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Fashion in Context: Apparel Styles Worn by Young Women in the United States and South Korea in the 1970s

Department of Consumer Studies, Florida State University, Tallahasse, FL 32306-1492

Jane Farrell-Beck

Department of Apparel, Education Studies and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1120

The purposes of our study were to examine and compare the styles adopted by young women in the United States and South Korea in the 1970s and to interpret the reasons for the similarities and differences within the historical and cultural context. Fifteen women from each culture who were college students in the 1970s were interviewed. Respondents from both cultures reported that relatively casual and comfortable styles were prevalent, reflecting women's changing roles. U.S. apparel styles, however, were more casual and comfortable, whereas Korean styles remained relatively feminine and formal. In the United States, individualism and masculinity were dominant cultural values that influenced styles and behaviors concerning dress. Koreans held onto collectivism and femininity, yet underwent the process of melding traditional and newly adopted values due to Western influences. This study furthers understanding of U.S. and Korean social changes through dress during the 1970s and the dynamic interplay of fashion¹ and value changes.

Key Words: Cultural Values • Social Changes • South Korea • 1970s • United States • Young Women

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