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I found it so interesting that the colors a person chooses for their clothing in Japan is determined by their age and gender. I think American women are relatively free to wear whatever color they think looks good on them. The only color related "rule" I can think of is only wearing white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day (between May and September), but even that is pretty flexible. We do have some ideas, like many other cultures, about wearing age-appropriate clothing. For example, we say "no mini skirts after age 35".
Mori says "personal appearance is the four-way intersection where our personal symbolism clashes with the symbolism of the culture in which we must live." (page 146). Have you made any changes in your clothing, makeup, or your appearance since moving to Boston? My feeling is that in American people are free to dress however they want to. How has your experience been so far?
I know that living in Italy influenced my style - how could it not, being in one of the fashion capitals of the world? For example, ever since I lived in Italy, I don't usually wear sneakers unless I'm exercising, which is very different from my American peers. I think if I moved back to Italy, since you don't see very many women with white hair, many people would make comments about my hair, and I would feel a lot of pressure to color it. Although many women in the US do color their gray hair, people don't usually ask me about my hair, and I feel comfortable staying with my natural color.
This is also makes me think about women who wear a hijab or head covering. I'm wondering whether living in Boston has changed when and where they cover their hair.
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In Malaysia, we don't wear yellow in the presence of royalty (which is very unlikely for most people, anyway!). My Buddhist Chinese friends used to wear black or white, or a black-and-white striped pin to indicate that they were in mourning. For everyday wear, women and men alike wear vibrant colors, which I think is something of the norm for people in tropical countries.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to wear a hijab, I would be much more comfortable wearing it in Boston because it's not that unusual in a big city with a diverse population. When I lived in a small town in the Midwest, I was much more concerned with dressing like everybody else.
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ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting Azalea! Do you know why people don't wear yellow in front of royalty? Does the yellow color have a specific meaning?
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up an important point about small towns versus big cities. Sometimes I think the bigger culture shock happens when someone moves from a rural to an urban area (or the reverse), rather than moving from one country to another country. I agree that the diversity of a big city makes it easier to be "different" and find other people who live and dress and have the same values as you.
Yellow is the color of Malaysian royalty, kind of a golden-yellow shade. Not sure what it means beyond that.
ReplyDeleteWhile on the subject of color, I would venture to say that some American men would never wear pink because the color is so attached to the concept of femininity in this country. I don't feel that non-American men have this notion quite as much.