Reading and Writing UB00302

SECTION 101 SEMESTER 1

SESSION 2011/2012

The Influences of Western Fashion in Malaysia

Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. It also references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person. The history of Western fashion is the story of the changing fashions in clothing for men and women in Western Europe and other countries under its influence (that is, the Western world) from the 12th century to the present. This influences in our country let many citizen of Malaysia have variety of choices in wearing dresses. Influences of Western Fashion have penetrated deeply in our country is causing by few reason. People change the mentality of fashion is the main influence of Western fashion in Malaysia. In this modern century, people no longer to have a conservative or traditional thinking anymore. Malaysia is an Islamic country, so, Malay women follow a conservative dress code. However, other ethnic groups, such as the Chinese and Indian minorities, don't necessarily follow these conventional dress codes. So, most of them especially younger people will choosing some trendy and modern fashion such as jean, t-shirt, skirt, blouse and so on. IT (Information technology) sophistication also helping in changing human mentality. Nowadays, we can access Internet easily, it help us get the latest information about fashion.

The second influences of Western Fashion are fashion from western country more casual and comfortable compared with traditional dresses in Malaysia. Casual is the dress code that emphasizes comfort and personal expression over presentation and uniformity. It includes a very wide variety of costume, so it is perhaps better defined by what it is not than what it is. Casual wear is typically the dress code in which new forms of gender expression are attempted before being accepted into semi-casual or semi-formal situations. An obvious example is masculine jewellery, which was once considered shocking or titillating even in casual circles, and is now hardly noteworthy in semi-formal situations. Traditional dress in Malaysia such as Iban custom (one of the ethnic groups at Sarawak) let people who wear it feel heavy and burden because the custom have too many accessories.

Reading and Writing UB00302

SECTION 101 SEMESTER 1

SESSION 2011/2012

The last influence is a lot of talented designers from Malaysia go abroad and bring back what they have learnt. Designers like Bernard Chardran, Melinda Looi, Alexandra Yeo (three of them are fashion designers) and Jimmy Choo (shoe designer). So, Malaysia people started to explore with Western fashion. Many of them are very successful in their career and got them own fashion show. They are our Malaysia star and people start to follow them step to achieve their dream. They are role model to everyone who is interested to this field. They have brought out a new way to next generation, through this our culture can be improve especially cultural of fashion. It also let many people have variety of choices in fashion. In conclusion, Western fashion has influences or penetrated our country and cultural of fashion deeply. All this influences actually have brought out advantages and disadvantages thing to our country. For example, the advantage is choices of fashion become variety and the disadvantage is it was too modern or sexy to them especially Malay women. But think in positive way it has pop-out with a lot of benefit no matter in term of internal or external. We can learn from their culture but we also cannot forget our culture and our root.