• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.686-704
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• 2015

As mass media has come to intervene with politics in a more proactive way during modern times, the image of a politician has evolved into a more relevant factor compared with political content. This phenomenon is known as "image politics", and such externalized images as non-verbal cues have grown in importance, along with the numbers of female politicians. Thus image strategy has been instituted as a major research theme in the field of political marketing, especially for female politicians. In accordance with this theme, this study aims to approach fashion as part of image strategy of female politicians, in order to reemphasize political fashion as a valuable resource. The methodologies employed in this study are based on both the literature and positive research. Female politicians have long utilized fashion styles that are, or are assumed to be, the most appealing to their target base of support in a predominantly male-centered sector. In this sense, appropriate choices in the usage of apparel items, colors, hair styles, accessories, and others according to each situation and respective hierarchies are of the utmost importance. When attending official ceremonies and other related meetings, the strategic superiority afforded to a scientific approach based on thorough fashion research, compared with personal taste is imperative. The significance of this study lies within the recognition of the importance of fashion image, and how to utilize fashion for image strategy in practice, through the investigative synthesis and review of major preceding research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.66 no.7
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• pp.154-170
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• 2016

The female leadership styles in the 21st century have been established as a major axis. Especially, the fashion of female politicians being exposed to the public during political activities has become a main element of a measure displaying visually female leadership styles in the 21st century and image making as well. Consequently, this study conducted qualitative research through the interview method to figure out regular voters' thoughts in depth about images being required for female political leaders and the fashion maximizing those images, and drew the detailed design elements. Suggesting the clothes design reflecting those elements for female political leaders by 3D virtual clothing works emerging as a new market creating profits related to fashion. The images which female political leaders have to have and were extracted through the interviews in this study, showed as feminine, strong leader, honest, and intelligent images, and also it was shown that female political leaders displaying proper images depending on the circumstances and using those images in politics rather than sticking to a fashion identity were favored by interviewees. The present study intends to contribute to being used as basic data of various research and fashion items of virtual reality and establishment of successful fashion strategy for female political leaders.

• International Journal of Costume and Fashion
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.20-31
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• 2008

A person's external image is a non-verbal form of communication, through which the person's tastes, mode of thought, preferences, and overall personality is expressed. The dominant factor in building an external image is clothing, since clothing-images provide the most information about a person in the least amount of time. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the clothing- images of women politicians and the improvement of women's social status in Korea, by focusing on changes in clothing-image of female politicians at public functions throughout modern Korean history, and inquiring into the method of classification concerning aforementioned images. The time period of this study starts from 1945, when the first female political party was established, to the 2008 presidential elections. The methodology of this study consists of literature study of related books, theses and journals, which was jointly conducted with empirical study consisting of the research of news photographs of major daily newspapers. This study confirmed the clothing images of women politicians since liberation till 2000's reflects the directions of women's movement and their status in return. It is especially meaningful that the sudden increase of romantic and feminine images among the women politician in Korea is the reflection of the ideas of postmodern feminism which emphasize the acknowledgement of womanhood and the enjoyment of being a woman as its core.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.132-148
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• 2014

The objective of this research is to provide data for the power dressing of female politicians when analyzing the fashion styling of Margaret Thatcher. The method is based on considering Margaret Thatcher's life and political career, together with the power dressing of politicians from domestic and foreign literature, advanced research and internet. In addition, 133 clothing photos of Margaret Thatcher's costumes are collected from the internet and several web-sites. The fashion styling being displayed from 4 May 1979 to 28 November 1990 are classified with the 1st term, 2nd term, 3rd term depending on the prime minister. We then analyze items, colors, patterns and fashion accessories. And also observe the power dressing through Thatcher's fashion styling. The results of this study are as follows: Margaret Thatcher expresses authority through blue clothes which symbolizes conservatism at conservative parties, black clothes at formal parties, two or three piece of various colors at international conferences. She also has simple and impressive styles emphasizing accessories such as ribbons or pearls necklaces and earrings, brooches, and handbags. Margaret Thatcher fulfills the styling power dressing of a strong and feminine figure by using items symbolizing authority as a powerful woman.