I went to see a talk of a VP from pantone about the color prediction 09 summer and he talked about SNTC, and how it dramatically changed the brand awareness of manolo blahnik or jimmy choo among common american people.. but i hope the casualness of american public scene would not change..

btw, you make the outfits??! that is so awesome.. !!!!

But when many Koreans see me, I think they think, “YOU are FMS?!” Hehe.

When I get formal, I look good. I have 5 bad-ass, custom suits I had made, and obsess about ties and shoes (even though I can’t find shoes I like in my size, and Korean men’s styles aren’t my cup of tea). I even want to get a rust-red suit made that I’ve been fantasizing about for a long time. But that’s when I’m formal, which isn’t often.

I guess my American mid-western roots show, since generally, people are extremely casual most of the time, and only even think about appearance a lot for formal occasions.

And when you see me at Spektra, even though you will think I’m “casual,” that’s actually pretty dressed up, compared to what I usually wear every day.

Hehe.

As for the Korean vs. American thing, I think you’re right.

Americans do dress up but it’s not a 24/7 thing. Koreans with their new income levels DO see dressing up as important.

It depends on your perspective whether it’s important or not. I recently spoke to an American who thought the same way. Honestly, that put me off ’cause I saw him as pretentious. I can’t lie, I feel similarly about Koreans who think that should be a priority.

That’s a culture difference, but since the US has so many subcultures I think Koreans would be surprised at how many Americans feel the same way as they do.

Also, I’ve noticed that for many Korean women here, it’s more about wearing heels with the outfit than matching clothes or looking good. You might see a woman wearing a quite unflattering outfit or piece of clothing that also clashes with their pants or something – yet they will be wearing heels. That kinda bothers me. Sure, heels are hot – but they don’t universally match the style or mood of all outfits. This is why I will forgo heels for a pair of flats or sneaker-flats – because they match what I want from the outfit more than heels will. Um. I hope that wasn’t too much. ^^;;;

I think the Korean people are very used to compartmentalizing things. This applies to people and cultures. So when they think of Americans, they think of casual clothes, jeans, T-shirts, and flip-flops. I don’t think the image of American people in general as fashionable people has implanted itself fully in the minds of the Korean people. Every Korean person that has asked me about American fashion has said that they think of American fashion as being very casual. Sure, a small percentage of the American population is known to be designer-brand obsessed, but you have to admit that Americans for the most part are known to be casual. So I think that with the SATC movie, most of the American female audience will coo over the fashions within the movie – but kinda forget about it within a couple days because they subconsciously feel that it’s not practical to their lifestyles. With Americans, it’s mostly about matching, comfort, and practicality than being dressed up. Girls will still wear flip-flops while still matching their clothes.

Korean women, on the other hand, are raised with this image of an impeccably-dressed up woman always in heels of some sort. That’s why I see these Korean girls all the time, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt… but still wearing ill-matching heels – because they believe that heels must be worn at all times, because that is the Korean woman’s way. In Korea, it’s not about matching – it’s about being dressed up (or trying to be) all the time. The way the TV shows and dramas portray the main female characters – always made up, hair done, well-cut clothes. In America, not so much. Main female characters can be shown on sitcoms or shows in jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie. So perhaps the Korean audience of the SATC movie might be more willing or comfortable to apply some of the fashions shown to their wardrobes after leaving the theater.

So yeah. Just a couple thoughts of my own.

By the way, are you guys going to the Spektra show at Answer this Friday? It’d be cool to see you guys there!

Not that either Sex in the City or Ugly Betty gets NYC quite right, cos ew who the hell eats at Sushi Samba and Betty’s family is so Nuyorican it’s not even funny.

The irony of course is none of the women seem really all that tough and assertive to me. They’re vapid and sort of silly and vulnerable, but that is their appeal, isn’t it?

Ugly Betty shouldn’t REALLY be put on the Hollywood list, since it was originally a Colombian telenovela that’s been adapted in quite a few countries. Granted, they reworked Ugly Betty quite a bit when they brought it over to the US and I don’t see some of the original Colombian plot twists coming into play in the US version, but I actually think that will elevate it. Besides, Betty is a GEEK, how could you not love that? I think Ugly Betty is far more clever and well written than Sex in the City, so I’m annoyed that the Korean Herald lumped them together. When will I learn my lesson? Mainstream media so rarely gets their shit right.

Hahaha, omg Gossip Girl too? God, that show, they get NYC wrong too. Brooklyn, oh maligned Brooklyn. Tho girl I know that went to Dalton claims it realistically portrays the lives of rich NYC brats. This is too much. Must go stare at the article now.

I think that’s more of the naiveté of the people watching the show and not Hollywood being obsessed with anything. They’re definitely not obsessed with fashion or sex except how both related to ratings and profit.

So my only point is the title puts the focus on Hollywood when the focus should be on the viewer.

Different from how a lot of Americans see it, a lot of Koreans (and a lot of other non-Americans, I hear) see this as everyday American life. And I know that more than just being a show about fashion, SATC is, to many Korean women, an image of the ideal “free” and very “American” lifestyle that people think Koreans, by definition, don’t have.

It almost goes without saying that no human being in the world, American or no, could possibly have so much sex as much as Samantha and hold down a steady job, or that there are surely plenty of Korean people with a high income and an active sex life.

That being said, SATC is still a huge influence on forming “reality” for a lot of women in Korea, in that it supposedly is a “real” life over there on the other side of the water, to which one’s real life get unfortunately compared over here.

I can’t even think about counting the number of times SATC comes up in conversation, especially in terms of real life discussions — how many times I’ve been on a first date and that show comes up in conversation as a not-so-subtle way of saying “I’m not going to sleep with you on the first date like American girls.” When asking where the idea comes from that all Americans jump into the sack moments after finishing a first dinner encounter, SATC inevitably is the first thing mentioned.

When I point out that this lifestyle is about as realistic as expecting all Koreans to be in love triangles with gangsters and millionaire heirs to Samsung, or love stories ended by tragic traffic accidents or mysterious diseases, the point is taken; but I still think there’s still a very stubborn tendency to believe that American media defines American reality, even when the ridiculousness of this is pointed out.

So, while I love the show as an American just watching it for its silliness, fun, and water cooler conversation material, as an American living in Korea, it’s the bane of my existence.

On THAT note, however, I think the movie is going to “speak” to a lot of Korean women on a level perhaps more deeply than individual episodes might, because the strengths of the film are in showing the deep relationships of friendship between women, as well as define a range of choices for how to “be” female and growing older, even as one remains cool and sexy.

Beyond that, I can’t comment without getting too specific, since I’ve seen the film. But no matter what, it should be interesting!

Hollywood is interested in what gives it ratings and, therefore, ad revenue. It’s a business.

So, why is the female viewing public so obsessed with fashion? As a fan of SATC, I say it’s how a lot of women are raised. We’re raised to focus on our looks and attach value to what we wear. Whether you agree or not, I know I got a rise out of seeing woman like me get excited about stuff I get excited about.

I do get excited over a pair of cute shoes or a cute purse. Superficial to some degree, yes, but it’s fun.

Since I’m an American, I can’t comment on the new Korean modern woman. I think it would be best that they speak for themselves. So have at it ladies.