• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.13-31
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to analyze the formative style and aesthetic value of contemporary subcultural style with the understanding of characteristics of subcultural style in the sociocultural context. As for the research methodology, literary survey has been performed to study the concept and the history of subcultural styles from 1940s to 1980s. In addition, demonstrative studies on aesthetic images have been carried out through the analysis of pictures and photographs in order to categorize the subcultural styles since 1990s. In this study, subcultural styles since 1990s have been illustrated through the socio-cultural grounds. which are diversity of street culture, diffusion of moss culture or bubble-up phenomenon, pursuit of anti-social ideology among intellectual heads, club Cultures in the form of kitsch and pastiche and communal thinking as collective harmony. With the socio-cultural context examined above, subcultural styles in the contemporary fashion are categorized and deduced following aesthetic values ; Drag and Club style as the tendency of surrealists or artificial hedonists, Urban military style and Cyberpunks as pursuit of Bionic being, Sports casual style based upon, the pursuit of comfort and freedom, Vintage style and Retro dressing represented by the spirit of DIY (no It Yourself), Ecology style of New conservatives, and Mysticism style as the fusion of technology and shamanism (Technoshamanism).