Ever wonder what is the American fashion statement to the world? Or more specifically to the inhabitants of the 3rd world-Philippines? Europeans think Americans are sloppy when it comes to fashion. Some think the American style of dressing is too casual. Maybe because Europeans view denim jeans originating from the U.S.A., (Americans staple of casual attire) to be something as never high fashion. If you were to ask a European to picture an American, it would look something like this: a chubby gal with unkempt hair, or hidden behind a baseball cap, a printed T-shirt, faded jeans, sneakers and a fanny pack. Ugly, isn't it?
I disagree with the Europeans. They probably had captured this image through the American tourists they see around. Most American urbanites know how to dress well. The world's fashion capital is located right here in the American mainland---New York City, also known as the "greatest city in the world." New York City is the progenitor of fashion and style, and the home of the finest fashion institutes in the world. American's true sartorial image is not sloppiness but "ease, and simplicity." With its national psyche of freedom and comfort, Americans prefer to garb themselves with something stylish, yet easy to wear, and simple. Though most people who live in the suburbs are either frumpy or slapdash because they are in their vehicles most of the time to go to pick up their kids, do groceries or go to the gym. Sometimes, living in suburbia could make you more relaxed and thus translates to the way you dress up.
However, the sloppy image is admissible. Some Americans have lost the "chic part" of casual chic. There was a time in the past, when Americans who innovated dressing up by putting off the restrictions of girdles, took pride in stylish dressing. Over the years, the Americans adopted their own casual and comfort mindset to attire. Pajamas have become a "daytime outside wear" and Juicy Couture brought tracksuits as casual daywear. Shearling-lined Uggs boots are must-haves among women in warm and sunny Southern California. Also, extremely gaudy jewelry and bling sprawled on fashion and celebrity magazines have made these accessories as fashion statements. To the fashion police, these are big fashion-don'ts.
To Filipinos, American fashion is not dowdy, but a combination of "ghetto" and "San Francisco." I once chortled when I read about a blog post written by a Filipino-American balikbayan boarding a plane to Manila. He said Filipinos were wearing leather and shearling-lined boots with the flashy bling-bling adorning their necks, ears, wrists and fingers. He thought Filipinos have a way to announce to their countrymen that they hail from the States (Filipino slang for the U.S.A.), and that their possessions, including the accoutrement on their body are State-side , meaning from the "U.S.A." In the Philippines, people have the notion that when your stuff are from the USA, it means they are all "better " than the ones we have in our own poor country. The author thinks it's funny that the American fashion statement to the Filipinos is "ghetto fabulous."
Most Filipinos derive their fashion taste from the West, especially from the Americans. What they see on MTV bring them a concept of what are the latest stylish trends. And because most American TV fare are generally showing Americans in boots, bling, sneakers, tracksuits and hoodies---Filipinos perceive these as "cool" American fashion. Aside from MTV, there are a number of TV shows that convey the images of fashionable Americans such as Sex and the City, and Gossip Girl.
However, Filipinos don't get it---they don't get the "sense" of American fashion. The desire to be like the Americans in their skincolor, lingo and style, the Filipinos love to imitate. To look like white, speak like the Yanks, and dress up like the American, Filipinos embraced everything American even if they do not make sense in their society, culture and environment.
