• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 2008

Modern fashion industry creates complex and multiple fashion by amalgamating and mixing all elements that emerged in fashion without limiting them to a specific genre. The results of study are as follows: First, with regard to the conceptual differences among poor look, anti-fashion, and resistance fashion and the background. second, As aesthetic categories of poor beauty, its image with the feeling of poorness, beggar-likeness, worthlessness, poorness, and uncleanness is divided into the beauty of moderation, deconstruction, unfinished beauty, natural beauty, and ostentatious poor beauty based on the formative characteristics and poor look. Third, Oriental and Western poor images are comparatively analyzed. The poor beauty found in Oriental fashion, which is based on Zen aesthetics, seeks loneliness, poorness, and simplicity as an empty origin and features internal meaning that expresses the purity of poor beauty itself and external form that is visualized through no decoration, no color, and asymmetry in material and composition. The poor beauty in the West features non-form of no shape, asymmetry and disharmony and the characteristic in its contents is "distortion", and the characteristic in its expression features external form of "incorrectness" and internal meaning implying modem humans' frustration, resistance to materialism, and skepticism about mechanicalism.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.957-969
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• 2011

This study intended to analyze the grunge look as a mode of expression and as a characteristic of the fashion of the 21st century, arguing that the look expressed not only an outward appearance or sub-culture but also a change in our attitude and spirit about contemporary fashion. In the study, I carried out an empirical analysis focused on the collection from 2001S/S to 2010F/W and a literature review. In my results, I classified the grunge look into the following categories: 1. mix and match layering; 2. patchwork, collages, and assemblage using all objects as well as clothing materials; and 3. distressing techniques, such as bleaching and dyeing, unweaving, and tears and holes. I also classified the characteristics of grunge into the following categories: 1. conspicuous destitution, which is intentionally expressed by skillful techniques and craftsmanship, indicating that modern people want to attract attention and be distinguished from others, which reflects an attitude of superiority through ironic fashion choices; 2. high lighting the dissolution of decoration, where destruction, poverty and recombination shown in the grunge look emerged as an artificial and intentional ugly aesthetic in contrast to the existing elegant and sophisticated image; and 3. satire and playfulness, as grunge expresses alienation and conflict in modern society through satire and sarcasm, not attacking or avoiding, but through playful and sarcastic engagement so as to decrease poverty and give temporary freedom.