Author Topic: Dress decolonization  (Read 4765 times)

rp

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1404
    • View Profile
Re: Dress decolonization
« Reply #105 on: March 09, 2023, 07:05:46 pm »
Example of using wrong terminology to combat dress colonization:
https://twitter.com/confucian_the/status/1632745169455042564?s=20
Quote
Comrade Confucius
@confucian_the
Men's clothing from the Majapahit Empire was cool AF. Far cooler (both figuratively and literally) than the stupid asexual Capitalist monkey suit.
I've even got an antique bronze men's ring from around that time period.


Assuming you are referring to the Western business suit, it is far from "asexual", since its very purpose is to emphasize sexual dimorphism! (As we have documented extensively in this thread).
« Last Edit: March 09, 2023, 07:18:23 pm by rp »

90sRetroFan

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8785
  • WESTERN CIVILIZATION MUST DIE!
    • View Profile
Re: Dress decolonization
« Reply #106 on: March 09, 2023, 07:33:43 pm »
Furthermore, does this idiot seriously think that ordinary people in pre-colonial times dressed like in that photo as everyday attire? Therefore it is not even a fair comparison with Western suits which are worn as everyday attire by countless ordinary people nowadays.

Then again, do you expect any better from someone literally called Comrade Confucius?

rp

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1404
    • View Profile
Re: Dress decolonization
« Reply #107 on: March 09, 2023, 08:15:42 pm »
"Furthermore, does this idiot seriously think that ordinary people in pre-colonial times dressed like in that photo as everyday attire?"
Exactly. Here is what people acutally dressed like in the Majapahit Empire:


Note the simplicity of the dress. Contrary to what these "Chadpillers" would have you believe, non-Western civilizations were not sexually dimorphic or complex as Western civilization.

"Then again, do you expect any better from someone literally called Comrade Confucius?"
Forgot to mention this, but his anthropocentric view about "monkeys"  is also a reflection of his username.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2023, 08:17:51 pm by rp »

HikariDude

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 73
    • View Profile
Re: Dress decolonization
« Reply #108 on: March 09, 2023, 08:54:58 pm »
I see with the actual Majapahit clothing, the women may have some minor adjustments from men, but all wear brown over red kilts/dresses as well as their gold ribbon belts ties being tied similarly. They also all have the same wrist-wear and their hairs have some sort of bun/tail.

I think I might be starting to grasp your idea on clothing.

90sRetroFan

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8785
  • WESTERN CIVILIZATION MUST DIE!
    • View Profile
Re: Dress decolonization
« Reply #109 on: May 11, 2023, 05:46:37 pm »
https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/55876/1/exploring-the-popularity-of-the-asian-balayage

Quote
While we may be free to make decisions about our hair, what does it mean if we ‘choose’ to pursue an ideal which Western society prizes?
...
The New York Times recently reported that around 50 per cent of Asian customers at Sondar Hair Studio in New York City were looking to dye their hair lighter, while April Taylor, owner of London salon Somewhere in Queen’s Park, estimates that “at least 70 per cent” of her Asian clientele are going blonder.



Quote
But Bhagwandas also points to other forces at play that could be subconsciously influencing our decisions. She stresses that “we do have to recognise when beauty trends are cloaked Eurocentric ideals” and explains that Asian culture has a tendency to regard Western features as especially desirable. “It’s so embedded in the culture, in practices like skin lightening or westernising cosmetic surgery, that it’s become the norm,” she says. “These beliefs then become expected customs and beauty standards and end up being passed down from generation to generation, often without being examined and disrupted. But in each country and in each culture, these customs are extremely nuanced and hard to break away from.”

It’s undoubtedly difficult to relinquish the idea that blonde is the ideal hair colour given its representation in popular culture – just think of Barbie or Marilyn Monroe – despite the fact that only two per cent of the world's population has naturally blonde hair. It’s equally difficult to acknowledge that wanting blonde hair may suggest an underlying desire to conform to Western beauty standards. Because while we may be free to make decisions about our hair, what does it mean if we ‘choose’ to pursue an ideal which Western society prizes?

It means you are colonized.





Quote
This idea that whiteness was beautiful was exported to Africa and Asia with the advent of colonialism in the 15th and 16th centuries, as colonisers justified their cruelty and racism with white supremacist ideology.
...
Bhagwandas points out that this prizing of ‘white’ features includes hair, not just skin. “European colonialism and slavery – which lasted centuries – created a power dynamic that meant that those that held the power had lighter skin, lighter eyes and lighter hair. So automatically we have the case where those in power look a certain way which sets up an image of what wealth and success look like, and it’s a European or Western face and image of beauty,” Bhagwandas explains. “There was a colonial precedent where those with a proximity to whiteness were given preferential treatment because of it,” she continues. “We’re still living in the legacy of this when we think about how recently colonisation ended – the legacy of white supremacy is absolutely still at play in beauty.”
...
So what’s to be done? Everyone stick to their natural hair colour? That’s the implication in the aforementioned TikTok video: Laura calls Asian women reverting back to their natural dark hair after a brief dalliance with lighter locks “peak character development.”

I would consider it merely the first step. Why not look into reviving pre-colonial hairstyles also? I'm not saying everyone has to wear those hairstyles, but at least no one should be afraid to wear them. If you are afraid to go out in public with a pre-colonial hairstyle (or in pre-colonial clothes etc.), you are still colonized.

m94r

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 368
    • View Profile
Re: Psychological decolonization
« Reply #110 on: June 05, 2023, 04:00:58 pm »
https://www.ctvnews.ca/lifestyle/here-s-how-code-switching-can-hurt-black-indigenous-people-in-canada-1.6427374

Here's how 'code-switching' can hurt Black, Indigenous people in Canada

Quote

In a dominantly whiteculture[business], racialized people in Canada may "codeswitch", Selam Debs, an antiracism coach said.

Code-switching refers to a person changing their behaviour, expression or appearance Debs told CTV's Your Morning on Monday, explaining the reasons for doing so can include safety, job opportunities or quality service.

"Black, Indigenous and racialized folks are often considered 'the other' when it comes to accents," she said. "So we might change the way that we speak, recognizing that it is in relationship with trying to fit into what is considered professional."

Other examples of code-switching include changing hairstyle for a job opportunity, not wearing traditional clothing, or having to consciously avoid being stereotyped.

 Black youth feeling they can’t wear certain fashions, due to safety concerns are they types of subtle switches that can weigh on a person, Debs said, which can cause further stress.

"When you are constantly putting yourself in a pretzel, it can lead to anxiety, it can lead to a sense of havoc, feeling impostor syndrome, feeling like you have to work twice as hard, but receive twice as less," she said.

Stopping that pattern requires safe spaces for people to be themselves, and that requires everyone’s consideration, Debs says.

"Who are we holding as the human universal standard? And how can we begin to disrupt that and think about what we consider professional and recognize that the diversity in the representation of cultures and peoples actually makes our spaces more beautiful and more impactful."


If you try to act in a inauthentic way in order to be included in the "white" business then your colonized.