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Singapore's
love-hate relationship with Japan
How
much influence does Japan have over Singapore?
By Mary Osmond
Like
Loletta Michelle, I'm also a Singaporean girl who is very much into
Japanese culture. Even though I agree with some of her opinions,
there are a couple of issues that I beg to differ. Being a
Singaporean myself, I feel the necessity to voice out my
opinions on reading this article so that others can have a more
accurate insight into Singaporean culture instead of solely
relying on her single point of view.
I agree that
Singapore used to be a conservative society in general. However,
this is not really the case anymore. The society itself is
shaped by western values and the younger generation is very much
influenced by western culture. Being an east-meets-west country,
the latest trends include Japanese and Korean fashion. Hence, it
is commonplace to see youngsters dressing up to even look
Japanese or Korean. In fact, the latest craze is learning these
two languages! That is how popular these cultures are!
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In the first
place, is Loletta getting into trouble because she dressed up
like a Japanese
model? How do you define dressing up like a
Japanese model? If you're talking about wearing loose socks and
so on, I seriously don't see the problem at all because there
are so many girls wearing that in Singapore these days! But if
you are talking about posing without clothes, is that the
definition of a Japanese model? I seriously doubt so. No doubt
there are Japanese girls who undress for magazines but isn't that
happening in all other parts of the world? What is the biggie
here? I may be cynical here but the term "Japanese
model" holds more meaning and elegance to me than just
undressing for everyone to see.
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 One more
issue that I would like to address is that dressing
provocatively in Singapore will not get one into any trouble. I
have seen girls walking on the street in bikini tops and it's
really no big deal. They may get some ogling from guys and
that's about it. I've decked out in bikini in pools, beaches and
clubs too (not on the street though) but this is just so common!
So, I reckon one can't get into trouble by dressing
provocatively. And Singaporeans don't just find a job, earn
bucks, dress like everyone else (in a provocative manner?) and
get married. We do have our share of fun too! In fact, most of
my gal friends are party animals. There are many ways to defy
convention. Dressing provocatively is not the only way to
go. One can get a unique tattoo, multiple piercing, smoke a
joint, drive in a Ferrari that wins admiration, clad in full
Louis Vuitton gear (all these are perhaps common nowadays as
well) and the list goes on. (Related:
Ivy Supersonic with 23 tattoos)
Yes, I agree
that Japanese girls lead the trend in fashion, especially in the
Asian market and I admire their innovativeness and style. In
fact, many Singaporean girls do follow the Japanese trends
closely. In fact, I myself do follow some of the trends that are
deemed suitable for my own style and personality too. Everyone
gets inspired by Japanese ideas in different ways and I respect
that.
Wearing loose
socks and pleated skirts can never get one into trouble even if
one's underwear is seen (unless one is not wearing underwear,
which is deemed to be indecent exposure under Singaporean law)! Boots,
scarves, pullovers and
kimono are not popular in
Singapore because it is simply too hot (imagine wearing these
when you're melting in a 34 degree Celsius tropical country).
The rejection of these trends is due to the high temperature and
humidity here. Most girls wear pullovers indoor though.
Again,
attractive is a subjective word - it holds different meanings for everyone.
Everyone has different interpretations. Loletta may
think that wearing too colorful clothes and too many
pieces of clothing on the body is attractive and I respect that. But
it is not fair to be judgmental here and over-generalize that to
Singapore girls.
Singaporeans
do have their idols and most do not restrict themselves to TCS
artists. In fact, Japanese, Hollywood, Korean and Chinese
artistes have the most control over the fashion here. Last but
not least, Fann Wong is not everyone's idol, at least not for
me.
It does not
take a lot of guts to do what one wants to do in Singapore. If
one wants to do something, just do it. No guts required. Just
have remember that one has to bear the responsibility and that
is it. Guts are only required when one is scared of the
consequence or is insecure. This is a personal issue. It is
incorrect to say that it takes a lot of guts to do what you
wanna do in Singapore. Men here do not want their girlfriends to
be stripping off for every man to see and women here are also a
whole lot submissive, as everyone leads a different life.
(Related: Korean beauty
Ursula Mayes)
As for Loletta's advice to other girls, I agree with my hands
up. Very wise statements indeed. Do what you wanna do. If
you have dreams, fulfill them. Everyone has a wild
side to him or her and you are only young once. So when
you grow old and haggard one day, you would not regret not doing
what you always wanted or dreamed of and die regretting it. But
I would like to add one more line to it - "Unleash your
insecurities despite what you may perceive the society to
be".
Recommended links:
Fashion & style in
Singapore influenced by Japan
Fusion
of American and Asian fashion
Story
of a Singaporean tourist at Tokyo Disney Land |
