ethnicity vs. garment

[lv d0n]

i HATE when non japanese asian kids (mainly HKers) od on Japanese hype brands.

[Ahlvahroe]

i saw this asian kid once wearing a sombrero at an amusment park and i hella felt like smacking him. but when mayweather wore one before the de la hoya fight i laughed it off.

[ktothe]

Yeah...none of this has anything to do with ethnicity per say, but everything to do with environment.

[Pandemonium]

hmmm...

i remember doing this for japanese (culture class) in high school, we were studying the first europeans to encounter the japanese - the portuguese, then the french.

the portuguese came in the form of missionaries to convert, and as traders.

there would've been an exchange of ideas - architecture, art, music and no doubt fashion - within this time period, especially since japan was previously behind compared to the western nations and looked up to them as a sort of 'senpai' so to speak.

also, the first english naturalised citizen miura anjin (william adams), who became the first foreign samurai and more importantly, the translator of the court in the time of tokugawa ieyasu would've hastened the appeal of western culture in japan. no doubt, would the exchange of such idealistic notions as mentioned above be much hastened, especially since ruler of japan at that time had the ability to understand foreigners more succinctly.

[mizanation]

i disagree that the reason for japanese excellence in architecture/cinema/fashion/food etc, is primarily a result of the atomic bombs. i believe that the desire to excel in whatever field is a japanese cultural trait that has been around long before hiroshima and nagasaki.

japanese culture has always been influenced by outside cultures. japan has always taken the inventions of other cultures and tried to improve upon them. this is a very selected and truncated list from before WWII:

buddhism - from india via china. japan further developed zen to it's most recognized and celebrated form, but it was originally a chinese idea. now, zen buddhism is thought of as a primarily japanese theology. it's a huge part of bushido, which still permeates much of japanese culture.

food - the idea of ramen came from china, but japan developed it into something very different. curry, came from india via england. japan is the only place in the world where old british-style curry still remains. tempura and "pan" - brought by portuguese "visitors". etc., etc....

tea ceremony - originally developed by the chinese during the song dynasty, it was brought to japan and developed to become an important part of japanese culture and aesthetics. in china, the tea ceremony was destroyed with the end of the song dynasty. it survived in japan, where its influence is still seen today.

weaponry and warfare - the chinese brought the sword to japan. during the warring period of japan's feudal age, the sword was advanced to the form of the katana. after the opening of the ports to the west, japan studied western warfare and in 30 years, was able to defeat russia in the russo-japanese war.

and so forth, and so forth.

the defeat in WWII served to focus japan's effort from colonialization and warfare to industry, manufacturing, business and art. the war and the atomic bombs were a huge influence but i think the obsession with excellence has been around long before WWII.

[Guest jmatsu]

miz,

this is basically what i wanted people to re-affirm. esp non japanaese people.

[homi29]

in fact, you could even call him a 'realist nigger'.

awesome, that is all

everything i wanted to say has been said already, but it really comes back to the central idea that you are not your clothes, you are your swag/steez/style/whatever u call it

[coleslawyum]

This thread sure went on a tangent…

Fashion is subjective — therefore, what looks good on whomever, is based on the person you're speaking with. Some people dig a baggy fit and some people dig it tight.

In my opinion, I think skin color – actual color, not ethnicity – plays a part with the color of clothes a person should wear. A dark skinned person can set a white shirt off better than someone who is pale and grey. Some people look better with earth tones, while some look better with primary colors. Fit can be attributed to two things: cut and drape. The clothes should fit the person, not be excessively tight or excessively large. And how do the garments fall on a person? Is it flattering? Does it help streamline the figure? Make a bold statement?

Regarding Japan, I'm grateful that there are companies there that still make great product. I agree with the post that US companies are imperialistic in nature, similar to the government. US business philosophy centers around growth, so for the most part, product quality becomes lost. If the bottom line is to make more money, then corners will be cut. In Japan, some companies are satisfied with being small and making great product. It allows them to focus on the product and not so much about "making millions." They make the same amount of money every year, and live a comfortable lifestyle. Why should they change that?

[Gunitx333]

" People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams. " -- Ralph Lauren

I mean i think anyone can pull off any look. As long as they, themselves, feel good in the clothes.

[86'er]

Preconceptions has a massive influence, case in point: white guy in hip hop gear or even Asian to an extent doesnt look anywhere near as good as black people in those said clothes.

Plus i must stress that most non Asian can not tell the difference between koreans japanese etc, so a Chinese kid rocking Japanese brands look just as good vice verser TO a non asian.

[Pandemonium]

" People ask how can a Jewish kid from the Bronx do preppy clothes? Does it have to do with class and money? It has to do with dreams. " -- Ralph Lauren

I mean i think anyone can pull off any look. As long as they, themselves, feel good in the clothes.

pulling out the goddamn cliched d word.

i think it's okay for a jew from the bronx to do preppy clothes as long as he's not heavily religiously inclined (ie orthodox).

i can't think of anything that really looks good with a kippah.