Women's Fashion & Style | Asian American Poll

ASIAN WOMEN'S FASHION & STYLE
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:18:04 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

Which of the following fashion faux pas is committed most often by Asian women?
Wearing colors that are wrong for their coloring or features | 36%
Wearing cuts that are wrong for their proportions and/or size | 22%
Dressing inappropriately for the occasion | 24%
Wearing clearly outdated styles | 18%

Which of the following colors is generally most flattering on Asian women?
Black | 86%
Other | 14%

Which of the following fashion brands is most flattering on Asian women?
Calvin Klein | 12%
DKNY | 14%
Emporio Armani | 11%
Chanel | 7%
Versace | 9%
Prada | 11%
Bebe | 9%
Other/No Response | 27%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

that's just me

Thanks for the encouragement babe. It's really needed, especially in this superficial world we live in. Your a real gem!
"Li Shu Lien" Thursday, May 02, 2002 at 08:07:27 (PDT)

Lonely underdressed Asian girl:
I go to a small private college in Los Angeles, and yes, some Asian girls do dress very fancy all the time, but so do a lot of the white girls. I'd say that about half of the girls at my school over dress everyday while the other half just dresses normal, you know, just jeans and a t-shirt. So I don't think it's necessarily just a Asian thing. It depends a lot on what type of school you go to too, if you go to a commuter school then the people then to be more dressed up. At my school, around 80% of the student population live on campus, so plenty of us just roll out of bed and go to class in our flip flops, since people see each other in their sweats and bathrobes at night anyways.
baybee510 Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 23:00:18 (PDT)

My idea of "Classy" is very much tied with simplicity.

不俗...
Angelique Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 19:42:28 (PDT)

that's just me,

Right on! You're my kind of man.

some old girl,

Many people seem to be perplexed by your statement about being "classy". Not me! I completely understand you and couldn't have said it better myself!
md Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 18:56:36 (PDT)

I'm from Southern CA and I don't think the gals out here are nearly as brand-name and high-fashion as those on the east coast. Where I'm from particularly here in San Clemente there's definately a beach trend. My younger sister's a surfer and she's always in board shorts, Vans and a tank. She perfers her hair long and stringy or casually knotted in a bun. However, up in the Irvine & Newport Beach area there are a lot of those "froo froo" types sporting the silly overdone look. Honestly, I don't think comfort is in their vocabulary. There are also many Persian women who have this "over-processed" look as well.

I truly believe in having a unique personal sense of style, whatever it may be. My favorite thing to wear right now is a tight, strappy tank top (no bra please) paired with a long flowing skirt and sandals or platforms. I also love wearing just one piece of unusual jewlery. Long, red nails and dyed hair is just gross! Everyone keeps talking about black, but earthtones will always be me favortite. A gal with a radiant personality sporting the clean, fresh look of confidence and down to earth sexiness kicks ass over those ridiculous "fashion-vamps" anyday! By the way, if you wear platforms--please make sure you can walk correctly in them. Nothing more ridiculous than a girl schleping around in them, looking like she's about to tip over.
md Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 18:33:31 (PDT)

MLK - you're no fun. I know you like to talk psychotherapy all the time (from your posts in the various pages of goldsea) but there is a time for frivolity, and I think fashion is the place for it. Are you this dead serious all the time? do you ever take a break?
old girl Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 16:54:57 (PDT)

Lonely underdressed Asian girl- I live in a big East Coast city and the AF's here are VERY materialistic also, overdressed, snobby, wear labels all over. Don't worry about it, it's sad that they feel the need to work so hard to impress others, it just reveals a sense of inadequacy. Don't feel like you're second best because you don't wear designer everything.
me Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 16:16:51 (PDT)

af,

One reason why AF are so fashion conscious, or at least recent immigrant AF, is because many of the countries are manufacturering bases for name brands clothes, however, they are not allowed to sell those clothes in native countries.

So they come to this USA or abroad and they see all the clothes made in their country that they were never allow to buy.

It is an extension of the feeling of sucess by making it abroad and ability to afford foreign brand name.

Granted many of us who grow up abroad don't think much of these brands, because we are basically drowning in them. We are numbed by name brands, and are shocked to see people who are so sensitive to them.
AC Dropout Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 15:35:58 (PDT)

To af: I think that the main reason Asian women are so fashion conscious is because of the existence of cheapskate stereotypes (originating from poor immigrants who had no choice but to save money) prompting many to spend much $$$ on clothes to show off their extravagance. Also 1st generation immigrants who came here as kids and grew up poor, and then made some money after they grew up, would logically want to dress better as they have the dough now and are thus fashion conscious. Also the Asian population concentration is higher in cities instead of rural areas where there aren't that many clothing stores or expensive name brand stores as there are in cities. So fashion is a bigger part of life for many AA than other ethnicities because their environment places more value on it.

I think that the color that is most flattering on Asian women is white-the opposite of black. Asian women have generally slimmer figures, and black makes you look slimmer. So wearing white would make you appear fuller and more voluptuous, which I personally endorse. And other colors can be good as well, creativity indicates that you're a fun person (black top+tight jeans=boring)
Stylish AM Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 15:11:05 (PDT)

to AC Dropout
"...Those fashion houses are off 5th are 2-3 blocks from Central Park. You can bring the dogs and later head off to the free concert in the Park."

OK, you've convinced me. It's a date then. I bring my puppies and run around the park with them while you go to the fashion houses and get your clothes fitted. Then when you're done getting your body measured, we can go get an ice cream cone and listen to the free music. How does that sound?

MLK Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 14:58:52 (PDT)

To Lonely underdressed Asian girl,
Yeah, this whole area of DC is big on overdressing , no matter what race you are, but my AA friends take it further than any other ethnic friends or family.
My husbands cousin dresses only in designer clothes , never leaves the house even to go to casual Dim sum with us, without wearing a fully designer outfit and even snobbily announced to us that she does not use public dressing rooms, because they are beaneath her. She also does not speak to anyone that is not Asian, or dressed designer. All of her friends are cookie cutters with the expensive platform shoes, the tight low waist designer black pants and the cute Banana Republic or HK shirt.
My SIL almost got ran over by a car in NYC when we went there last year. We were in a taxi and she passed a Kenneth Cole store and saw a pair of leather boots in the window,and literally jumped from the moving taxi in the middle of NYC screaming for my husband and I to pay the cab, dropping her LV bag. The taxi driver just looked blankly, like we were all crazy.
With our friends and family, alot are HK born, or influenced heavily by the pop culture there, just as we are here by the J-Los and the Meg Ryans. Maybe it is that fashion sense in HK that puts the pressure or holds the standard for alot of AA girls? Any insights?
I think that well made clothes last longer and are stylish, but my whole existance does not revolve around the name on my shirt tag label.

HB Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 14:31:12 (PDT)

MLK-

Thanks for the interesting simile, or allegory, not sure of the correct term. I read once in a book that true class is valuing people over things- always. For example, if someone spills their coffee on your $1000 shirt, rather than get mad and yell at them, you would just say "Don't worry about it" because - People's feelings are always more important than anything material. This book also said that someone with class with treat all people with respect, be it Bill Gates or the janitor at your office.
curious girl Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 11:52:39 (PDT)

I think asian women are so fashion conscious because

a) most asian societies emphasize conformity over individulaity. That is why you will see 5000 asian girls in Boston wearing the same black Prada bag. You rarely see one with an individual sense of style.

b) it's all about the "showing off/face" thing. The need to impress others with how much money you can afford to spend on clothes, which labels and styles are "in", etc.
my theory Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 11:49:27 (PDT)

Lonely underdressed Asian girl:
It'a a recent phenonmena and a very sad one too. It's all about insecurity and trying to be western (white).
Stay the way you are, be yourself, dress to please yourself and be happy.

that's too bad Wednesday, May 01, 2002 at 10:36:45 (PDT)

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