• NEWSLETTER 전기공업
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• no.99-17 s.234
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• pp.24-32
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• 1999

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.916-927
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• 2012

In the $21^{st}$ century, woman leaders are able to influence society through improved social status and economic power. From 1980-1990 there was a rapid global social development of feminism and improved media perceptions. The progression of this process is reflected by female characters in feminism films that included a new dress style. The power suit emerged in the U.S.A of the 1980s, as a dress code that showed the workplace uniform of a professional woman and spread to Korea as an influential style. This study defines the different and similar aspects in the development of women's position and the role involved in a structural background through a comparison of the socio-cultural meaning of the power suit expressed in American and Korean feminism films. For analysis, this study chose American films in the 1980s and Korean films in 1990s that fulfilled elements about feminism films. Subsequently in American feminism films, the power suit expressed an equal authority with men, strategic use of femininity according to task type, and a dissipation of symbolic effects like a rich look. In Korean feminism films, the power suit expressed an end of femininity like female transvestite, independent female images with the masculinization of appearance, and a mix of new and traditional styles.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.679-685
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to analyze the formative characteristics and the aesthetic values of the Power suit in 1980s and the images of the Power suit styles shown in 08/09 F/W, 09 S/S, 09/10 F/W and 10 S/S collections. The results of this study are as follows: 1) The aesthetic values of the Power suit in 1980s are authority, sexuality and luxury to express the power, body and wealth. Authority is represented in wide and hard shoulders with pads and dark colors with stripe and no patterns. Sexuality is represented in tight waist jacket and tight skirt. Luxury is represented in luxurious fabrics and handicraft ornaments. 2) The Power suit styles shown in collections are expressed in classic, romantic, avant-garde and ethnic images: Classic images appeared in jacket which exaggerated shoulders with pads, mini skirt, tapered pants, dark colors with stripe and check patterns, rough materials and a waist belt. Romantic images are represented in the skirt with an asymmetric hem, pastel and splendid colors, lace and silk, romantic details made with gathers and flounces and fantastic accessories. Avant-garde images appeared in the deformed jacket, unperfected skirt, special materials and exaggerated accessories. Ethnic images are represented in big silhouette forms with wide shoulders jacket and wide pants, ethnic patterns, gold, orange and other vivid colors and ethnic accessories.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.119-130
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of 1980s' oversize fashion. Especially in 1980s, there were some characteristics that the leading style did not exist as the other decades, but instead of that, various styles coexisted and the existing traditional rule of fashion was destroyed. On the basis of such background, the moulding nature resident in oversize fashion is considered and analyzed as follows. Firstly, 1980s is the time of power suit booming and through such clothes, women disclosed their consciousness that they want to be equal with men. Secondly, In contrast to that a shoulder pad was the trademark of 1980s' clothes, the social aspect that Japanese designers' clothes of layered look and them of grunge look coexisted is directly expressed through these oversize clothes. Thirdly, In 1980s of the time that people's interest to health risen, sports wear was developed to be everyday wear and furthermore, it had variously influences on high fashion so that developed to big look. Fourthly, when it comes to 1980s' clothes, the atmosphere of society denying apparent boundary between sex at that time was resident in androgynous look and the folklore image of sexless style by their appearance in oversize fashion. What is this situation that the style of the past time is popular in the 21st century even such intentional spirit of challenge already passed？ Maybe for women, the one way of expressing themselves is through their clothes, and for such reason, it can be considered that the social meaning resident in 1980s' clothes is re-examined in the present age.