Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles (한국의류학회지)

The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles (한국의류학회)
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Idealization of the Body in Fashion -Focus on Skinny Jeans as an Externalized Corset-

패션에 나타난 몸의 이상화 -외면화된 코르셋으로서의 스키니 진을 중심으로-

  • Yim, Eun-Hyuk (Fashion Design Major, School of Arts, Sungkyunkwan University)
  • 임은혁 (성균관대학교 예술학부 의상학)
  • Received : 2011.04.27
  • Accepted : 2011.07.26
  • Published : 2011.10.31
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Abstract

The recent craze for so-called skinny jeans is illustrative of the restraint of the body through dress. This phenomenon is noteworthy when considering the internalization of the corset in contemporary fashion. Grown out of the garments of soundly practical use, blue jeans have led the stream of fashion for about 150 years and now they serve as the new corset idealizing the female body in the form of skinny jeans. This study intends to examine the idealization of the body in contemporary fashion and focus on skinny jeans as an externalized corset. The struggle with corsets continues in that the real body is overwhelmed by fashion items. In the aspect of idealizing the body by constraining the body parts, skinny jeans externalize the control of the body as contemporary corsets. This study conducts literature research and content analysis as the method of investigation and focuses on women's fashion from the 20th century. Exerting a harmful influence on health (as corsets have done) the body in skinny jeans is regarded as a modifiable entity. The thinness of the body achieved by skinny jeans suggests the controlling power over the body. Moreover, this gives access to the power presented by the contemporary ideal of thinness. Skinny jeans are modern day glass slippers.

Keywords

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  3. Externalization of corset in contemporary fashion vol.22, pp.1, 2014, https://doi.org/10.7741/rjcc.2014.22.1.001
  4. The Effect of the Skinny Pants on the Physiological Responses and Subjective Pressure vol.21, pp.3, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5934/KJHE.2012.21.3.567