fashion is fetish is fabulous is fun is fantastic!
참. 촌스러운 것들을 보면 알아. 밑에 여자도 ‘촌스럽다’고 할 수 있는 것도 알고, 브랜드 옷을 입은 것도 아니고 색도 잘 어울리지 않고 치마도 고급스러워 싸보이는 것은 알아요. 하지만 촌스러워서 오히려 더 예쁜 것도 있잖아요. 정감 있는 듯하고 보기 좋은 것? ㅋㅋ 개인적으로 큰 별모양 귀거리가 맘에 든다. 사실 그 귀걸이 때문에 정감을 느꼈다고 해도 과언이 아니에요. 미국 달동네에서도 그런 정감을 느낄 수 있는 미가 있었어요. 돈도 없고 가짜 명품을 살 돈도 없으니 차라리 화려하고 반짝거려서 눈에 띄는 아이템으로 코디하게 된 것이죠. 특히 80/90년 대에 그런 이유로 그렇게 해서 그냥 “ghetto”(간난한 느낌)보다 “ghetto fabulous”이란 개념이 태어난 거예요. 이중 일부가 대중화가 된 거에요. 가령 섹스엔드씨티에 나온 캐리의 목걸이가 있어요. 원래 이름을 목걸이로 만든 이니셜 목걸이는 지나치게 화려하고 촌스럽다는 느낌을 주었고 따라서 랩비디오에서 먼저 등장했지만 백인 여배우인 캐리가 목걸이를 착용하자 마자 미국의 백인 여성들까지 따라하기 시작하면서 일반 패션 트렌드가 된 거에요. 아래 사진의 유난히 큰 별 귀걸이와 치마도 비슷한 맥락이라고 볼 수 있고. 그리고 또 다른 특징이 있네요. 코랄 핑크색의 홀터넥 탑도 훌륭한 코디인 것 같아요. 이번 시즌의 일등 컬러이기 때문이죠. (다음 포스트에서 더 자세히 설명할께요!)
OK — I know there will be debate about this picture and people may get on my case for it, since she’s not really matching, sporting anything designer, and may just be all over the place in terms of shoes, bag, top, and kinda ratty miniskirt. Still, there’s something very “ghetto fabulous” about the look, perhaps working in that there’s a certain confidence and self-conscious fabulousness to it, especially when one looks at the oversized, white star earrings and spaghetti straps, two things that are particularly risque about her look in Korea, especially since she reveals both shoulders. Another point that she has going for her — another reason I found this picture interesting — is her sporting just the right shade of coral pink, which I am declaring the official color of the Korean summer™ this year (but will talk about in another post). So is she ghetto fab or just ghetto? Is this a crazy picture? Chime in.
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14 Responses for "Ghetto or Ghetto Fabulous?"
Hmm…I’m loving her shoes and the color of the shirt for sure. And the earrings are surprisingly cute with that top. I normally wouldn’t wear a top in that style but I have to admit it highlights her lovely shoulders so I guess overall her shirt is fine.
The skirt and the bag are the worst things for me - the bag is just so YELLOW and the skirt looks…so ghetto? But I confess I don’t know what other kind of skirt you could wear with that top. I personally would’ve paired the shoes and shirt with “less loud” bag and jean capris….but I feel like Koreans like showing more leg rather than less of it ^_^ Plus capri pants can make your legs look short I think (is that right?) So maybe a jean skirt is the best thing….perhaps if it was less “messy”, a slimmer cut, and a darker wash…. But then that’d take away from the casual look…
…ahaha…i can’t believe I rambled so much about that picture XD
Is this girl in a Korean ghetto, and looking fabulous? Is this an improvement to how girls dress in the ghettos in Seoul? Or is it that the author of this article does not know the meaning of “Ghetto Fabulous”?
The girl looks tacky…not ghetto….not fabulous.
Well, I don’t know if there’s a single, strict definition of the term, especially given that it’s being applied outside of the context of the culture from which it originated, but you can take your pick from the list, or add to it yourself. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt in your sarcastic challenge by simply assuming you have a working definition of what “ghetto fabulous” is, about which you’ll enlighten us. So what is the “correct” definition of the term as you see it?
Tho I concur whole heartedly on the shoulders and the fact that her legs are particularly buff, I am going to have to give it a thumbs down. There isn’t just enough BLING for it to be fabulous. I’d say it’s Korea’s attempt at ghetto fabulous while not quite capturing the spirit of eff you, in your face, I am tacky and I don’t care aren’t I fabulous and blingy. I think it’s because you can’t really be too tacky by Korean standards. And it would have to be a little less girly, more vampy.
I agree on that count, Jae Young. Perhaps it’s just not enough to reach the “ghetto fab” zone, and not self-consciously blingy enough, either.
Oh God please someone steal me her earrings.
Ooh, testy, testy, testy.
I am sure that I gave my definition when I wrote my comment. Anyway, since you made the original observation, it’s good that YOU clarified yourself.
By the way, don’t get your undies in a bunch, you have a great site.
My undies are pretty bunched right now, hehe. OK — got your point, and thanks for pushing me to clarify. And thanks for the comments and compliment, by the way.
As for the earrings, Joanna, if I bump into her again, I’ll make sure to steal the earrings for you. We can all agree that THOSE are fabuloso, no?
Tacky to me is oversize pants with dress shoes and sweat socks, a shirt that has a half winsor collar, but the knot is a full winsor and it ends at the beginning of the stomach.
How many times have you all seen that one? lol
She is guilty of being color uncoordinated, the skirt, top and toenail match, but the bag, shoes and fingernails do not.
With Korea’s rep as being the land of the not quite right.
I would say not quite ghetto and not quite ghetto fabulous.
I’m overtaken with horror at the suggestion that this outfit qualify for “ghetto fab”. Every floozy out there with half an ounce of self respect is grabbing her bling and packing her bags to fly here and smack fms over the head with her platform shoes over this. They are all rightfully offended.
Have you not noticed she’s only painted one toe on each foot? If you’re going to properly bring attention to your fake luxury print shoes (!?!) then you at least need to paint ALL your toes. Besides, they’re not sparkly enough.
That skirt is not ghetto fab - it is trailer trash with delusions. The shirt is Walmart masquerading at Target. It is ALL out of proportion and should be returned and exchanged for something shiny enough to be seen from space. Really, it looks like she kidnapped my kid sister’s old beach cover-up.
Let’s not talk about the bag, and hope privately that she had just barely escaped from an industrial mustard accident.
The earrings are cool, however.
Hmm, before we start threatening each other with acts of fashion violence, let’s remember that the picture was supposed to spark discussion, not as a unilateral style declaration. I did say, remember, that she was “all over the place in terms of shoes, bag, top, and kinda ratty miniskirt” but there was something about the earrings, top, and her attitude that I liked.
And as for the painted-toe-on-one-foot thing, I think that is a Korean style of “ghetto fab” if I ever saw one, as opposed to the expensive, perfect manicures of the more well-coiffed set.
In this discussion, I guess I define GF as something that breaks the norm in what’s considered a “gauche” sort of way to the acceptable fashion mainstream, but is pulled off well, or smartly combined with something else. Or, it might just be tacky as hell but the person carries it like she’s Princess Di.
As I initially said, I’m of two minds about the look, as there are parts I like and parts I don’t. One thing we can all agree on is that the earrings qualify, the skirt doesn’t. So we’ve got something there!
This is obviously bad, but it’s not wretch-worthy or the bottom of Myongdong’s daytime barrel at all. I wouldn’t have given her a second thought in passing, except for ‘cheap outfit’…
You know what this look is, right? This is the requisite Koreanized (read: modest and stripped of quality/cut/point of interest) manifestation of a popular Japanese look, 2-4 years delayed, as is the case with everything you see on Seoul streets. Light denim skirt, doubleknit top, big earrings, this is that Tokyo Miss Sixty gyaru’ed out look, watered down with no fab and no ghetto.
Was there a Von Dutch hat involved?……………….
Um . . . dude, I agree that this ain’t the greatest outfit, but I don’t see anything that looks like an outdated Japanese style.
Oh it most definitely is dear; maybe replace those snakeskin/silver things on her feet (they appear to be leftovers from the ‘futurism’ bonanza from a couple years back) with platform espadrilles, maybe accessorize her with that one horridly played out Tiffany charm bracelet and some better nail art, add a camouflage trucker hat, and she’d be all ready to port back in time to her home, Shibuya 109 circa 2004.
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