This qualitative research explores the complex relationship between anime and fashion choices of Indonesian ‘otaku’. Specifically, this study investigates how ‘otaku’ individuals in Indonesia express their fandom through their clothing choices. The research aims to understand the motivations and considerations behind their fashion decisions, examining the balance between expressing their ‘otaku’ identity and navigating social contexts. This exploration delves into the nuanced ways in which anime influences personal style, considering both overt displays of fandom and more subtle, everyday expressions. The study also examines the participants’ perspectives on licensed vs. unlicensed anime merchandise. It seeks to uncover the factors that influence purchasing decisions, including ethical considerations regarding supporting the anime industry, alongside practical concerns such as affordability and accessibility. The research further aims to understand how the increasing normalization of anime within Indonesian society, driven by the rise of streaming services and collaborations between clothing brands and anime franchises, has impacted the cultural perception of ‘otaku’ fashion. By exploring these multifaceted dimensions of ‘otaku’ fashion in Indonesia, this research aims to provide insights into the evolving relationship between anime, identity and consumer culture. It seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of how cultural influences shape individual expression and how subcultures navigate the complexities of identity in a globalized world. The study utilizes in-depth interviews with ten active anime-engaging informants who live in Indonesia to gather rich, qualitative data that illuminate the lived experiences and perspectives of Indonesian ‘otaku’ and their engagement with fashion as a means of self-expression and cultural affiliation.
This study takes into account Indonesian government employees’ experience with mandatory wearing of batik and its effects on national identity, attitude towards batik and workplace interaction. Being an old-fashioned Indonesian textile, batik has become a powerful national identity symbol that the government reinforces by way of the calls for employees to wear it to work. With a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research explores the workers lived experience in the state-owned enterprises, i.e., State-Owned Companies (BUMN) and schools. The research collected the data through semi-structured interviews for the purpose of obtaining employees’ perceptions in-depth. The findings affirm that the use of batik enhances national identity, particularly if the employees use batik from every region, which would most likely hold a deep cultural and philosophical value. Although the obligatory aspect of wearing batik might at first glance seem to be a necessity, it also ensures the perpetuation of batik’s beauty and cultural sensitivity in the long term. In addition, batik ensures healthy workplace relationships through the creation of a less formal and friendly atmosphere between co-workers and with customers. Batik is also a powerful medium of cultural transmission in the school setting, enabling educators to introduce Indonesian heritage and values to their students. This study contributes to understanding the multifaceted nature of batik in contemporary Indonesia. It highlights the intricate dynamics between batik’s cultural significance, the legal requirement for its use in the work setting and its impact on personal and group identity. The research concentrates on the demand to consider the social and cultural implications of bringing in traditional attire into the modern workplace.
There is limited research on Kānaka Maoli (‘Native Hawaiian’) apparel designers and how they incorporate authentic cultural values in fashion. Research on clothing in Hawaiʻi has focused on traditional pre-contact clothing or classic pieces such as the aloha shirt or holokū, but no research has examined contemporary Kānaka Maoli fashion. Hawaiian culture was suppressed during colonization until the Hawaiian Renaissance in the 1970s, when it began to re-emerge and be celebrated. This study examines how a Kānaka Maoli designer uses cultural values to guide design and manufacturing decisions. A case study was conducted with designer Micah Kamohoaliʻi, using grounded theory, line-by-line analysis of the interview transcript and garment analysis. Four themes emerged: authenticity, education, responsibility and sustainability. Crane and Bovone’s framework (2006) for the study of material culture guided the analysis of Kamohoaliʻi’s design and manufacturing methods. The findings revealed that specific colours and imagery are produced with cultural values of sustainability within a mass-manufacturing environment, with symbolic value communicated through prints and hangtags. This study demonstrates how Kānaka Maoli cultural values are embedded in contemporary clothing and manufacturing processes. Fashion from a Kānaka Maoli perspective illustrates how cultural values may continue to survive despite historical efforts to erase Hawaiian culture, offering alternative frameworks to the global fashion system.
This article examines how implicit dress codes shape social, moral and political dynamics in Santiago, Chile, focusing on ‘looking good’ as a situated and embodied practice. Through qualitative research, including interviews with fat and non-fat consumers and professionals in the fashion industry, the study reveals how unspoken norms prioritize conformity and invisibility. These norms create a homogenized aesthetic dominated by neutral and dark colours, where blending in takes precedence over individuality. The research examines the experiences of fat individuals who self-identify as such to show how these norms impose expectations they cannot meet. Structural barriers, such as the lack of aesthetic clothing, render adherence to these expectations materially impossible, leading to social exclusion and marginalization. Fat individuals’ experiences expose how dress codes function as mechanisms of control, reinforcing conformity and punishing those who deviate. Their inability to conform makes visible the hidden violence and exclusion embedded in these everyday practices. Framed by Entwistle’s concept of dress as a ‘situated bodily practice’ and Foucault’s theory of subjectification, the study shows how aesthetic norms regulate behaviour, shape identity and embed social hierarchies. By focusing on fat individuals, this research underscores the exclusionary nature of dress codes and calls for further exploration of how these norms intersect with other identity markers, such as gender, race and class, to understand their broader social implications better.
Review of: Paul Poiret: Fashion Is a Feast , Paul Poiret, curated by Marie-Sophie Carron de la Carrière, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 25 June 2025–11 January 2026 1925–2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco , curated by Bénédicte Gady and Anne Monier Vanryb, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, 22 October 2025–26 April 2026
Clothing, as a powerful tool of self-expression and social identity, significantly influences perceptions and interactions with others. This research aims to explore how different clothing styles shape social judgements and engagement in prosocial behaviour. In Study 1 ( n = 57), we examined the stereotypes and prejudices of four common clothing styles (i.e., Bohemian, Classic, Elegant and Sportswear) using a verbal association task. In Study 2, we investigated how bystanders ( n = 488) interacted with and even helped an unknown individual regarding their clothing style. These findings highlight how clothing style serves as a social cue that can significantly impact social interactions, with more formal styles, such as Elegant, leading to increased engagement in social interaction. However, prosocial behaviour did not appear to be influenced by clothing style. This research highlights the complex interplay between clothing, stereotypes and prosocial behaviour.
Pregnant women’s well-being and health practices are related to a primary stage of interacting with one’s child during gestation. Caring for one’s body and foetus includes working to achieve comfort through maternity wear embodiment but the clothing industry has avoided linking the affective nature of clothing to women’s prenatal health. This study explores how pregnant women’s well-being moderates the relationship between maternity wear comfort and bonding with one’s child. Hundred and one pregnant women between 25 and 35 weeks gestation participated in an anonymous online survey. Results found that well-being moderates the relationship between women’s aesthetic, emotional and sensorial clothing comforts and maternal–foetal attachment. These results call for a commitment to support pregnant women’s gestational health by making the act of clothing oneself during pregnancy a more critical topic and public priority since the act of wearing and forming a relationship with clothing during pregnancy has major implications on women’s first feelings of parenting.
In an age of fast fashion, cultural homogeneity and environmental urgency, clothing maintains its position as a symbol of resistance, bearer of identity and holder of memories. This issue of Clothing Cultures highlights global dress practices connecting heritage, sustainability and self-expression across contexts from Ghana to Indonesia, North America to Scandinavia. The articles examine the pre-industrial dress practices of the makers and wearers of Nordic clothing, the continuing relevance of Ghana’s slit and kaba, the cultural resistance of the kebaya, and the journey and significance of Irish lace in early twentieth-century America. A study of Indonesian millennial menswear explores fashion’s mediation of national pride and personal identity. An updated edition of Queer Style revisits the evolving conversations around queerness and dress. These contributions challenge dominant fashion narratives and call for an increasingly thoughtful and culturally grounded vision on clothing promoting an approach that values integrity, adaptability and continuity over excess. The articles remind us that clothing can be a lived, shared and sustained experience, linking across time, the personal to the historical.
Social change and globalization through colonization have had a profound impact on the choices of clothing and overall fashion taste among the Ghanaian population. The government of Ghana in a bid to promote the use of traditional local fabrics and garments initiated the National Friday Wear Programme in 2001. This initiative was to promote national pride and Ghanaian identity and to increase the use of traditional fabrics and garments. This research was to explore the symbolic meaning and use of the Ghanaian women’s traditional dress (slit and kaba). This article evaluates the effect of demographics on the symbolic meaning of traditional Ghanaian dress in a modern society and its implication on utilization. A cross-sectional survey with a quantitative approach was adopted to collect data from a sample of 500 women between the ages of 20 and 54 years, selected from two metropolitan centres (Accra and Takoradi) in Ghana. A self-administered questionnaire made up of closed and open-ended questions was used for this study. The findings revealed that the meanings attached to the traditional dress include cultural, ethnic and national identities, and highlights that age and education are associated factors in the representation of meaning in the use of the slit and kaba. This article fulfils the gap in literature on women’s traditional dress in Ghana at a time when the dress has seen increased usage which is an important indicator for the assessment of symbolic meaning and contributes to knowledge in clothing practices placing emphasis on the uses of dress within the social and cultural context.
The Indonesian fashion industry is experiencing a dynamic transformation driven by a burgeoning youth market. While local menswear brands face intensified competition from global counterparts, understanding the intricacies of consumer behaviour is paramount for their success. This study delves into the motivations and preferences of Indonesian millennial male consumers, examining the interplay between national pride, brand perception and purchasing behaviour. Through a phenomenological study involving ten participants, we explored how these factors influence decisions regarding local menswear brands. Contrary to expectations, national pride emerged as a secondary motivator for consumer choices. While collaborations between local brands and national symbols, such as sports teams, can generate initial interest, consumer loyalty often rests with the team rather than the brand itself. Price and product quality emerged as primary determinants of purchasing decisions, with participants demonstrating a willingness to explore both local and foreign options. The findings underscore the importance of offering competitive pricing, superior quality and products that align with consumers’ personal styles. While nationalistic sentiments can be leveraged strategically, building a strong brand identity based on consumer preferences is crucial for long-term success in the Indonesian menswear market. By comprehending the evolving dynamics of this target market, local brands can enhance their competitive positioning and capitalize on growth opportunities.
This article explores the prevalence of Irish crochet lace in American fashion of the early twentieth century ( c. 1900–26). An extant object in a university collection of historic dress sparked interest, leading to this research, an attempt to understand what Irish crochet lace is and its use in American fashion. Print media of the time extensively reported the widespread appeal and sale of Irish crochet lace in America. By the 1920s, businesses capitalized on its growing popularity and presented imitation machine-made lace as authentic Irish crochet to deceive consumers and capitalize upon the appeal of the craft. In particular, Bardwil Bros.faced an extensive legal battle due to disingenuous business and marketing practices. A unique component of this inquiry was an analysis of three extant Irish crochet lace fashions held by the Louisiana State University (LSU) Textile & Costume Museum, further enriching this research.
This article examines the way in which the identities of urban, Generation X (Gen X) Indonesian women are expressed through their use of modern kebaya. A traditional Indonesian garment that has adapted to social and technological advancements, the kebaya retains its cultural significance. A national dress that is worn for a variety of events and reflects both tradition and contemporary fashion trends, it has transformed from a symbol of nobility. This article focuses on changes in meaning, identity, cultural adaptation and non-verbal communication related to the modern kebaya. Using a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of these women reflects their cultural identity and social values. Ten Gen X women who actively wear kebaya at various formal and informal events became respondents in this study. The main objective is to understand how these women balance tradition with modernity in their choice of kebaya and what this reveals about their cultural identity and values. The article specifically examined why Gen X women embrace modern kebaya styles and how they balance kebaya’s role as a symbol of traditional pride in a progressively modern society. This article utilizes Miles and Huberman’s data analysis. This technique thoroughly explores qualitative data gathered through interviews and observations, it supports thematic analysis of cultural symbols and personal identity expressions; offering insights into how Gen X women navigate the intersection of tradition and modern kebaya. This approach aims to contribute to a broader understanding of how traditional clothing such as kebaya evolves in response to contemporary lifestyle demands while maintaining its cultural significance.
This study explores how ideas of variety were created and practised among women and men of different social strata in Norway and Sweden before the big changes in the second half of the nineteenth century. Three researchers with in-depth knowledge of clothing during that period look at their material through questions they developed based on current clothing and sustainability discourse. The material consists of both written (diaries, inventories, etc.) and oral sources and clothes. We look at acquisition and use of clothes in the period of 1780–1850 to understand how variety was achieved to discuss whether historical research can inform today’s debate on clothing and the environment. Despite strong limitations in terms of regulations for trade, strict dressing codes, expensive textiles and a restricted economy, variety was achieved. An important prerequisite was that the fabrics themselves were seen as valuable and durable, while the shape, trimmings, accessories and the like could be varied. Buying new ready-made clothes was not yet an option. Access to clothes and accessories was an intricate web involving both caring, sharing (lending, renting, inheritance and shared access) and alterations done by amateurs and professionals. The wardrobe was a well-planned system with movement between occasions and over time, consisting of clothes with different functions and temporalities. The present debate with an emphasis on circular economy solutions and the industry as the main stakeholder overlook clothing as a complex cultural and historical phenomenon. Variety in clothes can be achieved in much less resource-intensive ways by focusing on more valuable fabrics.
Review of: Queer Style: Revised and Updated Edition, Including a Chapter on Trans* and Fluid Style , Adam Geczy and Vicki Karaminas (2024) London: Bloomsbury, 318 pp., ISBN 978-1-35036-592-6, p/bk, GBP 24.99 ISBN 978-1-35036-593-3, h/bk, GBP 75.00 ISBN 978-1-35036-595-7, e-book, GBP 22.49
Gender fluidity plays an increasing role in today's fashion industry. This study focuses on the incorporation of the notion of gender fluidity in Gucci's 'Tian' Suit from the Spring/Summer 2016 menswear collection. Drawing from gender theory and philosophy, this study investigates how the Suit might challenge contemporary gender norms and their representation. Taking on an object-based study deriving from material culture, the study proposes three means to investigate a material object under restrictions and through which the material aspect can be included without touching the actual garment or artefact. The article aims to investigate the Gucci 'Tian' Suit regarding the concept of gender fluidity in order to shed light on the ways masculinities and gender fluidity are manifested in contemporary fashion, society and culture.
The primary objective of this article is to demonstrate that medieval Muslim jurisprudence exemplifies sociocultural evolution, marked by flexibility and not discontinuities. The article's case study focuses on the purification of polluted clothing for prayer, examining the everyday domestic and public scenarios that result in clothing contamination, and the jurists' resourceful methods for rendering it ritually pure through accessible, inexpensive cleaning practices. Through the lens of sociocultural evolution, the article will describe and analyse the daily, frequent, public and domestic situations that pollute clothing, and the creative ways of maintaining its use and purifying it for prayer by simple, domestic and inexpensive cleaning methods. Adopting the framework of sociocultural evolution allows for understanding the jurists' flexibility which facilitated, encouraged and legitimized the use of stained clothing in rituals following a simple and accessible cleaning process. The intellectual work of addressing practical issues by proposing pragmatic and accessible solutions is the core of juristic function. Within a hierarchy scale of ritual impurity and purification practices, polluted clothing occupied a lower tier due to its commonality in daily life, necessitating practical tolerance and simple solutions. This case exemplifies sociocultural evolution by highlighting the preference for simple acts that purify clothing over strict, complex rules that are difficult to follow.
Knitting is an innovative textile design process, playing a key role in groundbreaking developments in apparel and textile manufacture. Despite this, however, knitting carries with it a certain stigma. Firmly embedded in narratives of femininity, domesticity and nostalgia, knitting often remains understood as a highly gendered practice with a specific and limited role in contemporary culture. Through the analysis of a key piece of knitwear worn by Sean Maguire, a therapist portrayed by Robin Williams in the film Good Will Hunting (1997), this article will explore the role of costume in upholding these narratives whilst simultaneously perpetuating gender ideals. Discourse analysis allows for the analysis of ideas, concepts and transactions that exist in between and around material things. It is therefore concerned with meaning-making processes and how and why meaning is formed. Michel Foucault, a key figure in the development of discourse analysis, suggests that objects have no meaning without discourse. In this way, discourses construct social reality. The more a particular reading is suggested, the more embedded it becomes in the public psyche and consequently a knitted garment's location in contemporary society continues to be reinforced. As a methodology made up of a bricolage of methods, this article considers costume analysis as an informant of broader discourse analysis. By analysing the role of a knitted garment in the communication of identity on-screen, this article will highlight how a limited and specific narrative about knitting continues to endure. Ultimately, the article aims to suggest that the effects of such narratives permeate the public's understanding of knitting as a creative discipline.
In the dynamic scenario of luxury fashion, visual storytelling has become a crucial tool for brands to communicate their identity and connect with consumers emotionally. Fashion films (FFs) play a significant role in conveying brand narratives, aesthetics and values in an era where visual content dominates and consumer attention spans are limited. This study examines the intricate relationship between visual narrative elements, storytelling and the components of FFs within luxury fashion, using Storytailors's Palindrome: Happiness Hunter collection as a case study. The research aims to understand how these elements contribute to brand storytelling and identity building, the integration of storytelling into FFs and the representation of happiness in luxury fashion. Employing a multi-phase, qualitative approach that includes secondary data analysis, aesthetic analysis and primary interviews, this study explores the aesthetic, visual and narrative strategies employed in the collection and their impact on consumer perceptions and behaviours. Findings suggest that visual narrative elements in the Palindrome: Happiness Hunter collection significantly enhance the brand's storytelling and identity building. Furthermore, the integration of these storytelling elements in FFs fosters a deeper emotional connection with consumers, effectively presenting the relationship between happiness and luxury fashion. This study highlights the importance of visual storytelling in differentiating luxury fashion brands in a competitive market by creating emotionally resonant experiences that promote consumer loyalty.
This article explores contemporary mourning dress in the United Kingdom. There is considerable research about the decline of traditional mourning wear; however, there is much less material available on what is worn to funerals in the twenty-first century. What literature exists appears to suggest that contemporary funeral outfits are shaped by the intersecting influences of multiculturalism and personalization. The city of Leeds in the United Kingdom is home to over 160 nationalities representing many different faiths and cultural groups. It therefore seemed valuable to explore what people are currently wearing to funerals in the city as a case study. The research is based on a pilot study involving a focus group, which drew participants from diverse cultural clusters. All participants reported changes in the practices of their own group, but these did not appear to be solely the result of multiculturalism. It became apparent that the rise of individualism had also become associated with personalized and themed funerals, where mourners could be asked to wear bright colours or outfits with special relevance to the deceased. The article will discuss the results of this pilot study in relation to a literature review and an analysis of the cultural diversity of contemporary mourning dress. It addresses a significant gap in literature related to cultural diversity in mourning dress in the twenty-first-century United Kingdom and serves as a catalyst for new thinking and global research in this area.
