Post 9: Social Stratification of Fashion

     Social stratification is a concept involving the classification of people based on socio-economic conditions. From highest class to the lowest class. This division that separates people into different social status has been inherited by so many cultures around the world. Thousands of years ago, clothing had been the basis of wealth.

     When someone wears something with gold, it means that he was able to buy a land. When someone wears gold jewelry from head to toe, it means he is a king. But when someone wears simply a plain cloth without any ornaments on it, it means he cannot afford anything or cannot eat three times a day.

     Fashion is a perfect way to show whoever we were. But it has also been a bridge for the society to divide the community. Most people that wear branded clothes have much money for a day. Even if he buys supplies for a 3-times-a-day-meal, he still have the excess money left to buy whatever he wants.

     I've read an article about social stratification entitled "Fashion, Art and Fashion Art" by CNS262 from wordpress.com that tells about how fashion affects the social differences of people among the society even before. High end pieces shows hierarchy. It says there that this art is tied to the elite in two ways. One of it monetarily. Members of the upper class have the funds to spend thousands on clothes that lower classes just do not. The author even said that "Because of social hierarchy, based on money and cultural capital, we see that high art in the form of fashion works as a stratification of social classes The fashion is so innovative and different that to us, though we may view it as beautiful, is it undeniably weird.."

     The second level we must understand this hierarchy on has to do with what Bourdieu calls “cultural capital.” He explains this concept to mean taste that is learned via one’s cultural environment.  In other words, taste is the result of upbringing, which then becomes second nature. It only means that right from the start, social stratification is inevitable to the society.

     Also an article entitled "Day 109: The Sociology of Fashion, Feminism, and Social Class" by Kjerstin Gruys from ayearwithoutmirrors.com it explains more of the theories of fashion that has something to do with social stratification. There was even Simmel's "top-down" theory. But even though these theories has been set and done, we still should consider that fashion is not just about being on ramp or wearing jewelry. She said that "That contemporary fashion cycles operate differently from purely top-down models suggests a certain democratization of fashion, and perhaps increased space for people to challenge class and gender inequalities through fashion."

    There are lots of people who need more than just clothes. They need safety and shelter to sustain their lives. They need more than material things we think -people who can afford much more- that we need and we cannot live without. We should all be aware that one should pay attention more on what the world needs and not the ones we want. Let us all be open-minded from all the things that happen to the people around us.

Post 8: Psychology of Fashion

   

Yes of course if there will be "Psychology of Cosplay", there should also be "Pscyhology of Fashion". Why? Simply because we want to let the readers be aware of the effects of small things in our lives that we don't get much of time to do research. We all want to know why people wear whatever they're wearing. There are some people who wear too short skirts, jacket even when the sun is too high or almost nothing (some, yes).

     Upon my research regarding this matter, an article entitled "Fashion Psychology" which I believe to be the author is Karen herself, by karenpine.com tells about how  fashion affects our everyday life. What we actually wear manipulates the way we move. It has some kind of coordination in between. When someone wears an elegant set of jewelry and a perfect black dress, she will automatically feel so fragile. Whatever we wear makes our body act accordingly to what our clothes want to project. If we try to project a very professional image, then, we have to wear office or business attires. I quote a line from the article that I think gives a better view of what am I trying to say which has been said by the author, " Recent research on enclothed cognition demonstrates a powerful link between a person’s attire and the way they behave, and evolutionary and cognitive psychology can help us to understand the inner drivers for people’s clothing choices, and the effect upon others."

     It is true that what we wear defines us. If we tried to wear something that looks really unprepared, it will damage our credibility. We cannot just put on pajamas if we'll be attending a wedding ceremony. For some especially for higher classes, they chose fashion to express how they protect their credibility. Especially when one is well-dressed.

     Another article that caught my attention is this "What Cognitive Psychology Studies Reveals about Fashion" by G.Moda themselves from gdotmoda.com also shows how style affects the way we project our message to the world. By the use of style and fashion we give them the idea of what we are trying to connect with them. "There has been several investigations using social science approaches into the impacts of fashion on how other people perceive us as a result of the clothes that we wear, especially during the 1980s and 1990s, and quite a few on how we perceive fashions from the perspective of developing virtual simulations of fashions, in the late 1990s and early in the first decade of 2000." said by G.Moda.

     Fashion can be an instrument but it can also be a form of communication to people on how we react based on what we wear. We project different images in the form of what we wear everyday. It can be a professional look, simple, sweet or edgy. But no matter how we make ourselves as canvass, still it is our choice with whatever image we want to paint on ourselves and that's what the people will see.

Post 7: Psychology of Cosplay

Alodia Gosiengfiao

     We all do things for a reason. But our reasons were not the same. One maybe because of attention, or
the other maybe because of passion. Just like how every cosplayers have their own reason why they chose to cosplay instead of doing any other hobby. Well, to be honest, as a cosplayer, I found it very interesting and it makes me feel confident of who and what I am. Yes, I am in character but still, it's me. I chose characters that match my personality in some ways. I chose characters that can show the different sides of me. That's how I see and define cosplay for me.

     People around the world were too busy with themselves. We cannot see the importance of every single thing. But now, from the article I've read "Why People Cosplay" by Gaijinpot from Gaijinpot.com open my mind to something not all people can realize. It says there that Cosplayers found themselves safe whenever they find someone with the same interest. We feel so open to others without the fear of being judged. Gaijinpot said "I also observed what kind of people would come to the shop. I definitely saw those people in the shop as quiet, introverted and otaku types, but I could see how open minded they could be, in terms of exploring their love life, than people who appear to be “normal”, so we cannot underestimate the power of otaku people, really!" and his statement made me really happy for the fact that he saw something different from us.

     Upon my research, the common thing that I observed is that "shy people use cosplay as instrument to break their shells". It is actually a good thing for people to find something they know they can show off themselves, right? I find cosplay very helpful to people like me who don't know how to express myself correctly. I break my own shell by the use of this kind of hobby. I find it sociable and approachable. I honestly don't feel any fear from the judgement I might receive because I know that I stand out among everyone and I am happy with what I am.

Me as SI (Dream of Doll)

     People think we are weird for dressing up with bright colored wigs and contact lenses. But despite the negative comments like "they're annoying", "they just want attention" and stuff like that, we find common thing that make us happy in every single day of our lives. One person who can appreciate our works makes our kokoro (japanese translation of heart) jumps!

     We do this not just for ourselves but whenever we see people smile because they think we're awesome and made their favorite characters went to life is a big achievement for us. We feel that we have accomplished something not all people can do. Whenever we see kid calling us in our character names, we feel how lucky we are to actually dress up and show up in front of kids like characters went out straight from the television.

     Also, an article entitled "Why Halloween Simply Isn't Enough: The Psychology of Cosplay" by a guest writer ArkhamAsylumDoc from sciencefiction.com, she's a cosplayer too and what makes her awesome is that she opened herself to anyone knowing that million people can read her entry by just one click! Since that many people misunderstood us as "Halloween Mascots" (and yes we can hear people calling us mascots) she was able to make connection to readers and explain how cosplaying really goes. I quoted some lines from her article that inspired be so much, "Psychologically, I believe it is an adaptive, healthy exercise to assume the physical role of a character that you can relate to or admire greatly. I find it nothing short of empowering to assume the role of a character who is independent, cunning, agile, and confident. Showing a lot of skin does not necessarily negate all of those amazing qualities in a woman!  If I’ve ever felt secretive about talking about cosplay, I’ve learned that this comes not from shame or guilt, but from the desire to preserve an important part of my identity."

     We might be mistaken as mascots or anything you want to call it, but deep inside our hearts we know that we do it because we want to make people happy by doing a hobby that can make people smile when they see us, maybe not everyone but at least one smile can really change the world, our world. It doesn't matter how negative people think of us or how they judge us because what's more important is that we try to give people an opening to our secrets that only few can understand.

Post 6: Gothic Fashion

   

credit to the owner

     The Goth subculture began in England during the 1980s when the Punk culture started to decline, and with it came the Gothic fashion. This fashion takes elements from punk, Victorian, Renaissance and Elizabethan period clothing then mixes it up with modern style. The color scheme for this fashion is primarily composed of dark colors, primarily of black. It is then coupled up with a dark make-up giving it a dark, mysterious, and exotic look.

     Here is a short article about how this subculture and fashion came to be, "History of Gothic Culture and Fashion" by The Goth Code from wordpress.com. The Gothic fashion can easily be mistaken as Punk or Emo fashions because of their similarities especially when it comes to their color schemes. But unlike those two styles, Gothic fashion brings an air of elegance to its wearer therefore defining it against those two. Because it is derived from Victorian, Renaissance and Elizabethan styles, it incorporates the elegant component of those styles.

     Ever since its rise, the Gothic fashion is still a steady name in the industry. Many celebrities, especially big names in the music industry have also adapted this fashion such as the band “Evanescence” where in lead vocalist Amy Lee always wear clothing under this fashion in music videos, concerts and public appearances.

credit to the owner

credit to the owner

     Because of its popularity even nowadays, the Gothic fashion started to branch out into different subcategories, and this article "Gothic Fashion" by Winged Creature from platypusart.com, tells a little bit about the subcategories of this fashion. Most notable subcategories are Gothic Lolita, Romantic/Ethereal and Steampunk. These subcategories are commonly used and are easily identifiable as Gothic. "There are many different types of Goths and many different types of Goth clothing. The outfits can be quite intricate and quite pricey. The materials, colours, influences and styles of the various fashions differ greatly from one another. Gothic music and fashion are symbiotic." said by the author herself.

     The Gothic fashion sometimes baffles other people. Just like cosplaying, people who are into this fashion is sometimes discriminated because of lack of understanding. They are commonly branded as anti-social at once though it may not be entirely true. People of who dress in this fashion are automatically branded as
weird because of the entirely different air of this look.

     The Gothic Fashion is more than wearing black all the time. It is embodying the essence of the fashion. Wearing these type of clothes means being responsible in carrying them properly as well. These fashion, just like any other fashion, is a projection of who you really are and therefore don’t be afraid to experiment. Just enjoy it and express your personality through it.

Post 5: Wrong Side of Cosplay and Society

credit to the owner

     Cosplay has been really popular these days. Conventions here and there. It gives a huge contribution to anime fans to bring their favorite characters to life. But since that Cosplay became mainstream, a lot of cosplayers and con-goers tend to misunderstood the true essence of cosplay. Years ago, cosplay has been a ground for anime fans to give life to whoever character they want. Mecha, warriors, school girl and much more were the common characters cosplayers liked to portray because first and foremost it is pretty affordable for a beginner.

     As time goes by, con-goers became really into something cosplayers would go an extra mile. A lot of cosplayers nowadays show too much skin to gain popularity. Why do we have to show off skin just for popularity? Maybe because a lot of them got tired from being someone who cannot be identified or noticed through the characters they used to cosplay. Cosplay is an instrument for us to show our love for anime but for some, it became a field for popularity. An article entitled "Cosplayers Are Passionate, Talented Folks. But There's A Darker Side To This Community, Too." by Patricia Hernandez from kotaku.com discusses how cosplayers struggle from their cosplays. It shows how criticism can change people to worst. "What most of us experience is the ‘product.' The end result. But there is a person underneath that costume. That person has a story, that person has reasons for putting themselves out there for the world to see. And that person likely put in a lot of work to bring a character to life. Turns out, there is a whole lot more to cosplay than just what can be photographed and put into galleries." said by Patricia.

     We all feel tired from being someone who can't be noticed. We all want attention. But people take advantage of the things we want and we need. They give Cosplayers the bad idea of cosplay. Today, you will see cosplayers wearing ALMOST NOTHING. Too much skin, too short skirts, everything too much! But wait, there are lot more to talk about.

Have you ever heard of the word, "Jejecosplayers"?

     Jejecosplayers are very much popular here in Philippines. "Jejemon + cosplayer = jejecosplayer", a coined name made to call cosplayers who call themselves "cosplayers" just by wearing different colors of synthetic wig, contact lens, and that's it! If that's the case then, we can call anyone as cosplayers just because they wear contact lenses and wigs. If that's so, does that mean that celebrities who wear wigs are cosplayers? OF COURSE NOT. I don't want actually to upload and put up images here with how "jejecosplayers" cosplay and treat themselves "cosplayer". Because honestly, they don't know what they're doing and I will let you see it for yourself instead.

     These are just some examples of "cosplay problems". Also an article "The Problem with Cosplay Celebrity" by an Unknown Author from bittergertrude.com really expands the dark world of cosplay. Yes, it is true that you'll be a celebrity for a day but for some, once they've tasted this kind of popularity, they tend to bring themselves up. They lift their own chair for the sake of being a celebrity. By this kind of feeling of belongingness, it sometimes turn into envy especially to those who really cannot afford to do this  kind of hobby and that is where "jejecosplayers" or the "so-called-cosplayers" fall into. "The problem isn’t cosplay celebrities themselves, it’s the way mainstream culture requires our celebrities, especially the women, to conform to oppressive beauty standards, the way we commodify women’s bodies, and the way we divide women into categories of “acceptable” and “unacceptable.”" said by the author herself, and it is pretty sad reality.

credit to the owner

     Hobby, passion or whatever you want to call it. But when you start to do things for the sake of trying to mold yourself for the society, you're just making yourself worst. It is just, you should do things because you want it not because almost everyone or everyone around you do this kind of stuff. Do what your heart says not what the society tells you to do.

Post 2: Why Discriminate?

     Have you experienced being discriminated? People throwing mouthful of words behind your back? Discrimination is the prejudicial and/or distinguishing treatment of an individual based on their actual or perceived membership in a certain group or category (Wikipedia). 

     There is a certain community that suffers from discrimination almost everyday. Cosplay Community.  Cosplay started in Japan coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi of the Japanese studio Studio Hard while attending the 1983 World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) in Los Angeles. Cosplay has been a subculture of role playing that has most effect in Asia.

     Since Cosplaying became really popular, even Western countries do cosplaying nowadays. As what everyone says, "cosplay is a form of expression" but it also became a trigger to people to discriminate our community. I, as a cosplayer even experienced the mouthful of words of people being thrown at me. I do understand especially to those who are not familiar with it or not even into it. But there was a certain discrimination between Western Cosplayers and Asian Cosplayers that quite became a boarder.

credit to these cosplayers

     Western Cosplayers have been discriminated by amount of people saying that "cosplaying is not for westerns." Why? They said that facial features and even the body shape of the western people are not made for cosplay. Japanese anime characters were based on Asian body types, small jaws, small shape of nose, not too tall in height and such. But the fact that the World Science Fiction Convention held in "LOS ANGELES" inspired Nobuyuki Takahashi to bring the idea back to Japan to express the world of Anime. Yes, it is true that anime characters were based on Asian body types but that doesn't mean that there is a limitation to those who wants to cosplay.

      An article entitled "Can The West Cosplay With The Best Of Them" by Brian Ashcraft from the site "Kotaku.com" stated how Western Cosplayers have been discriminated by people but it is true that "There is no group of people that is stereotypically "better" at cosplay. And the act itself is deeper than Photoshopped images or cleverly staged stage shows - it offers insight into the very fabric of our cultures, what makes us different and what makes us the same." said by Brian.

     This issue is not just to Western Cosplayers but even to Asian Cosplayers. Asian cosplayers have been discriminated even by their own race. People who are not into Cosplaying will automatically think that WE are weird in terms of hobby. We pay so much for costumes that cannot be used in our everyday life. Going out with wigs on are not accepted by the society. It is true that seeing people in a different feature will scare the hell out of you but it is just the same to let kidnappers hunt the city, right?

     I admit that there are negative aspects that can be found in the article entitled "Negative Aspects of Cosplay" by Trinket Princess, a fellow Blogger user. These aspects are inevitable but still, it is our decision if we will let these things change who we are. It is our decision if we'll change for the better or for worse.

     I am not on either side. To inform people and make them aware of what we have today is much better goal. What we do is what makes us the same. Acceptance and respect to our fellowmen. We unite in the same hobby as we should unite in the same goal.

Post 1: Fashion or Cosplay

   

Left: LILISIMPLY (lookbook.nu) Right: Aza Miyuko (Blade and soul)

  Would you consider Cosplay is Fashion or vice versa? Cosplay and Fashion are both related to clothes and style, hair and makeup, accessories and such. But how can someone actually differentiate the two?
     Fashion defines culture, social status, personality, and lifestyle. An expression of oneself through mix and matching of style. One can actually see the social status of a person from the brand she wears. It does even shows your age. You cannot simply wear a Tube blouse when you're in your 80's. It doesn't mean that anything and everything is wearable.
     Being into fashion or cosplay gives you the opportunity to show off your personality and creativity. An Edgy look gives you the fierce attitude. A sweet dress shows off your feminine side. One can be defined from the look she shows, clothes she wears, makeup she uses and much more.

     How can we actually relate Fashion and Cosplay?

     Fashion is a form of Self-expression. It is considered as form of expression of what we feel. We express ourselves in the form of style. One cannot wear the same clothes everyday. We have to step out of our comfort zone to express ourselves. I've read an article entitled "Fashion as Expression" by Devorah from Deborahshemesh.com. It tackles on how it Fashion helps us express ourselves. From there, couple of lines said by the author caught my eye saying, " Being fashionably fit means knowing yourself from the inside out, and it doesn’t cost a cent.  Use fashion as an expression of who you are, or who you aspire to be, and don’t let fashion use you."

     Fashion is a form of art. From colors to texture. It uses the sense of color combination and texture of fabric being used. It shows the creativity of blending and mix and matching. If fashion is executed well, one can instantly see the art behind it. There maybe also rules but the art of it never goes wrong.

     On the other hand, Cosplay is simply "costume + play = cosplay". A hobby among devotees of anime and manga. Unlike Fashion, cosplay has a character to imitate. There is a specific attitude and style for every character. But cosplay is not as simple as copying the character. One should be able to portray them well. It doesn't mean that when you saw a good-looking character, you are going to Cosplay her/him right away. Knowing the essence of cosplay is a hard task to people who are not familiar with it just like fashion. There are specific rules in cosplaying too.

Aza Miyuko as Leah from Diablo III

     Cosplay is also a form of Self-expression. One can express himself/herself through cosplay. Being in perfect character suited for your feelings is a big deal. You might be able to give justice to the character you're portraying by the similarities of your feelings and attitude. A shy person cosplaying a shy character don't need to exert much effort to show the personality of and feeling of the character being cosplayed by him/her. There is one article that inspired me entitled "Breaking All The Rules: Cosplay and the Art of Self-expression" by Ger Tysk from Indiegogo.com focusing on how Cosplay can change someone's life by expression. He also said that "Those characters in those stories - the characters who they cosplay - have helped people discover new, different parts of themselves. Cosplay is the ultimate tribute, to say that yes, my outlook, my friendships, and my life have forever changed because of this story."

     Cosplay is also an Art. A form of art from construction to overall character play. A beginner might not be able to construct his/ her own costume at first, but as time goes by, as he/she enjoyed doing it, he/she eventually learn the art of it. From constructing the armors of a specific character takes a lot of effort to get burned by heat gun, glued by greco but that doesn't matter as long as it'll pay off. It also comes with painting and crafting accessories which fall into the category of arts but that doesn't mean it'll be automatically considered art. It have to have texture and style and the meaning of every work done to be considered art. 

     Fashion and Cosplay is simply an Expression of oneself in the form of Art. Our eyes can see what lies beneath. Our looks can be very deceiving, but it only shows how perfect we are in our own ways. We can stand out by how we deliver the message through clothes, makeup, or accessory. A form of freedom, body as canvass and a medium for communication.