Price Of Beauty: Tokyo Edition

I had seen a few episodes of Jessica Simpson's Price of Beauty and been intruiged with her mission to share world-wide beauty ideals. I even had high hopes for the Tokyo episode, where she heads to Harajuku to check out street fashion.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed by this episode.

To begin with, Jessica and her friends Ken and CaCee jumped right into the stereotype of loud, crude, and culturally insensitive Americans. They screeched and hollered about Japanese spa procedures, much to the consternantion of their fellow patrons; they made fun of geisha by lolling around lewdly and thoroughly embarassing two Japanese businessmen. While the fashion was present, their lack of knowledge and childish, disrespectful ways were more like that of teenager congoers than that of legitimate ambassadors to Japanese culture.

The show does not focus entirely on Japanese street fashion, but as this is Lolita Charm, I'll bypass the discussions on eyelid surgery, geisha, and the like. To begin with, while they often mentioned the Gwen Stefani term 'harajuku girls', they did not actually talk about any other Harajuku fashions besides lolita. I saw a glimpse of a gal, but no spank, dolly-kei, punk, decora, or anything else associated with the very broad spectrum of Japanese street fashion, especially in Tokyo. Like many outsiders intent on doing a slap-dash presentation of Japanese street fashion, it seems that no one did any fact-checking: they claim knowledge of 'Goth, Lolita, Babydoll, Punk, and others'. I am not sure if Babydoll is their idea of lolita fetishism or a half-hearted stab at mentioning dolly-kei, but either way the term has no current, relevant meaning to Japanese fashion that I am aware of.

They then were assigned some sort of English-speakin guide to the lolita world, but it was clear that she was chosen for her ability in English and not her ability to dress lolita - she wore an oddly-coordinated outfit in screaming black and pink, without makeup or styled hair. I am a firm believer that if one wants to do any kind of expose, networking, reality, drama, or documentary about lolitas (or any subculture really) one needs to hire a legitimate lolita from inside the community to act as liason. Hiring an outsider to inform you on a subculture is like asking someone from San Diego to instruct you on the ways of the Inuits, for example. I would much have preferred they use a shopgirl or even a designer with an English translator instead of going for the unexperienced girl who spoke better English.

The short blurb on Harajuku girls seemed to sum up that they wear unusual clothes as a direct rebellion to their subordinate, otherwise crushing roles as quiet and repressed Japanese women. I find this not only offensive to assume that all Japanese girls are quiet and repressed, but what does this say about us as Western lolitas? Would you gladly lump us in as well, with the quiet and repressed, lashing out with frills? The attitude the show adopts is that while we are such free and liberated American women, the rest of the world's women are not so lucky. They deny the problems of American women and their relationship to beauty, just as easily as many people say that sexism no longer exists. This American egocentrism and superiority complex is insulting to the foreign fashionistas they visit as well as the real American girls whose needs are swept under the rug.

Cut to the end, Jessica Simpson is dressed by Maki and Asuka in a complete Angelic Pretty coordinate (who, by the way, are simply referrred to as more 'Harajuku girls', like handmaidens - there is no mention that they are actually celebrity designers and key figureheads to the highly successful sweet lolita brand). I am not sure if she was made up by actual lolitas or Angelic Pretty staff, or if her look was 'modified' based on what American producers believed the viewers at home wanted to see. To sum: Her makeup was very much a sexualized and fetished style, or essentially a Western interpretation of a 'little girl' look - bright red lipstick, bright red rouge, and none of the usual makeup styles to make the eye appear rounder, larger, and more doll-like. Instead she has the typical winged eyeliner favored by Western magazines, which is meant to elongate the eye and make it look smaller and heavier. Instead of suppling her with a quality and pre-styled wig like most lolita models wear, they styled her own hair into a giant blonde beehive which was not flattering to her or the style.

While these fashion choices may have been made at the call of uneducated American producers, this is still a blight on the reputation of the Western lolita - reaffirming the myth that only Japanese girls make good lolitas. I would like to find and present of the many, many beautiful Western lolitas to compare to Jessica Simpson in this episode, just to prove the point that Western girls can look beautiful in lolita fashion. Even Lady Gaga was able to pull off some modicum of the fashion - indeed, she was lightyears ahead of Jessica Simpson.

Even worse, her attitude on the runway appalled me. This was not a question of Parisian models versus Japanese models, this was not a question of mainstream modeling styles versus lolita modeling styles. This was a question of respect. She dashes down the runway, making sure to flash plenty of thigh and reveal to the audience her bloomers and petticoats, more like a cancan dancer than anything else.

To outsiders, lolita modesty seems over-the-top and a little silly. Bloomers? Petticoats? Who cares? It covers more than a thong or swimsuit, right? Besides, you're more covered than anyone else around! So why is that lolitas are uptight about their underpinnings showing?

Although lolita underpinnings may seem redundant and unneccessary to the outsider, it doesn't mean you should parade your lolita underwear. It is underwear and should be treated as such. If Jessica Simpson is trying to learn about and respect foreign culture's attitude to beauty, then I would like to see her respect the lolita subculture as well. I wear bloomers on an almost daily basis, including with casual lolita. They are part of my actual undergarments, just like bra and panties. Sure, your bra covers as much as a swimsuit, but that does not mean that you prance around in it, especially as a guest in a foreign country. Making fun of legitimate lolita underpinnings on a runway is the equivalent of mooning the audience. It was the final straw to this episode, which she concludes with 'It's all about doing whatever you want.'

And thus another inaccurate and disparaging report of lolitas enters the mainstream media.

What is your opinion of the episode? Did you think it was a legitimate resource or not?

Want to watch the full episode? Click here. (Edited to add: not available in all regions.)

screencap taken by me from VH1; second photo courtesy of tumblr.

Labels: film, review

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 7:31 PM 37 Comments

To The Duchess, an Invitation from the Queen

I've been laid up with my most recent surgery, so I had the chance to veg out by watching the Duchess on DVD! I wrote a review when the Connecticut Lolitas and I saw it in theatres, but the ability to watch it slowly and with an eye to detail resulted in some interesting fashion notations! The Duchess of Devonshire is noted as 'The Empress of Fashion' and her announcer commented to her waiting admirers: 'What she is wearing tonight I expect you all to be wearing tomorrow!' Want to capture some of her glowing style for your Lolita wardrobe? Try some of these tips!

• Georgian socks. In the wedding night scene, we get a close-up view of Georgiana's fabulous socks - similar to the ones seen in Marie Antoinette's bedroom scene with Count Fersen. They are over-the-knee style with large silk bows to keep them up. I love over-the-knee socks myself, because they keep a little extra warmth and give a different look than regular knee socks. Since I foresee difficulties with merely tying ribbons around your socks - slipping and untying, for example - try this: Stitch a broad satin (or grosgrain, if you prefer a more austere or more Lolita look) around the mouth of plain socks, leaving enough tail to tie them into a large bow. If you have enough leeway, you could stitch the bow in place - if not, just tie them up whenever you go to wear them.
  
• As shown in Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide (a fabulous historical fashion blog!), drop-style earrings were very popular in the film. I especially like teardrop shaped pearls for a very elegant look. Some premade satin bows, the kind bought in packages at the fabric shop, would make lovely bases when glued onto earring-backs. Then added a jump-loop with a pearl drop for a cute earring style.
• Use of flowers was fairly prominent in the film as well. One large flower was fastened to the side of the neck on a thin ribbon as a choker. Others were woven into her giant curly hair for almost any occasion. I recommend trooping down to your local craft store and looking at some of the false flowers. For this style, I recommend anything that looks dried, or even the kind made out of soft paper. Muted mauves, soft pinks, and deep wines look best for that 'dusty' tone. It's very easy to glue a few to a hair barrette or comb, and then add a few strings of pearls or lengths of chain from the jewelry-making section.
• Lace caps - or, in the Lolita style, round headdresses - made quite a few appearances. They're mostly rounds done up in various styles of lace, perhaps with a center design of embroidery or flowers. She generally wears them as a centerpiece to her large curled wigs.
• Chokers were popular with the Duchess, and as spring is upon us, I think they would look very nice as a compliment to the blouseless jumperskirt style. Several styles of choker were showcased, including the above mentioned thin ribbon with large flower; a double strand of pearls; a large ribbon embroidered and decorated with a pearl drop at the center; and a choker decorated with ruffled chiffon, a strip of lace in the center, and a bow with jewels, in a very Angelic Pretty style.
  
• Of course I cannot get away without mentioning hats! She has quite a collection of hats in this film, some tall and adorned with foxes, others with shallow brims and large ties of chiffon. These are harder to add to your wardrobe unfortunately - but I can direct you to a lady much more knowledgeable to period hats than I!
• I'll also briefly mention her makeup. One of the things that struck me was the full brows - not the wispy lines of today. They are combed and clean-edged, possibly also trimmed with brow scissors - but not thin by any means. This is also generally a Lolita tip, because over-plucked brows look older, not younger. The makeup is mostly fresh-faced, featuring pale skin with a peachy or rose-toned blush. Eyes are done in soft beiges and vanillas, with a light stain on the lips. For a complete list of what was used on her face, try this article at Makeup 411.

Labels: film, style tips

posted by Victoria Suzanne @ 2:20 PM 2 Comments