictures above are from a blog about street fashion. Although they were taken in Paris, the fashion displayed draws its roots primarily from a working class or street aesthetic. These are to show that although Paris is still considered the center of fashion, we can see a shift towards street fashion.

As for the compact challenge, I CAN FINALLY BUY STUFF. In beginning, I was concerned with whether or not I would be able to complete this challenge. My main hobby is essentially consumption. I spend most of my time seeking deals, and seeing where to allocate my next pay check. Needless to say, almost all of my money tends to go to shoes or clothes. This challenge has really tested my limits. I can say that as hard as it was in the beginning, it really taught me things that I can carry beyond this class. Consumption is not as harmless as one would expect. The production and consumption of things does create a lot of waste. For the most part, we end up not using what we buy and throw it away anyways. This challenge has really taught me to watch my spending habits and essentially become a smarter buyer.

In the end, I am glad I was able to complete this task. It was an interesting ride. This was the first time I have ever had to do a blog for this class. I began to have fun with these as opposed to a typical class assignment. However, I can honestly say that I will not miss doing them.

Farewell Blogs!!

Chris Quach

Post# 10

Sources:

Kawamura, Yuniya. 2005. Fashion-ology: An introduction to Fashion Studies. new York: Berg Publishers. "Conclusion." Fashion-ology

Outside source:

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Pics:

http://www.thesartorialist.com/photos/12010GreyBlue3829Web.jpg

http://www.thesartorialist.com/photos/3210GreenPuffer_1788Web.jpg

Journal 10: The Last Puff by Tien Dang

I think one of the interesting lines in the afterword is "The most immediate message conveyed by this volume is that the great divide between East and West is artificial" (Re-orienting Fashion, 254). It is constructed and molded into the East and West's belief that there is this great divide. But because of this ingrained belief, I wonder what would happen if the divide was to be lifted?

It sort of reminds me of the transition from high school to college. Many kids gripe and complain about lack of freedom from their ever so strict parents. Then when college hits, they freak out about the freedom and how it's "too much." When they're let loose and given the freedom to act and think on their own, it's sort of this crazy vulnerable situation where they love it, but they suddenly take on a lot more responsibility. It would be a bit chaotic.

It's also interesting on page 254 because the idea of the East being different from the West is ironic. There is this constant relationship because since there's a comparison, that means there's a relationship in the first place. It's a bit mind boggling to think about. Because everyone that promotes anti-fashion directly deals with what is considered fashion. It basically ties in with just daily bits of life like relationships with the people around us, our relationship to our work and school. We may try to make statements against something, but that statement directly evolved and developed in relation to what we are against.

This ties into the fee increases. People would not be protesting had the fees not increased according to the UC Newsroom.

http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/22415

Like how our anti-consumerism project or assignment is just as much aa part of the consumerism lifestyle. The two are inversely related, but anti-consumerism could not exist without consumerism. Crazy. Fortunately for me, I have no consumed anything except in the indulgence of chocolate, coffee, and food.

image: http://www.zda.vn/data/zv4_35/tdesigner_hut-thuoc3_37863.jpg

This sign would not exist had smoking not existed.

Fashion as "Western" and it's parallels with Asian American identity Stephen Dimal Blog 10

This March 4th on the UC Davis campus, many students protested the fee increases, budget cuts, and recent hate crimes across the UC campuses. Among all of the other things that I noticed at the rallies and protests, there were a lot of politically charged t-shirts. I know from personal experience how important these shirts can be to improve the morale of those protesting. Although fashion is now used for many different reasons, it is still very historically "westernized." This same concept can be applied to the definition of Asian Americans. So both Asian Americans and fashion have constantly been defined through a "westernized" lens and according to Sandra Niessen in her afterword in Re-orienting Fashion Theory "fasion [and Asian Americans have] been defined a priori as a western phenomenon, and that, in this way, fashion has been a function of 'enormously systematic discipline by which European culture was able to manage and even produce the Orient..." (Niessen p. 245). In this light shirts like the ones which were at the protests were small steps towards changing the definition of fashion for Asian Americans. In a book by Lisa Lowe called "Immigrant Acts: on Asian American cultural politics" the relationship between the western Definition of Asian American "is fundamental to understanding the racialized foundations of both the emergence of the United States as a nation and the development of American capitalism" (Lowe p. ix). The definition of fashion and Asian American identity has been westernized throughout history because these definitions are often created through binaries. Western ideals often shape fashion by defining what is "new" and what is the past, and often defines Asian American in opposition to "American" and constantly defines Asian American by what it is not. Niessen says that "the fashion process is about the creation of oppositions through time: that which is (conceived as) current and that which is (conceived as) past (Niessen p. 244).

In order for Fashion and Asian American identity to truly be redefined, we must learn to define them for ourselves. We also must learn how to undo the western influence which has been present in our lives from the beginning. I want people to begin questioning things they learn and things they hear, because that will cause people to think critically about their identity and the use of their fashion.

Here is the picture of one of the shirts I saw at the protests.



When we began in this class, I did not know exactly how fashion tied into Asian American Identity besides just wearing traditional clothing or clothing that represents our culture. However with the readings of this class and the books we read I have learned how fashion must also be re-learned and how fashion is reflective of the overall asian american experience.

In terms of the compact challenge, I have made it through the quarter without purchasing any clothes. I have come very close with all of the sales that I saw, however I resisted. The fee increases didn't help, because my money situation became very tight, however I still resisted the urge to splurge. This challenge has made me more aware of how much money I have spent on clothes in the past.

Works Cited:
Image: http://teacherwear.com/zc/images/grand%20theft%20education.gif
Class Article: Niessen, Sandra. "Re-Orienting Fashion" Oxford. New York.
Article: Lowe, Lisa. Immigrant Acts: On Asian American cultural politics. Duke university Press, 1999. Print.

Just last week, hundreds of UC Davis students marched on campus in protest of a windstorm of attacks on public education. These students were angry, passionate, determined, and wearing a diverse array of clothing.

In this photo that I took while the march continued down Russel Boulevard, you can get a sense for the casualness of fashion displayed at this protest. Plaid shirts, plain sweaters, backpacks, screen-printed t-shirts... typical fashion of Californian college students in 2010.

But the other day, one student suggested a different idea. In an e-mail to hundreds of students and community members (not to mention media and campus officials who are also subscribers of the large mailing list), one student suggested a difference dress code: business casual.

The idea is simple: instead of casual fashion associated with youth culture, at this particular protest, participants would wear dress shirts, pant suits, ties, sweaters - however people wanted to define "professional" attire. If professional attire is associated with political power, then perhaps protestors would have something to gain from dressing up as those in power.

As expected, the critiques to this idea were numerous. Wearing professional clothing promotes classism, some individuals might feel uncomfortable in professional attire, and of course - students should not have to dress up as those in power in order to appear credible in their appeals to the higher-ups.

Although I understand and, to some extent, agree with these critiques, I can't help but feel intrigued at the thought of a couple hundred UC Davis students in dress clothes marching through the City of Davis. And imagine the photographs of students in pinstripe jackets being beaten by police officers decked out in riot gear. Masks and batons against top hats and bow ties.

To conclude her book Fashion-ology, Kawamura explains that "fashionology" deals not only with individuals, but with the social institutions of the fashion world and their effects upon the social and economic status of many individuals when fashion is used as a symbolic strategy. There is nothing about business casual clothing that is inherently connected with political power. Still, because we believe in the association between political power and "professional" dress clothes, such fashion is powerful. Some students may not feel inclined to participate in a protest where everyone was expected to wear business casual clothing. But for the students who would feel comfortable participating - damn, just imagine the media attention for such event.

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I have a job interview next week with Teach for America. I think I am going to need a new pair of dress socks for the occasion. Luckily, this is the final week of the Compact challenge for this class. Here is a list of things that I have bought this quarter that were in violation of the challenge:

- A book of word search puzzles from Dollar Tree (that I never used, and thus, did not need to buy)

... Actually, that's the only thing that I bought this quarter, aside from food and late-night beverages (that I don't think should count). I didn't expect it to be a difficult challenge... and it really wasn't. Like I mentioned in earlier blogs, I don't have a lot of money to begin with. I'm used to only spending my money on rent and food, and helping my mom whenever I need to. I will admit, however, that in doing research for the group project, I got a little excited going to all the clothing websites to check for prices of certain hats, shoes, etc. When I get my refund check from financial aid, my credit card and I are goin' to town. Otherwise, I'm glad to see that over a three month period, I have been able to go without purchasing any new clothing. I am now equipped with the knowledge that I don't have to consume as much as society would probably hope I did...

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Mo Torres - Blog #10 !

References:

Yuniya Kawamura, Fashion-ology: An Introduction to Fashion Studies (Oxford: Berg, 2006), 105.

Are you really going to wear that?!

Today, anything and everything can be fashion. Fashion is no longer coming out from Paris, but all around the world. Fashion can now be enjoyed by almost everyone at every social level due to democratization and mass production. With the availability of fashion to everyone, it allows merge of social status. According to Kawamura, fashion-ology deals not only with individuals but with the social institutions of the fashion world. Thus, social and economic status of many individuals in fashion is used as a symbolic strategy and status symbol.

On the other hand, if anything and everything can be fashion why are there still fashion no-nos? Often times, we see online gossip websites and tabloids exploiting celebrities of their not-so-cute outfits. So, who decides what is fashionable? Certainly there are hideous things out there on the catwalks. Who are the “actual” fashions police? While “what was worn as underwear could be worn as outerwear…[and] what used to be a hole for the neck could be worn as an armhole” (Kawamura 105), it doesn’t mean it is fashionable. So, new and old designers alike must constantly seek new ideas and sustain various institutions of fashion.

Accordingly, it’s not that easy to enter in the fashion industry. Stephen Gaskell follows the story of Robert-Jay Wharmby in “Fashion Victim.” While Wharmby wanted to take over the fashion world, not everyone can get in. The materials Wharmby chose for his fashion house’s summer collection would force “a 12-year-old-boy to more than perspire” (Gaskell “Fashion Victim”). There, it shows that not everything created by fashion designers (or wannabes) become fashionable. It’s a hard world out there, and there’s not telling what’s hot next.

Can anyone guess where these parts are from to make these earrings?

Wow, this quarter went by so fast! This is the last week of blogging and compact challenge! As you can see with all the exclamation marks I can’t say that I’m not super excited! I think I’m going to treat myself out to a very nice shopping spree! Just kidding, or am I? Well, the compact challenge certainly has helped me be more conscience of what I’m buying. Now, I ask myself if I REALLY need an item before I buy it versus before I would just take out the plastic. While the challenge have not totally change my shopaholic ways, I have definitely cut back.

I tried not to buy anything over the past week but really could not resist. My car was broken into earlier in the week and they stole my make-up bag. In having to “replace” my items I never realized how expensive make-up was. Our society is so self-conscious that people are just willing to shell out all types of money to look presentable. Damn you beauty industry, damn you!

Dear missing make-up, where can you be?

By the way, there’s actually a curtains company that talks about transforming your curtains into designer dresses.

Maggie Chui

Blog # 10… (holy-loo-ya!)

Work Cited

Kawamura, Yuniya. Fashion-ology An Introduction to Fashion Studies (Dress, Body, Culture). New York: Berg, 2005.

Gaskell, Stephen. “Fashion Victim.” Nature International Weekly Journal of Science. Nature, 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 7 Mar. 2010.

Images: http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.45144561.jpg

http://www.nets2go.co.uk/pressreleases/net-curtains-dresses.php

http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggIIyu07DsHdKM.Qo3C.75Rw---y626-x495-q75-n1/omg/us/img/c1/f4/1289675218_5171173336.jpg

http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.45144561.jpg

http://beaut.ie/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/makeup.jpg

My Fashion Cents

After reading Kawamura's conclusion of Fashion-ology, I can see how fashion has evolved from the French system's upper class avant-garde to worldwide new designers and street fashion, which has created a whole new fashion culture. Now anything can become fashion, and the French rules of Fashion are becoming less and less relevant with the development of youth culture.

However, while Fashion-ology claims that there is a change in fashion happening, which there is, we still turn to the French regime when we make our judgments and decisions about what is "fashion".

Here's a homeless man in China who was snapped on the street, and has risen to international Internet fame for his "homeless chic" fashion sense. His nickname is "Brother Sharp", and since as few as two pictures of him came out, he's been deemed sexy, fashionable, and "homeless chic".

Something about the fashion term "homeless chic" describing Brother Sharp bothers me. Isn't this politically incorrect? The "outsiders" of our tightly knit structured society are again being treated like they are less than human. There's a reason why the headlines about Brother Sharp commonly read: "Homeless Chinese Man Becomes Fashion Icon". The body and economic status becomes as much a part, if not more important, than what he's wearing. This whole situation of Brother Sharp--the fact people are fascinated by a homeless man being fashionable--reinforces the fact that fashion is considered belonging only to elites and upperclass. That fashion--which is art, creativity, personality, and culture sewn and stitched into garment--doesn't belong to everyone. Are we feeding into this "higher power", elitist fashion regime? And what is more important in this situation: the clothes or the fact that the clothes are on Brother Sharp, a homeless man? Why are we interested in this news? Why don't we all just go to the ghettos and find someone to dehumanize in a photo or two? Snap snap, you're famous, snap snap we ate you up and now we're spitting you out. Time to find the next creature who fascinates us.

The "homeless chic" trend has been seen recently in Vivienne Westwood's runway show, and worn by celebrities such as Mary Kate Olsen and Nicole Richie. While surface level-wise, we can analyze how fashion has appropriated looks from the streets, has it really changed? I don't think it has yet, as we still place our judgments on what is "fashion" and what isn't "fashion", according to the French regime.

It's Week 10 of school, which means paper-crunch-time, working on presentations, rushing to figure out graduation shiznit, figuring out what to do about the class that I haven't been to in weeks, fix in friend time so I don't lose my sanity, and maybe do my laundry? We'll see. So as for the Compact Challenge, I definitely haven't gone shopping or gone out much. I'm waiting for Spring Break to indulge myself in some heart to cloth at the malls.

Amethyst Wang
Blog post 10

Sources
Fashion-ology, "Conclusion"
Jezebel (you should read this!)
Brother Sharp photos: English.people.cn, Chinasmack.com

Condoms as a means of textile!!!???...0_0

Its finally the 10th week of the quarter and its the final blog and I'm thinking, DANG! this quarter has gone by so fast! Just like how our quarter went by so fast, so does fashion. Fashion, its what you make it and its how you bring it. What may have been "in" just a month ago is now the vintage and what was "in" back then is now the new trend. Fashion, when we think about it, isn't it just recycling a lot of the fashions that existed with just little tweaks and adjustments, additions and subtractions, and influence from everyday things? Kawamura talks about how fashion used to be for the elite, however, today fashion is "enjoyed by almost everyone at every social level (Kawamura 105)Today we have so many influences in fashion, it is no longer the elite but everyday things, even condoms! YUP, u read right, condoms. There was a fashion show, obviously called The Condom Fashion show, that was held in China for the Reproductive Health and Technologies Expo. Dresses such as this --> does this remind anyone of the Qiapao? ohhh yeah..... so, this fashion show had dozens of dresses made entirely up of condoms. From Qiapaos to wedding dresses, they were all made of condoms. When you think about it, clothing can be made from anything; Kawamura talks about how fashion in postmodern societies can be "anything and everything" (Kawamura 106) and this fashion show is a true statement of how fashion can be anything and everything.

(I'm going to Pic Spam because its the last blog and I think these dresses are both cool and weird!)

In one season of project runway there was a challenge for the designers to make a cocktail/party dress out of a burlap sack. Burlap sacks are what hold potatoes, not a form of textile to use for fashion; however we were proven wrong, a designer was able to make a beautiful and expensive looking dress out of an itchy and plain sack because of his creativity. Thats another topic that Kawamura talks about, creativity from a designer can result in beautiful clothing.

winning dress from the Burlap Sack challenge -->

other burlap dresses/fashion (who would have thought these were made of potato sacks?!)

So what did we learn from this course and the readings we've been reading? A whole lot!But the main points are that fashion depends on the culture, it depends on the person, it depends on the everyday life. Fashion is what you make of it, the streets are now treated as "fashion laboratories, and they are replacing Haute Couture" and the youth and people like us, are experimenting "with every possible clothing combination and create their own definitions of what fashion is." (Kawamura 106) FASHION- you can make your own definition of what it is.

COMPACT CHALLENGE? I've been pretty good! I didn't step foot inside of a mall this whole quarter, but then again I don't really go to the mall since theres no mall in Davis and I don't drive. I think I relapsed and bought cosmetics, but hey...a girl has to look good sometimes. But I do have a confession, I bought shoes (heels actually) but I really needed them for my cousins wedding and they were really cute! But I think this compact challenge was pretty cool, it taught me that the things that we buy are really unnecessary and a waste of money. So I might actually stick to this "buy only when necessary" thinking. Its the LAST week! Goodluck on presentations and finals everyone! :)

BLOG 10- April Gatpayat

Thanks everyone! Have a great spring break!

Sources:

Kawamura, Yuniya. Fashion-ology An Introduction to Fashion Studies (Dress, Body, Culture). New York: Berg, 2005.

Outside Sources and Images of Condom Fashion:

http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2007/07/condom-fashion-.html

http://ahboon.net/2007/07/19/condom-fashion-show-in-china/

Images of Burlap Sack Challenge:

http://superpunch.blogspot.com/2010/01/burlap-potato-sacks-on-project-runway.html

Youtube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JHar531Ufc

Blog #10: Everything comes to an end....

It's hard to believe my final quarter here in Davis is coming so soon. with everything said and done the term "fashion-ology" has brought a new mindset that I haven't seen before. Fashion has to be taken into another level in order to be understood and I think with many designers especially here in the U.S. and as well as other countries, I think that possibility is higher than anticipated. When One of the key factors that need to be responded is "How can a designer can become innovated when designing clothing?" The answer here is that I think that it just an individuals imagination has to be made in order to strengthen their mindset communicating their thoughts out there. Expression is everything in the end even the most bizaare and radical designs may be greatest things in the perspective of others, but as long as they have a sense of meaning in terms of asthetics. While people in a more casual perspective may look at this as a mindset that it may stupid or moronic, there always a motive to why they are wearing it in the first place. For example, eco-fashion has produced innovative ideas that I've never seen before, but at the same time it builds amazement and brilliance to my eyes such as the Skittles dress picture above.

Kawamura mentions about fashion being a privelege of the upper class and not for the lower classs (105). It shouldn't be the case anymore as fashion should be open to everyone no matter what. However, there are a lot of challenges with famous product lines such as Roca Wear, Sean John, Tommy Hilfiger that have been depicting itself in dividing classes and making feel like a status quo to wear these clothes. I do believe with enough passion and without attempt to counterfeit clothing that such fashion can be acknowledged with enough amazement that it will eventually overtake these corporate designs. This is why consumerism needs to fought back in the first place.

As for my Compact Challenge, while this class is coming into closure with project presentations it has been a major success overall for me as I avoided any consumption and took advantage of the resources around me. My challenge doesn't end there, but instead I should apply to this in my everyday living and in this matter I learned to be a more thoughtful consumer in general and getting the needs that I need to have (for example, ties, jacket, or dress shoes). I don't got much say left here, but to say goodbye. As for everyone else in this class: take care, and have a wonderful Spring Break and as well as a good Spring Quarter.

Farewell
Andrew Legaspi
Blog #10
March 7, 2010

Sources
Kawamura, Yuniya. 2005. Fashion-ology: An introduction to Fashion Studies. new York: Berg Publishers. "Conclusion." Fashion-ology

Skittles Dress
http://208.106.250.72/_media/imgs/articles/a285_d6.jpg

The Rise of Asian Designers...

In the designer world, it seems to be predominantly a white's place with Paris being the capital of the fashion world. But changes have occurred to this norm, a revolution had taken place in the 1980s as "avant-garde designers emerged" (Kawamura 105). With the new ideas from Japanese designers, it opened the door to accepting "Asian outsider designers [and] was interpreted as the breakdown of the racial boundaries..." (Kawamura 105). More and more Asian and Asian-American designers are emerging in the fashion world. Such as one Asian-American designer, "Jason Wu, a 26-year-old of Taiwanese descent, skyrocketed to fame after the First Lady wore his dress to Inaugural Night balls" (Smith).


(The designer above is Jason Wu and that is the dress that Jason Wu designed wore by Michelle Obama)
In my opinion, Asians will soon be on equal footing as white designers since new Asian designers are constantly welcomed in the designer realms. I hope that in the near future the face of fashion designers will change from whites to Asians.

As for the Compact Challenge, I survived and will probably continue this challenge. If I don't, I will at least think twice before buying anything. I will make sure that I ultimately need it and that there are no alternatives for the item such as I can't find it on craigslist, or marketplace to get a used version of the item. This has been an interesting quarter.

<3 Annie Tan

Blog #10

Works Cited:
Kawamura, Yuniya. "Fashion-ology: An Introduction to Fashion Studies." New York: Berg, 2005.

Outside Source:
Smith, Ray A. "A Design Generation Rising." The Wall Street Journal. 18 September 2009. 7 February 2010. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203440104574401320419023870.html

Images:
- http://fashionsourcebook.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/michelle-obama-jason-wu-white-dress-inauguration-ball.jpg
- http://nohway.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/1-jason_wu2.jpg

LAST BLOG!

The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this. - Mark Twain

As I write my final blog entry, I realize that my final Winter Quarter here at UC Davis is also coming to a rapid close. That freaks the hell out of me. I must say, I came into this class not knowing a thing about fashion, but I will leave it knowing a thing or two about how this miniscule institution of society - fashion - has a great influence over people's lives. Fashion transcends the runways of Paris and surprisingly plays a role in the politics and economics of any given society. Moreover, fashion gives a voice to the youth, as Kawamura explains in Fashion-ology, "Young people experiment with every possible clothing combination and create their own definitions of what fashion is" (106). You take a walk out in the quad on any given day and all around you can identify the hipsters, the jocks, the nonconformists, the preps, the scenesters, the punks, the hippies, and countless other groups of people hoping to make some sort of statement through the clothes they wear. Your clothing is the first impression that people get from you, and, albeit an unfortunate tendency, you are automatically placed in some category depending on this perception that the person makes of you. Thus as I close my final blog entry all I can say is embrace the clothing you're wearing. Love it. Express yourself for who you really are, not what people expect you to be. Be proud of it (and if you are a practicing nudist, more power to you).

The Compact Challenge was definitely difficult. The challenge took place during a holiday where you're expected to buy a significant other a present. I mean, give me a break! I did learn a lot, however, about the difficulties of preventing consumption when our whole society is structured around consumerism. Maybe sometime in the distant (and I mean very distant) future, our society can learn to embrace second hand and eco-friendly products. Until then, I will continue to learn how to break this bad habit. To all my friends in ASA, have a great Spring Break, and if I don't see you by graduation, good luck in wherever life takes you!

Post #10

Jo Anne Lasola

Source:

Kawamura, Yuniya. Fashion-ology An Introduction to Fashion Studies (Dress, Body, Culture). New York: Berg, 2005.

Outside Source:

http://quotegarden.com/clothing.html

Image:

http://wallofstyles.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/lady-gaga.jpg

Fashion: Endless Possibilities

We have finally reach the end of the quarter. Yet, fashion is endless. As I quote in the beginning of my blog "In the world of fashion, one day you're in, the next day you're out." That how quick the fashion world is. But the quote can also go the other way. Style can be out today, but it might be the beginning elsewhere or in the future.

As she conclude her book Fashionology, fashion no longer restricted by class like in the pass. Fashion today can be seen on the street, on the store display window, in the magazine...Like in the past, fashion was just for the elite. Now, fashion is being mass produce to serve the purpose of making more money. But still, there is a small world out there for the elite fashion like Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Coco Channel, Prada...(Kawamura)Eco fashion now slowly emerge into the fashion world. Green design becomes a new aesthetic. Since majority of people today are
going toward the green movement, fashion slowly become affect by the eco-friendly theme. Fashion is endless. It changed as people move forward and slowly adapt into the industry. I would say that these eco fashion could be more authentic due to its uniqueness. Even the Oscar is pushing toward the eco-friendly fashion movement.(Wills) The new eco-fashion become a big trend today and bring more of the new fashion for us consumer. Yet, these will be expensive as Wills said "eco fashion will be'haute' couture" (Wills)

But we have to look forward in fashion. Fashion now should be more green and be considered of the environmental issues. Just like we are doing the whole quarter long, being green and fight consumerism. Being green is quite a challenge. But once I get into it, it become a habit. Just like shopping and become the victim of consumerism. Consumerism is a desire for shopping due to influences of others. The Compact Challenge give me the push I need to be green and get over my shopaholic problem. I must admit, the challenge wasn't easy at all, but after about 5 weeks into the project, it become a habit of "think before you buy."

I know that the Compact Challenge will hunt me forever. I now know better of what to buy or not. Also I will be consider or not the choice to buy is necessary.

Tu's out!
I have a great quarter :D
Thank you!

work cited:
Kawamura, Yuniya. Fashion-ology An Introduction to Fashion Studies (Dress, Body, Culture). New York: Berg, 2005.

Wills, Amanda. "Oscar preview: eco fashion will be ‘haute’." News Channel 5 (2010): n. pag. Web. 6 Mar 2010. .

image 1: http://ytiffanie.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/project-runway-garden-party.jpg
image 2: http://fabgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/newspaper-dress.png
image 3: http://i43.tinypic.com/29m3ach.jpg

Blog # 10: Fashion and beyond!!!

Fashion-ology has provided us with a different approach to fashion and attempted to challenge our definition of fashion. As a matter of fact, "fashion-ology deals not only with individuals but with the social institutions of the fashion world and their effects upon the social and economic status of many individuals when fashion is used as a symbolic strategy" (105). Before fashion became influential by modernization, it has been established as a class-marker because the clothes a person owned and worn often express that individual's class and social status. However, nowadays production and consumption are the driving force that complicates the idea of what is fashionable. In today's world, the dominating youth culture is the trend-setter for postmodern consumer and this generation essentially influences the fashion industries. Since fashion has been adopted as a symbolic strategy, "the terms 'fashionable' and 'unfashionable' were employed to describe whether someone or something fits in with the current or even not so current, popular mode of expression." Fashion are obviously very self-expressive towards an individual because there are little restrictions and limitations being placed on creativity. As the term 'fashion' has been redefined, cultural values has also been reconsidered since "streets are being treated as fashion laboratories and they are replacing Haute Couture" (106). The aesthetics of such a fashion is far beyond what is traditional and what may or may not be view as beautiful in someone else's eyes. The aesthetics that exists in a fashionable trend is central to the globalization and mobility across frontiers, while it stresses "the dissolution of old structure and boundaries" (106). Mimicking in fashion can work both ways, from the street to the runway or vice versa. Nevertheless, a fashionable trend is usually formed by the fusion of hip and chic styles with the inclusion of cultural-identity and self inputs, which transforms the look into a more comfortable fit for the wearer. The fashion phenomenon, as Yuniya Kawamura argued, is beyond the clothing, "it is a belief" of both the consumers and designers.



The past ten weeks of winter quarter has been a spectacular experience for me. Dealing with the compact challenge has changed the way I choose to shop as a consumer of this consumerism nation. The world of fashion and its influences on consumers has still remained somewhat mysterious to me. It seems as though the marketing industries and their strategies has somehow always been successful in getting consumers to purchase an obsolete product. I mean, did you seriously have the need to buy a snuggie when all you have to do is dress warmer?! Not only does the snuggie is pricey, it looks hideous! But let's face it, often times such an obsolete item is not always obvious to the buyer. This is where the compact challenge has helped me accomplished most. The compact challenge has helped me to carefully think about an item when I go out and shop. Even though I have grown up as an adult, I sometimes still act like a kid, buying things just to satisfy my desires, my desires to fit in and be accepted by my peers. After undergoing the compact challenge I have bypass this need to satisfy my wants because I have learned to only shop for products that are absolutely necessary for my lifestyles, such as shopping for books, foods, and school supplies. I'm not a big spender so the compact challenge didn't harm my shopping needs, but it did helped further define my purpose to shop as a consumer of this nation.



By THUY DUONG! :)

Works Cited:
1) Kawamura, Yuniya. Fashion-ology: An Introduction to Fashion Studies. Berg. New York, 2005. Print.
2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fashion

Toilet Paper Fashion

In the readings, it talks about how fashion used to be in the hands of the French system, but now fashion is occurring everywhere. Any item of clothing has the possibility of becoming fashion. Anything and everything can be fashion. Anyone and any individual can create fashion by creating their own definitions of what fashion is. This reminds me of an article called “Wacky, Weird, and Wild Fashion.” In the article, it shows how even the weirdest of items such as toilet paper can be used to create fashion. The purpose of the article was about; eight leading Canadian designers designed their very own toilet paper dresses to raise breast cancer awareness. The one of a kind show is entirely crafted from 100 per cent soft and luxurious sheets of bathroom tissue. This collection included a limited-edition Pink Cashmere, Canada's first colored bathroom tissue in a decade. Hosted in New York, it was one of the strangest fashion shows city has ever seen.

In my opinion, I thought that the fashion idea was a great way to raise breast cancer awareness because fashion always draws in a lot of crowd and media attention. I also thought it was interesting how toilet paper could be used in such a way that it became fashion because I always associated toilet papers to bathrooms.

For the compact challenge, I’ve been busy lately so I haven’t had much time to go shopping. However, when I do go, I noticed that I tend spend more money. Which is why I came to the conclusion that when I stress out I over spend. Now that I know this, I will try to divert my stress to something else like exercising instead of spending money on food and clothes.

Anancy Thao

Blog #7

Sources:

http://poshposh.com/2009/08/more-wacky-wild-and-weird-fashion-toilet-paper-dresses/

Fashionology: Conclusion