When it comes to Japanese aesthetics, Japanese philosophy comes hand in hand with it. It is hard to discuss their aesthetics without referring to some philosophies in the Japanese culture.
Buddhism, as one prevalent philosophy in their society, is apparent in their aesthetics. It is rash to say that the Japanese aesthetic appeal does not exist before Buddhism. But “Buddhism began to shape the way Japanese people perceived the very essence of beauty itself.” (Taylor, 2009)
The concept of wabisabi was born from one of the three major principles of Buddhism: impermanence —– that everything is in a state of movement or change. Wabi means “something which is imperfect in its make-up” (Taylor, 2009) and sabi means “a quality that is deemed imperfect due to the passing of time” (Taylor, 2009). Although imperfection connotes a negative meaning in English, it is viewed in Buddhism as a quality that is beautiful. Furthermore, wabisabi means “that the plainest, ever so slightly imperfect object, is far more fascinating.” (Taylor, 2009)
But is the concept of wabisabi still applicable today? Have there been changes in how the Japanese think on what is beautiful and what is not? I will try to answer these questions by looking at the scenario of Japanese fashion today.
Shibuya and Harajuku are known to be the place for Japanese fashion. Most people in these districts show off their tastes when it comes to clothes. Because of the diverse tastes of teenagers (as the most common population seen in Shibuya and Harajuku), the society came up with different genres on Japanese fashion. We have Lolita, Decora/ Decorer, and Ganguro. These are just the main genres but they also have sub-genres.
The Lolita is inspired by the Victorian look. It usually features a knee length skirt or dress, headdress, blouse, petticoat, knee high socks or stockings and high heel/platform shoes. It resembles the Alice in Wonderland look, with a puffed skirt and cute laces and ribbons around the dress.
This look comes in different types. We can have the Gothic Lolita, which features dark colors in the dress and dark make-up. We can also have the Sweet Lolita which makes use of lighter colors and has a childish theme. It usually makes the wearer look like a child or a doll. We also have Kimono Lolita, Country Lolita, Punk Lolita, and so on.
Another popular look in the Japanese street fashion scene is the Decoras or Decorer. The key feature of this fashion style is the excessive use of accessories and layering of clothes. This look also has different types like Cyber and Angeler.
The Cyber look is inspired by a futuristic theme. They often look like they just came out of a sci-fi movie. They make use of neon colors and colourful unique hairstyles. Meanwhile, the Angeler look is inspired by a popular brand in Japan called Takuya Angel. It uses traditional kimono patterns and fabrics with strictly modern designs and fabrics to create incredibly detailed and unique looks (Jerinae, 2008).
Besides Lolita and Decora, the Ganguro look became very popular during the 90’s and early 2000. This look is still prevalent today but less popular compared to Lolita and Decora. This look is attained through bleaching your hair or coloring your hair into orange, and having a tanned skin. Usually, the women who use this look accompany it with white make-up like lipstick, eyeshadow, and even face paint.
Yamanba is a more extreme Ganguro look. The hair is colourful, and they usually put stickers on their faces. They make use of brightly-colored clothes and strange accessories.
As we can see, the Japanese street fashion is quite different compared to other countries. It is diverse and usually inspired by the concept of kawaii, or what is cute. Although the taste of teenagers now is completely different back in the 19th century, we can still see the concept of wabisabi: beauty through imperfection. Although most of the look are quite a mess (in Western culture) or lacks the feature of symmetry, these imperfections highlight the beauty in these styles.
References:
Taylor, R. (2009, August 22). Japanese aesthetics: Episode 4 Man-Made. Retrieved on March 12, 2010, from http://caught-redhanded.com/archives/719
Jerinae. (2008, May 18). “Old styles” – Japanese fashion. Retrieved on March 12, 2010, from http://jerinae.multiply.com/journal/item/22
