The Art of Manga: Traditional Japanese Clothing

Traditional Japanese Clothing 

Differences: Male vs Female

Within all aspects of culture and especially art, there are distinct differences in gender. Some may argue that this shouldn't be the case but currently and traditionally those distinct lines are still there. However, male and female traditional clothing stems from the same style. Both are made of a stiff fabric and both have a very modest design. According to the author, "A yukata is a traditional Japanese outfit meant for summer wear and is usually worn at festivals... and not waistline showing"(PetrovicÌ 69). The hidden waistline shows Japanese values of female innocence. A male yukata is very similar except for the thinner belt. 

My Struggles in the Drawing Process 

Fashion is one of my biggest interests, one of my favorite things to draw is fashion illustrations. One of the hardest things for me to do was switch the values I was focusing on. For example, in modern-day American fashion, a female's waistline is showcased and accentuated rather than hidden. Another struggle for me was drawing male fashion and trying to include broad shoulders and fewer curves. 

The drawing process as a whole was pretty simple, the basic design was easy to capture and I really enjoyed learning about my culture and this new found art style.  

Traditional Yukata, Male, and Female 

What's your favorite fashion style?

PetrovicÌ, Mina. Manga Crash Course: Drawing Manga Characters and Scenes from Start to Finish. Impact, 2015.

Proper Baseball Cap Etiquette

Within the last year, hats have been making a big comeback, especially baseball caps! When it comes to baseball caps there is a proper etiquette that people fail to follow, or are unaware of.

Rules

To start off, the rules when wearing a baseball cap told by the author Tim Gunn says that you should take off the cap at two times, the first when your inside and the second when greeting someone that you would like to show extra respect to.

On page 257 in the book Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible, Gunn states that "...hats should come off: Indoors (unless you're a woman at the royal wedding" (Gunn and Calhoun 257). What Gunn is trying to get across is that hats aren't needed inside so there's no point in having them on, it's like sunglasses, you wear them outside to block the sun and remove them once you're inside.

Shows wearing a cap inside is unnecessary

Gunn also says that you should take your hat off "When you're greeting someone to whom you want to show extra respect (unless you're outside in a snowstorm)" (Gunn and Calhoun 257). I agree with Gunn on this one too because it is an easy way to show signs of respect. Also when you take your hat when greeting someone it shows that you have good manners and are a polite person.

The pictures show wearing baseball caps outside, where they are meant to worn.

Taking Care of Your Cap

When taking care of your cap there are some things to keep in mind. Gunn says that you should give your hat the same amount of care as you would give to your clothing. Your hat should be washed and be kept in good condition, don't let it look dirty and unappealing (Gunn and Calhoun 257). I think that clean hats look the best, but hats that appear dirty or wrinkly can also be played well if paired with the right pieces of clothing. In the picture below, you can see that the hat is a little wrinkly but it looks great with the outfit that it is paired with.

The cap is a little wrinkly but the outfit distracts from that

What's your favorite way to style baseball caps?

Gunn, Tim, and Ada Calhoun.Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. New York: Gallery, 2012. Print.

Skirt Styles

Most of us girls have all worn skirts in our lives at some point, but did you know that there are actually many different styles of skirts? In Tim Gunn's Book Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible he brings up many different styles of skirts, but I will only be talking about a few!

This year midi's came into fashion, through dresses, and skirts, and I joined in on this trend and bought a few, according to Gunn midi's are back in fashion, but they usually hit the leg at the widest part of the calf, which is an unflattering place (Gunn and Calhoun 104). The midi skirt that I am wearing below also hits around the wider part of my calf's but doesn't look unflattering because of the way it was worn, and the stripes that were running down the skirt also played a role in making it look more flattering. Both the print and way the skirt was styled have an effect on how the skirt looks when it is on you. Although not many women wear midi's I think that they were a success in today's fashion because I saw them quite frequently.

Another style of skirts that are very popular are the maxi skirts. Gunn believes that "Maxis are also on trend, but they can be dowdy" (Gunn and Calhoun 104). I disagree with Gunn to a certain point because it all depends on how you style and wear the skirt. Some maxi skirts can look like they are wearing you, so when you go to try them on make sure that your wearing the skirt so that your outfit will look appealing on you. The downfall of the maxi skirt is that it can easily take away from your figure and look unappealing. Although maxi's have a downfall, the good part is that when they are styles properly they can be worn to many different events, and make you look great as shown in the picture below. Maxi's can be tricky because since they are comfortable and loose, sometimes people forget to pay attention to if they look as good as they feel.

This maxi skirt is ill-fitted causing it to look
unflattering and taking away from her figure.

This maxi skirt is more fitted making it look
more flattering. Also the way she styled the skirt helped make it look more appealing to the eye.

The last skirt style that I'll be talking about on this post is the mini skirt. This year the mini skirt was a big hit in the fall. Many people were wearing the brown suede mini skirt with black tights under. I also have this skirt and I paired it with the black tights under it along with a white flowy blouse and a red choker, similar to the pictures below. In Gunn's book he says that "Short skirts can look becoming, especially with tights, and especially if you have a non-scandalous top as a counterpoint. But there is a limit to how short you can go. Ideally, you should be able to sit down without the mini-skirt riding all the way up" (Gunn and Calhoun 102). I agree with Gunn's point that the skirt shouldn't ride up all the way when your sitting, because then your mini skirt is a little too short. Also, in Gunn's book he says that the mini skirt should go down to the middle of your thigh. 

Overall, there are many different skirt styles that you can choose from to best fit your style!

What skirt style is your favorite and why?

Gunn, Tim, and Ada Calhoun.Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. New York: Gallery, 2012. Print.

What Bag Should You Carry?

When you are going out and about, it can be tricky to decide on what bag to carry with you. That's why in this post hopefully I will be able to help you out with that!

In Tim Gunn's book "Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible" on page 277 it discusses what types of bags you should carry to certain places and events.

When you are going out to a formal event Gunn suggests "Formal event: tiny clutch" (Gunn and Calhoun 277). By wearing a small clutch it is also practical because you shouldn't have to carry so many things with you. When you look at this picture of Chrissy Teigen, you can see that the small clutch not only looks great with her look but is also practical because the most she needs to carry with her is her phone and a couple of other items that are small enough to it in her bag.

When you are going out to attend a business meeting Gunn says that you should carry a leather briefcase or carryall bag, this makes you look more professional which you should aim for since it's a business meeting (Gunn and Calhoun 277). By using a carryall or briefcase it is also practical, because in meetings you may be handing out papers or receiving them, and these bags have enough space for you to carry those papers. Also, they have room for your laptop or electronics that you may need for your meeting.

For most of us teens, we are usually out for dinner with family or friends, Gunn recommends carrying "smallish leather or metallic bag" (Gunn and Calhoun 277). A small bag is good when you are going out to eat because it can hold all your necessities, which are probably your phone, wallet, and maybe some other items. By having the bag be leather or metallic, it makes your look, fancier, and adds a little pop! When I go out to dinner I like to take my small black leather bag, because it goes with everything and I can fit everything that I need in it.

What type of bag do you most often carry? 

Gunn, Tim, and Ada Calhoun.Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. New York: Gallery, 2012. Print.

Does Your Shirt Fit Right?

When it comes to fashion, we all have our different styles and opinions, but one common ground I think almost all of us can agree on is that you need to have at least some pieces that fit you right, or at least if your style isn’t hipster or hip-hop star. I chose the book Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible. In the book on page 34, it talks about how you know if your T-shirt is fitting you. The author was saying that when you look at the shoulders, the seams of your shirt should line up with your shoulders (Gunn and Calhoun 277). When I grabbed T-shirt from my closet and put it on I checked to see is the seams lined up with my shoulders and they did! 

You can see the seam is lining
 up with my shoulders!

But that isn’t all that we have to look for. It also says to “Look at the neckline: Is it too loose or too tight? ... Look at the bust: is the fabric too tight or too loose? [and the last question they ask is] Look at the midriff: is skin showing at your waist? If so, hear me screaming at you to find a longer shirt” (Gunn and Calhoun 34). I noticed that my shirt had met all the requirements for a fitted shirt as you can see in the pictures.

Just like the front view picture you can tell
that the shirt is properly fitted!

You can tell that the shirt's fabric and neckline
aren't too tight or loose and that the fitting is right!

If your style is more on the lazier looking and comfortable side, then another helpful tip that the book offers with T-shirts is “T-shirts with a V-neck or boat neck tend to be more flattering on both women and men...But avoid what I refer to as the V-crewneck-which is basically a high V-neck. To my eye, it’s the least flattering of necklines” (Gunn and Calhoun 35).

What type of T-shirts do you like to wear fitted or unfitted?

Gunn, Tim, and Ada Calhoun. Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your Closet. New York: Gallery, 2012. Print.