A Comparative Study on Korean and U.S. Emo Fashion

This study aimed to examine emo fashion, a very recent music-related fashion trend spreading fast amongst youths, and understand emo ideas and methods of expression for a greater understanding of contemporary youth sub-cultures and fashion trends. Documentary research, positive research and in-depth interviews were used throughout the study. 4 Korean emo bands and 4 U.S. emo bands were selected based on music chart rankings, and a total of 37 photographs from the bands' Internet websites were selected, and their clothes shown in the photographs were examined. 5 Korean emo band musicians were subjects of in-depth interviews, and they were asked about their emo culture, music, fashion, ideas and styles, and photographs were taken of the subjects and evaluated, too. Lastly, Korean and U.S. emo kids were studied through photographs, and comparatively analyzed. Both Korean and U.S. emo musicians wore slim silhouettes, skinny jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, black, studded belts and plastic-framed glasses. Korean fashion expressed a less depressive atmosphere with color and other details compared to the United States, and did not prefer dark black eye make-up, which United States emo style appeared to express frequently. Korean musicians' emo fashion was closer to other youth fashions, whereas U.S. emo fashion included more formal styles such as ruffled shirts and pin-striped vests. Korean emo kids wore clothes not much different from most Korean youths, but U.S. emo kids wore a lot of eye make-up and black t-shirts with graphic or skull prints, and had more geometrical hair styles, as if cut at home. The reasons for such differences were found to be a longer emo music and culture history in the United States leading to more elaborate fashion expressions and a difference in the states of mind, such as Korea pursuing to express love, and the United States pursuing loneliness.

한국과 미국의 Emo Fashion Style에 관한 연구