Korean Fashion --- From entertainment to clothes

By Eos Lan

Like Japan, Korea is also know for its latest and fashion designs, which leads trends in many Asian countries. Many Asian people are first informed of Korean fashion by watching Korean pop show, which people begin to intimate fashion styles of some of Korean popular idols and super stars. The power made by Korean pop stars has been spread worldwide, which makes Korean fashion more and more famous throughout the world.

(picture from http://allkoreanentertainment.blogspot.com/p/korean-fashion.html)

        Korean youth will even follow the current heated Korean drama to dress up themselves. The entertainment industry is well developed, which it has millions of people working in the field to help make it better.  Many Korean stars, like Girls’ Generation, Big Bang and etc., all have their own fans and influences in West. More and more people know about Korean and its pop stars. Korean music, TV shows, movies and dramas all reflect the current Korean fashion and trends, which also have great impacts on many people interested in Korean fashion. Korean-style clothes come to one of symbols in world fashion.

(Picture from http://www.korean-fashion-online.com/korean_street_

Food in Southeast Asia ---- Thai Food

By Eos Lan

Food in Southeast Asia is very different from other types of food in rest of Asian region. Southeast-Asia food is famous of its unique taste, which is a perfect mixture with spicy and sour. Usually, Southeast-Asia food is colorful, indicating the breath of tropical feeling. One of typical Southeast-Asia countries is Thailand. And we will choose its famous dishes to introduce.

Thai food widely uses various kinds of seasonings and curry. Cultures of Thai food are influences both by Eastern and Western cultures. Tastes of Thai food could be different depended on chefs, consumers and even cooking places. Consumers have great freedom to make their Thai food more fitted with their own eating habits, for example mild or spicy.
Thai food is famous for its balance of three fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal: sour, sweet and spicy.  Thai meals typically contain either a single dish or rice with many complementary dishes and shared by all. It is customary and respectful to serve more dishes than the actual number of guests at a table. Food materials are all mainly used fresh agricultural products. Thai seasonings are unique and more flavorful, such as lemongrass, galangal, lemon, red onion, small chili. Famous Thai dishes are papaya salad, Thai shrimp soup (also known as Tom Yum Kung), green curry coconut chicken, crispy rice noodles, Thai fish cake, pork satay and so on.
(Pictures are found in Google image.)

Wafuku (わふく) ---- Traditional Japanese clothing

By Eos Lan

Different from Qipao, one of the traditional Chinese clothing, Wafuku still has been widely used in Japanese’ daily life. In many festivals, Japanese people will dress up with Wafuku, which usually a family will make one Wafuku in good quality as family symbol to pass on the next generation. Wafuku has various functions with different designs, which are used in distinctive situations.

Wafuku used to be called gofuku (ごふく) before the late 19th century. The name of wafuku began officially used after the Meiji Restoration (one of the most influential revolution in Japan, making Japan have a great improvement over that time).

(Traditional and formal wafuku, picture from http://jp.jiahewh.com/content/ribenchuantongwenhua/2010-01/114281.shtml)

Designs of wafuku among men and women have significant differences. Men’s wafuku prefers using simple colors, usually black, which also has fewer designs compared to women’s wafuku and focuses on comfort and convenience. However, women’s wafuku is colorful and with many accessories. Depending on different occasions, Japanese people will choose different wafuku, showing respects. For example, the wafuku wearing in weeding, formal balls, banquet or ceremony and so on differ a lot.

(wafuku worn with different positions in palace, picture from http://jp.jiahewh.com/content/ribenchuantongwenhua/2010-01/114281.shtml)

        Noways, many designers also start mixing some fashion ideas into traditional wafuku. They used more lighter cloth to made wafuku and add some details onto it, which shows how modern and classic perfectly match with each other. Also, many world-famous named-brand also choose some significant characteristic od wafuku made into fashion clothing.
(Picture from http://fashion.enorth.com.cn/system/2006/03/16/001256747.shtml)