Making Fashion Statement

How Fashion has become a constant form of expression

There are no laws when it comes to fashion, thus making it the ultimate way of expression of oneself. Growing up, I had the freedom to dress. At a young age, my mother was the breadwinner of the family, working a corporate 8-6 job, and not having time to do the stereotypical mother things that one would do with their daughters before school. My mother never did my hair, picked out my outfits the night before, or even pack me a lunch for the following school day. However, none of this usually phased me since I felt as if it was normal and what made me different from my peers. The freedom to dress myself from a young age allowed me to show my true identity around my peers and family. 

In a time of turmoil and darkness, artistic expression and fashion are some of the few outlets that have remained constant in many people’s lives. During the 1960s when the Vietnam war was at its peak due to the intervention of American troops, many Vietnamese designers and women found this to be a time to modernize their fashion industry while also keeping it very traditional. The áo dái, known as the traditional Vietnamese dress worn at events such as weddings were altered in ways that it offered a shorter more practical design that had slits above the waist compared to the original design of it being lower than the hip. Vietnamese women would also accessories with bold accessories such as big sunglasses and kitten heels. The street fashion in South Vietnam adopted elements from the westernized colonization throughout history and also the war, allowing them to also mix in and alter their traditional ways of dress. 

As history progressed with social movements such as the civil rights movement, women’s movement, and the LGBTQ rights movement, fashion remained a prominent factor throughout them all. The LGBTQ Community especially had a large long-lasting impact on fashion in which it has infiltrated all sectors of the industry from designers, magazine editors, photographers, makeup artists, and even hairstylists. 

Numerous clothing companies have begun to lean towards unisex clothing pieces in which statement pieces are not limited to a single-gender. A lot more people have begun identifying as gender-neutral, thus canceling out the ideas of only boys can wear blue and only girls can wear pink.  Not only is the LGBT community bringing more gender-fluidity into the fashion industry and blurring the lines between men’s and women’s departments, but it is also playing around with how certain pieces should be mixed and matched – like ugly sneakers and beautiful dresses. As time continues to progress, the rules of fashion remain ever-changing and the LGBTQ community will keep on contributing towards the expression and freedom that fashion provides.