Analyzing K-Pop Idol Fashion Culture
Now that my college years are at an end, I have collected so many amazing, beneficial projects from many different courses. I love how hands and creative I got to be in my field of fashion design and merchandising. I have saved all my posters, papers, computer illustrations, and PowerPoints over the years, and I would like to share them all with you! :) I really enjoyed my Cultural Diversity in Dress course and the final project that went with it. I love learning about other cultures, especially their traditional and modern dress. This class was perfect for me! ^^ For our final project, we were assigned to choose any subculture of any country, and then analyze that subculture's dress. Through analyzing and researching, we had to include categories of dress like hair, skin, preshaped body supplements (regular clothing like shirts, pants, dresses, etc.), wrapped body supplements (ties, bandanas, scarves, etc.), and more! To present our findings, we had a showcase with all our posters and supportive items like food or accessories lined up on tables. We also had to create a handout for our classmates. We walked through listening to the group's information and getting a taste of experiencing different countries' subcultures (and food- yum!). At the end, we voted for our favorite posters for first, second, and third place. :)
I chose to stick with my passion for K-pop and Korean culture, and my passion for spreading this culture. ^^ Thus, I analyzed the subculture of K-pop idols in South Korea!
Here is my completed poster that I worked so hard on for many, many hours. lol My cousin and roommate at the time helped me out as well, because she was much better at writing in those fancy texts you see. So shout out to Reed, thank you Babycakes! You helped me feel so proud of this poster and my project overall! :) I split the subculture into...sub-subcultures...lol I focused on the most popular styles in K-pop music: Preppy style, Sexy style, Hip-Hop style, and Aegyo (cute) style. At our presentation, along with my poster, I included my handout on K-pop and my K-pop story, my laptop playing K-Pop music videos, some of my K-pop albums, and sikhye (a sweet rice drink) for everyone to try! :)
What I found overall, for all groups is mostly light skin tones (some darker in sexy and hip-hop), smooth skin with little to no imperfections, and strong facial features like high cheekbones. Eyes obviously had an Asian eye shape with some having monolids and some having surgery for double eyelids. Teeth were mostly perfect- straight and white. A vast majority had the adhered attachment of colored and/or circle contact lenses to make eyes appear larger.
Let's take a closer look now at my poster and the information I found for each section of this subculture!
Here is the "Preppy" section of my poster, which includes pictures of the K-pop groups Boyfriend, Girls' Generation (SNSD), B1A4, VIXX, SHINee, and Super Junior. Specifically for Preppy style I found that hair for girls were usually long and straight sometimes with blunt bangs. For guys hair was usually very styled and/or shaggy. Guys were mostly slim and lean, and girls were very slim with not many curves and small breasts.Wrapped body supplements included ties, bowties, and scarves. Preshaped body supplements included cardigans, full mini-skirts, girly and frilly dresses, heels, strappy heeled sandals, headbands, vests, brightly colored skinny jeans, blazers, suits with patterns and bright colors, button up shirts, brightly colored tops, and boots or sneakers for men. Combination type body supplements (usually jewelry and accessories) included dainty, brightly colored simple necklaces and bracelets, layered bracelets (e.g. bangles), simple chain necklaces, and large, brightly colored watches. Inserted attachments to body closures included cufflinks for suits, brooches, pins, and military-like medals as decoration. These groups' music is usually light, happy, upbeat, sweet, and about love.
Next is the "Sexy" style, which is becoming more and more a dominant section of K-pop. In the picture we see Hyuna (4Minute) and Hyunseung (Beast) from their duo group Troublemaker, Girl's Day, DMTN, and Nine Muses. Hair is again usually shaggy for men, but it can also be very sleek hairstyles. The women in this category usually have long wavy or straight hair that is tousled or messy. Other elements of hair for women are deep side parts and bangs covering one eye for a mysterious, sexy look. Men are usually very muscular and typically show off their chests and abs more often. Girls are either slim or more curvy, typically with larger breasts. Ties are included as a wrapped body supplement.
Shown in the picture above is Son Gain (Brown Eyed Girls), 2PM, Sistar, and solo artist Rain. Preshaped body supplements include low rise pants, full monochrome suits, sleek, classic suits, mini-skirts and mini-dresses, booty shorts or hot pants, tight fitting blouses and dresses, crop tops, skinny pants, stilettos, mid-calf or thigh high boots, corsets, tights, bodysuits, and skirts or dresses with high slits to show off toned legs. Jewelry is usually limited to large hoop earrings, simple necklaces, and choker necklaces. The only inserted attachments to closures I found were cufflinks for men's suits, and chains or straps. The music here is usually upbeat, sometimes like club music, or has a more chill R&B style. Dances are incredibly sexy usually focusing on some body part like breasts, butts, legs, chests, abs, or groins.
Hip-Hop style is usually very distinct both in music and in fashion. Shown on my poster is Bang Yongguk (B.A.P), 2NE1, Zico (Block B), J-Hope (BTS), BigBang, and Wassup. Many idols from different sections color their hair, but crazy, brightly colored hair is usually seen here either in streaks or whole. Other hair elements are crazy hairstyles and updos, shaved side(s) sometimes with shaved designs, spiky, bold, mohawks or faux hawks, unbalanced styles (e.g. one side longer), long hair on men, and cornrows. Body shape varies greatly. Men are either noticeably muscular or lean and slim. Women are usually more curvy but still slim and toned. Some women here are more muscular than other sections. Surface designs include fake or real tattoos. Wrapped body supplements include bandanas, hair ties, and wrap skirts. Suspended body supplements include scarves or bandanas suspended from belt or belt loops. Preshapes include oversize clothing like shirts, jackets, or long shorts, sport jackets, hoods, tracksuits, hats (e.g. snapbacks, beanies, or baseball caps), sunglasses, brightly colored tennis shoes, high top sneakers, many large and/or spiked rings, skater skirts, oversized sweaters, exaggerated jackets, leather jackets, denim jackets, crop tops, brightly colored leggings, destroyed pants, printed (large, complicated) jackets and other clothing, and face masks.
Also included in my "Hip-Hop" section is CL and Dara (2NE1), 4Minute, BTS, Taeyang and G-Dragon (BigBang), B.A.P, and Zico again from Block B. Large, long necklaces, layered necklaces, layered bracelets, big earrings, over the top, exaggerated jewelry, large chain necklaces, and spiked or studded bracelets are typical of combination supplements. There are also pressure fastened attachments of fake piercings like nose, lip, and eyebrow rings. This music has a distinct sound, which include hard beats, a focus on rap, and over the top videos that could include darker themes.
Lastly we have the "Aegyo" style, which I feel is still popular, but getting less and less as more groups make a switch to the "Sexy" style as they come out of their rookie stage. Aegyo means cute in Korean, and this section is pretty much inclusive to girl groups, even though many fans like to see guy groups show aegyo during performances and television shows. lol ;) Shown above is the well known girl groups who continue to stick to cute styles: Apink, Secret (though they switch often between cute and sexy depending on their comeback), Orange Caramel, and Crayon Pop. There are many hairstyles for this section, but typically the women all have long, wavy or straight hair. Styles included buns, ponytails, pigtails, blunt bangs, middle parts, and high side ponytails. These women are typically very slim with small breasts..with the exception of Hyosung from Secret who is known for her curvy body and large breasts. lol Clothing includes full shaped dresses and skirts, fantasy costume wear (fairytales, animals, etc.), dainty, small rings, bow headbands, school uniforms, monochrome/same print separates, pleated skirts, silly outfits (e.g. helmets, over the top Christmas/Halloween costumes), fedora hats, and simple, casual outfits. Jewelry is typically simple and small including dainty necklaces, floral necklaces, small, layered bracelets, and object necklaces (e.g. cupcakes, animals, and other cute, girly items). Inserted attachments would be hairpins like bows and flowers. This music is also very light, happy, and sweet. It is very cute and women typically have higher pitched voices. The videos typically have many closeups of the girls performing aegyo (pouting, winking, kisses, etc.- look up "girl group aegyo" on Youtube lol), and cute dances. The songs are usually about love, a fantasy world, or some other innocent, light theme.
Overall cultural ideals and standards of South Korea specifically within idol culture would be hard to maintain and a lot of pressure in my opinion. Idols are expected to have large, double eyelids using colored contacts and surgery. Most women are seen to either fall in an overly sexy image or an extreme innocent, cute image. Female idols are often expected to have a more hidden, teasing appeal of sexy. Men are either seen as extremely sexy and powerful, or innocent and cute. If they are younger, males are supposed to be more innocent, and if older they are supposed to be more manly and sexy both in music and dress. Plastic surgery is common and sometimes expected for both female and male idols to achieve a perfect, doll-like appearance. Female idols are expected to show off their bodies mainly focusing on legs through short dresses, skirts, and shorts. For those women in the "Sexy", "Preppy", and "Hip-Hop" styles they are also sometimes expected to show off their stomachs and sometimes breasts as well.
Breaking this up with some funny images, because I feel bad for idols. ;; lol We love you just the way you are when you're being yourself idols! ^3^
Male idols in the "Sexy" and sometimes "Hip-Hop" styles are often expected to be extremely fit and manly. They are expected to show off their torsos (chests, abs, and arms). For the "Preppy" style, male idols are expected to be fit, but still lean and slim to achieve a more cute, boyish look. Idols in general are expected to have small faces, and even have competitions on shows to see who has the smallest face. There is a constant change of hairstyles and hair colors through dyeing. Idols are always expected to look and be perfect, and always have makeup on- they are heavily critiqued if they don't look perfect without makeup. Most of the time females in all categories are expected to maintain a balance of sexiness and innocence. This is based on their dominant category, "Sexy" style females have a larger amount of and more focus on sex appeal, but they are still expected to maintain some innocence (vice versa with cute female idols). K-pop is known to have crazy, over the top fashion, music, and music videos. After groups come out of the "rookie stage" (usually at least a year), they are able to broaden their horizons in both music styles and dress. Examples of this are B.A.P who move between Hip-Hop and Preppy, and Secret who move between Sexy and Aeygo. Idols and their entertainment companies have a lot of power, control, and sway in South Korea, especially the big three companies- SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment.
Recommended Songs from K-Pop Groups on my Board!
Hip Hop:
BigBang: “Bad Boy”, “Fantastic Baby”, “Tonight”
G-Dragon: “One Of A Kind”, “Crayon”, “MichiGo”
Taeyang: “Ringa Linga”
2NE1: “I Am The Best”. “Come Back Home”, “Can’t Nobody”
4Minute: “What’s Your Name?”, “Whatcha Doin’ Today?”, “Hot Issue”
B.A.P: “No Mercy”, “Badman”, “Hurricane”, “One Shot”
Bangtan Boys (BTS): “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2”, “No More Dream”, “N.O”
Block B: “Nillili Mambo”, “Jackpot”, “Very Good”, “Nalina”
Wassup: “Nom Nom Nom”, “Wa$$up”
Sexy:
2PM: “A.D.T.O.Y”, “Comeback When You Hear This Song”, “Masquerade”
9 Muses: “Wild”, “Glue”, “Gun”
Dalmatian (now known as DMTN): “E.R”, “Safety Zone”
Gain: “Fxxk U”, “Truth Or Dare”, “Bloom”, “Irreversible”
Girl’s Day: “Something”, “Expectation”, “Female President”
Rain: “30Sexy”, “LA Song”, “Love Song”, “Rainism”
Sistar: “Alone”, “Give It To Me”, “So Cool”
Troublemaker: “Troublemaker”, “Now”
Preppy/Girly:
Girls’ Generation (SNSD): “The Boys”, “Mr. Mr.”, “Oh!”, “Gee”, “Love & Girls”
SHINee: “Colorful”, “Lucifer”, “Hello”, “Juliette”, “Replay (Noona Neomu Yeppeo)”
Super Junior: “No Other”, “Mr. Simple”, “Spy”, “Sorry Sorry”
Boyfriend: “I Yah”, “Boyfriend”, “On and On”
B1A4: “Baby Goodnight”, “What’s Happening?”, “Baby I’m Sorry”, “Beautiful Target”
VIXX: “Rock Your Body”, “On and On”, “G.R.8.U”, “Super Hero”
Cute/Aegyo:
Apink: “U You”, “Mr. Chu”, “NoNoNo”
Orange Caramel: “Catallena”, “Lipstick”, “A~ing”
Crayon Pop: “Bar Bar Bar”, “Lonely Christmas”, “Uh-ee”
Secret: “YooHoo”, “Shy Boy”, “I Do I Do”
Are you a fan of K-pop? Who are your favorite groups and biases? Which category do you listen to the most? If this post or others like my K-music recommendations got you to try out K-pop for the first time, what are your thoughts? Which category appeals to you the most? Which category or categories would you want to be in if you were an idol? How do you feel about the expectations placed on idols? Leave me all your thoughts, comments, and opinions in the comment section! ^^
Thanks for reading! *currently listening to "La Soledad" by Pink Martini (not official video)
xoxo~ Ashley
Sources:
Bae, Hannah. (2012, January 06). Hannah Bae: Fashion is Essential to Tourism. http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/shop/tell-me-about-it/hannah-bae-fashion-essential-tourism-405067
Kallen, Stuart. A. (2014). K-Pop Korea’s Musical Explosion. Watermark Publishing.
Kim, Kyung Hyun. (2014). The Korean Pop Cultural Reader. Duke University Press Books.
Leto, Jacquelyn. (2011). A Look at K-pop Boy Bands, Girl Groups and the Big Three Entertainment Labels. BiblioBazaar.
Russell, Mark. James. (2014). K-POP Now!: The Korean Music Revolution. Tuttle Publishing.
Mahr, Krista. (2012, March 07). South Korea’s Greatest Export: How K-Pop’s Rocking The World. http://world.time.com/2012/03/07/south-koreas-greatest-export-how-k-pops-rocking-the-world/
StarNews. (2014). Stars of K-pop: Girls Edition. Watermark Publishing.
StarNews. (2014). Stars of K-pop: Boys Edition. Watermark Publishing.
