Oppa Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style…
These lines shook the world of music on July 15, 2012, when Psy mesmerised the world with his Gangnam Style. Psy ruled the world for that moment with his trademark horse-riding dance that became a megahit overnight.
They did do a flash mob in front of the Eiffel Tower on behalf of Barack Obama. Though subconsciously we didn’t know that it was our first K-pop, we surely can't deny how Korean movies, dramas and the music industry are ruling our hearts along with the world.
While we are talking about the influence of K-culture, fashion perhaps tops the list of integration. BTS, BlackPink, EXO, Super Junior, Twice, BigBang, Got7, red velvet, Wonder Girls, Astro, T-ara, 2NE1 and the list goes on while speaking of the major Korean pop bands influencing our dressing style.
As the world changes into a global village, it's only normal that creative and innovative content will circulate among a wide spectrum of audiences in a jiffy. And people being hungry for something catchy instantly make that viral.
K-culture surely knows how to captivate its onlookers -- from courageous colours and tempting combinations. Pleated plaid skirts, sneakers to rebel rose-coloured crop tops, BTS-inspired boots and EXO-inspired boy cap outfits -- you might just be living under a rock if you are unaware of how K-Pop is giving rise to enormous surges of style and tradition all over the planet.
These K-Pop artists are just living the life of many teens. Jenny being the ambassador of Channel's product, BTS's V is a continuous trend setter showing his love for many high-end brands like Gucci and his multi-coloured hair attracts the youngsters.
From runway to airport look, to Sunday branch and cafe meet, strolling to the allays to the go-to look for a concert, their style is just impeccable. Well, people generally adore them for two particular reasons.
Addictive melodies come first and these singers surely know how to hook words that make these songs play in your mind all day making you hum.
They also provoke a whole new trend in the fashion world and are never uncomfortable hitting the floor with their grace and elegance. Take G-Dragon for example for being a frequent trendsetter.
The flashy music videos with eye-catching dance steps make them continuously stand out and generate appealing appearances.
Like Bollywood, they all don't go for the identical outfit or gawk, rather every artist brings something new and ingenious.
Their thinking outside the box or boys wearing makeup and ornaments makes everyone awestruck. Some take it as setting new trends and pushing fashion boundaries that can expand the horizon of the industry while others scoff saying them to be girly.
Anandita khan, a dance artist from Shadhona--a Bangladeshi platform for learning dance, shared how K-world attracts her.
"After watching all the buzz on social media during the quarantine, I became interested in the K-world. Both their casual/modern and traditional clothing styles appeal to me. What drew me in the most was the colour mix of their clothes."
"I love pastel colours, and Koreans tend to use them a lot. The baggy-style clothes also look super comfortable and stylish. I occasionally try to incorporate some of their styles into my own," added the dance artist.
Aside from their casual attire, she loves to see them dressed in traditional attire as well. It differs from the other East Asian countries in a few ways.
"Female headgear is especially attractive. It's both eye-pleasing and eye-catching," she mentioned.
Fairuz Rahman is a fangirl of K-world, who studies Management at the University of Dhaka. In a chit-chat with the writer, she explained what precisely attracts her to idolise K culture.
"I love their dressing sense and they are unique and remarkable in their way. It's modest and trendy at the same time. And their attires are fit for any shape that will flaunt any girl's grace. Not just for slim figure girls, the trends are pertinent for any girls out there."
Another fangirl Sadia Nowshin, studying Architecture at the University of Asia Pacific, loves her baggy clothes.
"I solely just adore their overcoats. Their baggy dresses caught my attention from the first and don’t you think the way they wear these clothes is less revealing and more prominently they exemplify smartness?" asked Sadia.
"Though they come in a minimalistic design, they are so fantabulous. Their dresses have a colourful or something more like pattern design that enhances the way they look."
"I would wear them if we had drastic winters, but in this country, even winter feels like summer," sighed she.
Well, there is a flip side to all the goodness that K-culture has. Mahzabin Sadaf, pursuing her BBA from the Faculty of Business Studies, DU, thinks that something is not right about this intense fashionableness of Korean styling and all.
"What's wrong with actors, why on earth would they put lipstick on? And their facial structure is somehow identical. I don’t understand the craze these days youngsters are hyping."
When asked about their dressing sense, she said, "Don't make me start with their dressing style. They are so low maintenance and their oversized clothes make them more unattractive to me!"
However, Jubaer Rahman, a 3rd-year student from the Tourism and Hospitality Management department, calmly expressed his disenchantment with the Korean dressing style.
Claiming himself a K-drams addict, he said, "Though I love Korean dramas, I'm not a big buff of their dressing style. They are relatively basic and the loose, oversised clothes look eerie to me."
"Maybe that's because I like well-fit dresses. But I love how they play with colours. They use soft tones that make them look more casual and natural. The shape and style of boys' t-shirts are cool though."
He further added, "And if I am to say about girls' fashion, I think the ornaments they use are simple yet gorgeous. Gaudi ornaments are not likeable to me."
From oversized hoodies, pleated skirts, and Baggie jeans to casual Korean words like oppa, unni, saranghae, sill-ye-ham-ni-da, gomapseumnida, aigoo, etc. have become synonymous with K-drama fans.
While the nature of art and culture is that the best will simply prevail over others, there is no harm in liking K-drama and songs along with integrating their fashion sense into your own.
