Fashion.Youth.Philippines.
We are mirrors. The fashion sense of the Filipino youth only reflects what the youth of other countries are doing. We wear what we wear because that is what they tell us to wear. We are so influenced by other cultures that we are not creating our own identity, fashion-wise. Before I go any further let me say this at the onset, style is subjective. What passes as stylish for one person could be trash for someone else. I am not an expert on fashion and will never claim to be. I could not even tell you what the theme of D&G’s spring/summer collection ’07 was. What I am is an observer with my own preferences and opinions. That being said, allow me to ramble a little about what I think of the current fashion trends of the Filipino youth and where I think it is headed.
It’s 2008 and you see a guy, in his teenage twilight years, sporting a fresh-off-high school smug, wearing a tacky Hawaiian shirt, denim shorts and flip-flops. He could be one of two things: a) he is actually from Hawaii, here on vacation, or b) He doesn’t watch a lot of MTV. Judging from the status quo of the Filipino youth and their fashion, the likelihood is leaning towards the latter. MTV, among other things, has wielded its power on the youth and has been able to dictate fashion trends. Not much through its music but more through the image it projects. What with its highly accessible icons that serve their purpose as eye-candy more ably, than say, as a recording artist. MTV is just one of the many authorities when it comes to throwing its weight around on the Filipino youth. Teenagers, in their fragile state of confusion and self-consciousness, are subject to the sketchy influence of media and its demigods. This pretty much goes a long way on why you see 16-year-olds wearing hoodies in heat stroke-inducing weather or why 15-year-old girls attempt to pull off looking like an Asian Gwen Stefani.
It’s not quite alarming that the Filipino youth have turned to other cultures very different from ours for their fashion fix. It is, in fact, instinctive and a course of nature. A rite of passage, if you will, for the youth to find their identity in the faces of pop culture. The only thing to keep an eye on is that these teens should be able to understand the magnitude of their choices — even if it only involves choosing between skinny jeans or baggy — because, of course, fashion choices mirror not only one’s influences but more importantly, a person’s personality.
Fashion, contrary to popular belief, is not conjured on a whim. There’s an explanation behind it, no matter how trite that explanation may be. There will always be a reason for wearing a fedora and not a trilby. Despite the reasons though, a teen’s personality is still suspect, particularly when it involves what they like. It could change every week. They do, however, know where to look, and they do know what to listen to. Music, it seems, is also an important and big piece of the fashion puzzle. And while the music itself is a big influence, bearing a heavier clout are the music icons. Apart from the Wests, the Timberlakes and the Jonai (Jonas Brothers for those who have outgrown pimples), at the other end of the spectrum are the hoodie-clad, mascara-wearing bevy of teens that border on punk. These fashion statements are an obvious visual nod to the music scene that it spawned from, and at the same time, it strengthens the case of popular culture having embedded its claws on the perplexed yet media-savvy Filipino youth.
While the bravado of some is expressed through their clothing, some take on a more cavalier approach. Dissect a group of young people and it would be easy to distinguish who among them are living a sedentary lifestyle. A sensible-looking pair of dark denim jeans for one, or maybe an unassuming shirt minus the clever graphic or probably a pair of comfortable shoes that doesn’t have a fancy logo on the side. These are enough clues to give away a person’s lifestyle. Because what a teenager does on the weekend is also quite the telltale sign of the fashion that comes with it. After all, it is 2008. You see a dude in a Hawaiian shirt and denim shorts and already, you know his story.
That being said, I will again state my core belief and that is style is subjective. Everyone has had missteps and outfits they would rather forget, even Justin Timberlake is still trying to live down all that denim outfit he wore to an awards show during his N’ Sync and Britney pre-mental breakdown phase. Hell, I’m still trying to forget some of my XXL shirts during my “Gangsta’s Paradise” phase and that was just a few years ago. At the time it was what was cool and “in”. The aim has always been about being first. It’s about being the first to rock a certain kind of sneaker or shirt. It’s about always having those one-of-a-kind BAPE jackets. It’s about showing friends that, yeah, I do have those and you don’t. The Filipino youth wants to stand out; they need their individuality to be seen by how they look. They want to be noticed; they need to be noticed. It’s about being “fresh”. And it is because of this need that they often end up looking like the next guy. However, things are beginning to be different.
The game will now truly be about creativity and exploring their own true personal sense of style. Just look at the number of multiply sites popping up everyday selling clothes and accessories by kids that want to revolutionize how we dress as proof that the movement is at its infancy. There is nothing wrong with being inspired and influenced by others, it is a fact of life that will never be avoided, but the Filipino youth is no longer going to settle for being a reflection of what others are wearing. Pretty soon we’ll be shining so bright we’ll have to wear shades at night, literally and figuratively speaking, of course.
Being 25 I have a somewhat limited time left to be able to still be identified with the Filipino youth. My own personal tastes have recently graduated from hoodies and baseball cap obsessions. Don’ t get me wrong, I still enjoy the occasional fitted and hoodie but now I like to rock the cleaner look. Blazers and club ties are de rigueur as of the moment. Like I said, no one really knows where fashion will be headed, but below I offer some of my humble opinions (and a few of my friends’) on what things should be on your list of items to buy, a list of items that much like your dark denims, are starting to fade out, and those that should be kept until they become fashionable again (which always happens so no sense in throwing them away). By the way, I realize the irony of me giving a list of things that I think are fashionable after ranting about how the youth should start getting more creative on how they look, but these are just my own preferences. Don’t like ‘em? Then don’t follow ‘em.
Guys
Buy: V- necks (the new everyday shirt), slim Blazers (black or gray and you’ll never go wrong), shawl collar blazers (gives you that so fresh and so clean look), skinny long scarves (time to put the thick ones to rest), slim club ties,(2-2.5 inches), slim jeans (more tailored look), short brimmed fedoras, vintage items that are actually vintage.
Fading: skinny ties (much like anorexia, it’s no longer fashionable to be ultra thin), skinny jeans, colorful chunky sneakers (good to collect, not so much to wear), vests, plaid and flannel shirts (people are beginning to realize they are not lumberjacks), cowboy shirts (people are beginning to realize they are not cowboys).
Store: Keffiyeh scarf (leave it to those actually practicing Islam), colored skinny jeans (why these even started for guys I have no idea), wide collared dress shirts (the ’70s called, you weren’t born yet), new “vintage” clothes (new shirts and jeans that are intentionally distressed to look old is an oxymoron)
Girls
Buy: Loose white v- neck shirts and a pair of wide leg and a pair of slim pants.
Fading: Gladiator sandals (much like the people who actually wore them, these are becoming a thing of the past).
Store: Opaque leggings (it was fun while it lasted).
