When Fahsion and Culture Collide

Many people may believe that fashion is only a necessity. I view it as one of the most creative way to express yourself. You do not have to speak the same language or share the same back ground to understand someone's fashion sense. It is a means of expressing your identity, your personality or your culture. Although people have so many different styles, fashion can mean a lot more than how you put an outfit together. It can tell a cultural story and history of your tradition and and your ethnic roots.

Though fashion changes constantly, some garments are more than just worn to make a statement, it is more than having clothes on your back. Some classic pieces remains with a culture and symbolizes and represents that culture. Even though fashion can symbolize a certain era, some fashion statements never fades and remains a part of that culture. A sombrero may represent the Mexican culture and a kimono is a representation of Japan. These were trends that created a long time ago, but remains in that culture til this day.

In my home country Cambodia, trend sending may not be what the country is most known for and may not be one of the fashion capitols of the world, but there lies a lot of culture and tradition in their fashion. There are pieces of traditional clothing that have been passed from generation to generations. One of the biggest time of the year when fashion and culture collide is during special occasions such as Cambodian new years and weddings. During Cambodian new years style is really big among women. One of the popular trends in my culture is called a Sampot.

One of the most popular sampot is called the Sampot Chang Kben. The Sampot Chang Kben  is a rectangular piece of cloth measuring 3 meters long and meters wide, this colorful, patterned, textile cloth were worn traditionally during special events. In earlier years, Cambodian fashion symbolized social status. Fashion was divided by the people’s differing position and social class. Traditionally hand woven dyed, with the use of natural colors from plants and minerals, the Sampot Chang Kben were representation of ranking. Before the twentieth century women of middle and upper class wore the sampot daily, while women of lower urban class and peasants wore a tube skirt called Sarong because they were too poor to afford the sampot. For my culture, the intricately made sampot represented social class and opportunity. It represented for those who were not ranked high enough or could not afford to wear them. After the practice of wearing the sampot daily died, today everyone of any class are able to wear them during special events.

My oldest sister, Angelina wearing some modern and older tradition styling of Cambodian clothing.

In Cambodia today, no matter your social status people dress up beautifully for special events like Cambodian new years, weddings, ceremonies and weekend trips to the temple. I am appreciative that myself and people who could not afford to wear them before share the same opportunity as me today. We are able to continue our tradition by dressing up in the sampot chang kben. 

 THE ANGKOR ERA:

The sampot chang kben trend dates back to the Angkor era. The sampot chang kben were commonly worn by Royal Ballet dancers who attended and serviced to the kings before the twentieth century.  Cambodian royal ballet consists of elaborately dressed dancers who use sets of gestures and poses to slowly and figuratively tell a story to entertain viewers. Dancers wore collar necklaces and unique skirts called Sampot Sarah Bhap made from silk woven together with gold or silver threads creating intricate designs and a shimmer effect when dancers perform. 

During the Angkor Era, Royal Ballet dancers wore the Sampot, it was one of the biggest props in helping them tell the story in their movements.

 Majority of the pieces are centered around the Sampot which is the skirt, the added pieces to the Sampot sometimes depends on the ocassion. There are some looks that are more modern that Cambodians wear to the temple and to weddings and there are the classic looks where the look first origanted from which is from the Angkor Era. 

WEDDING CLASSICS:

One outfit out of many during my sister's wedding.

 COLORS OF THE WEEK:

 
 During special occasions, women of Cambodia usually pick their sampot to match the traditional color for the day of the week an event is held.


Sunday- red


Monday- Orange


Tuesday- Violet


Wednesday- Greenish Yellow


Thursday- Green

Friday- Dark Blue

Saturday- Dark purple

It is wonderful to discover that fashion is more than what you put on your backs, it represents, culture, history, tradition and religion in my culture. There are meaning to the garment from the detail detail in how you wear down to the colors that you chose to wear. It is exciting to find that fashion goes deeper than being a necessity, but can also be  a means of story telling.




 

5 Ways We Can Help Transform The Fashion Industry

1. Foster The People
The fashion industry are trend setters and can inspire so many people. With the power to influence millions, the fashion industry should start honoring the true identity of fashion with positive and healthy images. Focusing much more on fashion itself than thin unhealthy models. The fashion industry should be more aware that young girls are easily influenced and can feel vulnerable about images of really thin models and should a more positive example.

2.  Knowledge Is Power
It is important to learn about the risks from dangerous behaviors like eating disorders. The fashion industry should educate many people about this disease as it is in a lot of people' opinion that the fashion industry is a huge cause in the development of eating disorders in girls. The fashion industry should not only educate the audiences of the fashion world, but educate those who are actually apart of this world.

3. Take Liability
 By taking responsibility that eating disorders has reached widespread amplitude the fashion industry can do their part by acknowledging the issue and letting their audience they are aware of this issue. The people who suffer from these disorder are the models and consumers, so the fashion industry should learn from example and project a more positive image.

4. Take Action
It may not always seem so obvious when someone is suffering from an eating disorder, but nonetheless those who suffer deserve help and attention. It should be the fashion industry responsibility to reach out to those in need of care and join and connect with programs for those who are suffering. The best way for people to know the industry cares, is to of course take action and start making a difference. The fashion industry can build programs and raise awareness.

5. Linking Up
  The best way to inform people is to have a set of professionals on your team. The fashion industry should create a team of experts who can help those who suffer from eating disorders and can actually stay connected with them. One way is by forming a site where people who would like to learn more or need advice can talk to and seek help from.

Pro-Anarexia Websites

I came home from school one evening, turned on the television and the show Dr. Oz was on. In this particular episode he spoke about the dangers of anorexia and about how pro-ana websites think that they are being supportive to young girls with anorexia and bulimia, but in fact those websites are negative and does nothing more than encourage a dangerous and deadly behavior. As I was watching the show, I thought to myself "okay, I'm familiar with anorexia and bulimia, but what the heck are "pro-ana" websites about?" I wanted to know more, I was intrigued by where the talk show was going and stayed tune to learn more.

As I continued to watch the show, my perspective on anorexia, bulimia and pro- ana websites began to broaden. In Dr.Oz's show, features stories of two young girls who participate in pro- ana websites for comfort and support. But before continuing on with the show, we shall take a more in depth look into what pro-ana websites are all about.

Growth In Pro-ana Websites
Typically when you search anorexia or bulimia into a search engine, you will get results about help, information, or support for those who suffer from an eating disorder. These types of results are what I would think of initially when making assumptions about eating disorders. Try typing in "pro-ana" or "pro-mia" and the results would display differently. The type of outcomes that will emerge are titles like Anorexic Nation, Totally In Control, 2b-Thin, and Starving for Perfection. Pro-ana websites are actually the opposite of websites anorexics and recovering anorexics can obtain assistance from. These websites are clear of their intentions. So much so that there are notifications to warn people who enter the site.

"This site does not encourage that you develop an eating disorder. This is a site for those who ALREADY have an eating disorder and do not wish to go into recovery.
If you do not already have an eating disorder, better it is that you do not develop one now. You may wish to leave."
 (ana-by-choice.com)

**DiScLaImEr: ThIs iS a PrO-eD SiTe… iF yOu Do NoT hAvE aN eAtInG dIsOrDeR oR aRe YoU aRe In ReCoVeRy YoU sHoUlD NoT vIeW thIs sIte…..i Am NoT ReSpOnSiBLe FoR yOuR aCtIoNs.. LeAvE iF yOu CaNt HaNdLe iT***
(2b Thin)

Pro-ana websites are certainly not for those who seek help for anorexia, or even consider having anorexia a sickness. Majority of those who seek pro-ana websites for support feel that anorexia is the right choice of lifestyle to live. One that can lead them to perfection and to achieve thinness.

Before I furthered on in building my knowledge on eating disorder and pro-ana websites, generally I assumed that  no one would ever choose to suffer from anorexia and saw anorexia as a disease. I formed the perception that people who suffered from an eating disorder would carry the desire to seek help and be well again. Pro-ana websites serves as a support system to the believers that anorexia will lead them to achieve happiness. On their sites states that those who consider themselves as anorexic and not "rexies" the site is not for them.

"You may already know the difference between us rexies and anorexics! If u want sympathy for your "disease", you are anorexic. If you want respect and admiration for your lifestyle of choice, you are a rexie. Anorexics die. Rexies don't. Have we understood the difference? This site is for us rexies, who are proud of our accomplishments, and the accomplishments that lie ahead. we will never die." 
(Rexia-World)

The idea is shifted from destroying themselves to being in control of the disease, If anorexics consider the disorder as self destruction, then according to the site they are not doing it correctly. They believe that "rexies" do not die. Anorexia and bulimia is viewed as a stepping stone to achieve perfection. Pro-ana sites works as a group builder with members who believe they have successfully found a way to monitor their bodies. Most sites provide images of "thinspiration", showcasing photos of stick skinny models and other pro-ana website users. Certain websites goes as far as to displaying images of women in the last stages of anorexia. Sites also show the images from fashion industry, magazines, ads, fashion runway shows of models like Kate Moss. It goes to show that images from the fashion industry are what these pro-ana users strive to be like. They are greatly influenced by the fashion industry's portrayal of the ideal women.

 Here is a link to a clip of the episode of Dr. Oz show- "Women of Pro-Ana Movement" 

 During the show, two young girls Brittany and Ashley, participants of the pro-ana website movement shared their story. Ashley aspire to be massively thin like Kate Moss and wanted to have "bones visible". From the support of the Pro-ana website she formed her own blog called "Loosing Myself" to keep track of her weight lose. She post up "thinspiration" photos of really thin models and things to remind her not to eat. Ashley and Brittany says that from the other supporters on the pro-ana website they "call the disorder our best friend" and form a sisterhood. For outsiders like myself who view anorexia and bulimia as a disorder and a sickness, I watched the show in shock and disgust. I was shock to know that there are people who believe in this type of behavior to help them achieve happiness and disgusted that there are creators of these websites and groups of people to actually encourage this dangerous routine. It seems like part of a world that many of us may be oblivious to.  Its sickening to know that these girls are deeply influenced by models who encourage this type of lifestyle like Kate Moss. I feel that the fashion industry has a lot to blame for the way young girls perceive themselves. Ashley in honesty said "it doesn't even matter what I look like, it matters what I see and I'm always going to see fat." Her opinions of her body is so warped, it does not matter her weight because she will never be satisfied. It goes to show that the fashion industry is projecting a lifestyle that is impossibly unattainable.