Pretty Boy? Handsome Girls Are Here Now
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Pretty Boy? Handsome Girls Are Here Now
  • Park Kim Injin / Reporter
  • 승인 2010.12.05 11:07
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PHOTOS BY IJ

 

What is your standard of distinguishing gender?  When just looking at them, most of people can easily decide by appearance such as their clothing or hair styles.  However, sometimes, it is not so easy to tell as there are many girls who dress up in boy’s clothing and have taken off their girly-ness.  What is the reason for them to dress up like a boy?

 

Reaching For Her Dream in a Suit


Interesting thing is that there have been several cases of people pretending-like-a-man in the past, too.  In the past, when women pretended to be a man, mostly it was because they faced difficulties achieving their dreams due to the social back-ground at that time.  As everyone knows, the gender discrimination was very high in the past.  And therefore there were always limitations for women in many ways.  The famous animation Mulan was based on a true story in Chinese history.  The real Chinese historical figure Mulan had to pretend to be a man in order to enter the war and took the place of her ill father.  It is not about dressing up, but the famous Bronte sisters also had to pretend to be men to publish their books and receive attention without discrimination.  Not only them, but there were more women like them in the past to go after their goals.  However, the entry of women in public affairs and high society is not a serious problem at present time.  Then, why do they still continue to be dressed like a boy and strive to look like one?  How has the reason changed?

The Namjang Syndrome


The dress-up-like-a-man took a place in TV shows too.  Numerous TV dramas, which handled Namjang* main characters, made big hits and this created Namjang syndrome not only in the TV programs but also among the drama viewers.  The cross-dresser means a person who dresses in the clothing characteristic of the opposite sex and there are about 2,300 cross-dressers in Korea.  This unexpected big number tells us that cross dressing became as one popular fashion code somehow. 

 

The Sookmyung Times (SMT) interviewed people and asked about their perceptions on girls dressed up in boy-clothing.  First, SMT asked tomboys the reasons for their particular fashion style.  One 22 year-old SMU student who refused to give a name said, “It is just because wearing casuals is more confident to me as I am a very out-going and active person.  For me, it is impossible to wear miniskirts or tight skinny jeans and have a long wavy hair or walk in the very high high-heels.  It’s just too uncomfortable.” A 24-yearold member of the boyish fashion club Namjaboda Meotjin Namjang (Tomboy cooler than boys) also stated, “I buy clothes in online fashion mall which only treats fashionable male clothing.  I never grow my hair or wear dresses.  I sometimes want other people to think of me as a boy, too.  If you ask me why, it’s because I admire the masculinity and its fashion style.”  The interviews showed that cross-dressing had different personal reasons. 

 

What would other people who see them wearing male clothing think?  SMT asked Lee, Division of Economics ’09 her opinion and she stated, “I think it is just a personal taste and preference.  Many friends of mine have cut their hair when the drama Coffee Prince No.1 was a big hit.  I also thought that boyish looking style is somehow cute and attractive.”  “I guess it’s like one fashion trend, but I don’t think I can have a short hair cut like them.  Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if they dress up like a girl instead.” Her friend, Kim, Division of law ’09 added.

 

Cross, Cross, and Cross


Some people of differentiated reception of cross dressers have suggested as a reason for this aforementioned behavior is that for a woman to take on a male role in a patriarchal society thus may raise her social status, whereas for a man to take on a female role is to lower his social status.  However this does not reflect today’s society as similar phenomenon has happened for boys too.  Make up has been generally regarded as a girl’s thing however, now it is very easy to find boys with make ups everywhere.  SMT interviewed Jang, a second year student of the fashion school S mode Seoul and he said, “I don’t consider make-up as a girlish thing at all.  In fact, many young idol stars like 2PM or Beasts also wear eye liners these days.  Yes, I did this make up by myself.  Make ups, especially these eye liners, became a famous fashion item among us now.  My parents freak out though. (Laugh)” The boundary between femininity and masculinity seemed to be blurred these days.


Cross-dressing As One Fashion Trend


Even though the reasons of their dressing were different and the people’s perception on them was too, it was almost clear that cross dressing became one famous fashion trend these days.  Namjang is not a last choice of achieving one’s dream standing against the male chauvinism society anymore, but is now a popular fashion style.  This might infer that the men and women are no longer a theme to discriminate, but equally respected from each other, and now women can achieve what they are willing to, without any obstacles or male names and clothing.

PHOTOS FROM LEE


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