GARMENTS GONE GLOBAL
How Foreign Affairs Affect Fashion
BY MIMI CALHOUN ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA MCADAMS
With so many countries and cultures around the world, there are bound to be differences in what people are wearing and the meanings behind their fashion choices. Though clothing can be as surface level as simply what one wears every day, it can also go beyond that and have strategic and underlying significance. In a time in which fashion and style can be used as a statement and influence, it’s important to recognize how people are utilizing it to take a stand.
Helena Wu, a junior music major at Ohio University from Hong Kong, mentioned how the color black was utilized during the 2019-2020 Hong Kong protests. The demonstrations occurred over the government’s introduction of a bill to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance in regard to extradition, which meant the Hong Kong government and other Asian countries such as Taiwan, mainland China, and Macau would potentially have mutual legal assistance when it came to a transfer of fugitives.
Many protestors wore the color black as solidarity against the bill, as it caused domestic and international criticism. Fear stemmed from China’s ability through the bill to arrest those who speak out and disagree with the Chinese government in Hong Kong.
“It's just all black, maybe with the yellow ribbon,” Wu said when discussing the clothing choice of protestors. She also said that although COVID-19 halted protests for a while, the connotations of the color choice still have consequences in the region, as those seen wearing all black may be stopped by police forces.
Similar to the significant use of black in Hong Kong, the colors of blue and yellow have been associated with the Russo-Ukrainian War. Yulia Dmitrieva, a graduate student in film at Ohio U who is from Russia, said she and others utilize those colors as a subtle way to support Ukraine without actively going to protests.
“I think the police caught on fairly quickly,” Dmitrieva said. “You would start getting arrested, but there’s definitely a rise of people consciously choosing those colors in clothes and also altering makeup and trying to incorporate it as an attempt to support a protest.”
Dmitrieva said the color green is also associated with opposition to the war, as people have tied green ribbons around the city in public areas in an “underground” type of protest.
While colors can play a political part in fashion, how a person presents themselves can also be an indicator of what they believe and how they want to be perceived. Expression through things like tattoos and piercings is becoming more common, but there are still people and places with strong opinions about them.
Hibiki Komazawa, a graduate student at Ohio U studying communication and development studies who is from Japan, said that although both younger and older Japanese people alike are OK with piercings, the younger generations are more interested in tattoos despite the elders’ dislike. She also explained how the country dresses more conservatively with less exposed skin.
“I think Japanese people are scared of wearing what they want because they are afraid of being judged by people,” Komazawa said. “It's because they also judge what other people wear.”
When it comes to customs and traditions of different places, societal expectations and unspoken rules have influenced the fashion game and how people dress. However, as the world and time progresses, the boundaries of what clothing can be and stand for will continue to evolve and leave an impact on future generations.
