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the Seahawk | LIFESTYLES | March 31, 2005
The line where fashion and
culture collide
pose and become fertile soil for next season’s
growth. The wearing of the color represents
the cyclical nature of life.
Brazil, a country of heat
ed weather and emotions, is
home to colorful and skimpy
outfits in an attempt to cool
off. The culture is vivacious
and so are the hues and shades.
The laid back vibe of the South
American jewel is encompassed
in causal clothing of a body
hugging nature. The culture
breathes sex, and so too do the
cuts of short skirts, deep V’s and
sprayed on pants.
American fashion is region
alized as well as influenced by
culture. New York fashion tends
to be more edgy and closely
related to the European fashion
houses, it being a Mecca in its
own right. Comparatively, West
Coast fashion relies much more
heavi ly on trends - many of them
sparked by movie stars and the
music industry. In the middle of
the spectrum, between art and
Courtesy ol vefsace lespana es pOp art, is the MidwCSt.
is realizing the Dresses from designers such as Ver- With the sexual revolution
implications of sace (above) often reflect the culture of the ‘60s came more liberat-
the outer and norm of the time. ing clothing. Ankle length skirts
The stifling - became antiquated ways of cov-
Francesca Soroka
Staff Writer
The adorn
ment of one’s
body has
roots in sur
vival. Beyond
Darwin’s
threads, fash
ion serves as
a mirror for
the overriding
trends of soci
ety. Religion,
entertainment
and culture are
just a few of
the influences
expressed
through fash
ion. Perhaps
the most obvi
ous yet easily
overlooked cue
in understand
ing the inner
constrains of Victorian society translated into
fashion via the corset. Contorting the body
into an unnatural shape, the practice of corset
ing often inflicted women with breathing
problems and muscular deterioration. The
strict boundaries of manner and the unreal
istic practice of penance shaped society as
well.
Religious practices also translate into what
one wears. Rastafarians will dread their locks
in an expression of their devotion to Jah and
the refusal of Babylon, the f>ersonification
of oppression. Buddhist monks don yellow
ochre robes, a color representative of death. A
yellow leaf in autumn is the last stage before
it falls from the tree to the ground, to decom-
ering one’s body and one’s independence. The
‘80s saw a shift in the workplace, with more
women in corporate jobs, thus it became vogue
to wear a tailored business suit. The ‘90s saw a
rise in sexual interest. From Madonna’s unfor
gettable pointy bra to Britney Spear’s abs, not
only interest rose, but also what was viewed
as acceptable behavior With this came a more
abbreviated wardrobe. Preteens now wear
padded bras and hip buggers, a cue for the
moral implications of our time.
Only one facet of a culture, fashion is
a cue for the larger picture that is society.
Personality, morals, and location influence
much more than initially recognized.
"Jhere ’s no question that ABC’s primetime
soap opera “Desperate Housewives” is a hit
series, with a 2005 Golden Globe for best tele
vision series for a musical or comedy to prove
it. The dark comedy takes us down the road
of Wisteria Lane in modern-day suburbia,
where Mary Alice Young commits suicide on
the first episode. Young’s commentary from
beyond the grave takes us into the lives of her
family, neighbors and friends, and shows us
that the perfect fairy tale lives of the house
wives aren’t always as they seem. These days,
viewers can’t seem to get enough, and it seems
like they are becoming desperate for more
“Desperate Housewives.”
The storyline revolves around a central
group of girlfriends who begin to create
the buzz of the neighborhood. The well-
developed personalities include Susan Mayer
(Teri Hatcher, right,) rsingle mother, recently
divorced, who is dying to find love; Bree Van
De Kamp (Marcia Cross), the clone of Martha
Stewart who is in deep denial about her
dysfunction
al fam-
Courtesy of wireimaQe.coni
The depravity of desperate
housewives a hit on primetime
ily; Lynette Scavo (Felicity
Huffman), who enjoys the everyday merry-go-
round of raising children while her husband is
at work; and Gabrielle Solis (Eva Longoria),
the ex-model who traded in a fast-paced life
of modeling to marry a rich husband, move
to suburbia and have an affair with the barely-
legal lawn boy.
But what is it about the show that has the
public glued to their TVs every Sunday night
at 9 p.m.? According to UNCW student,
Stephanie Hillis, it’s the show’s “thickening
plot every week and its ability to keep us
hanging. We also develop relationships with
the characters. Some we love, some we hate
and with some it is a mixture of both.”
Although one would think that “Desperate
Housewives would target a predominately
female audience, males are also just as fasci
nated with the show as women are.
Allen Thomas, a UNCW student, calls the
show, “the best show on television.” Thomas
also says he likes the show because “in every
episode something happens that com
pletely blows you out of the water There
are so many plot twists, and the things that
happen to these people are so completely
insane.”
Phillip Maxwell, also a UNCW student,
agrees with Thomas. “The show is so well-
written, and each character was so well cast.
They like to leave us hanging for a month,
and that drives me crazy. I’m always ready to
find out what happens next.”
That’s one twist behind “Desperate
Housewives”: they love to leave fans hanging.
With all of the successful drama occurring,
viewers should be looking forward to many
more seasons of secrets, lies and deceptions
from the residents of Wisteria Lane.
Katherine Epstein
Staff Writer
uncvyL^„_
arts in action performance series
Rennie Harris Puremovement
Saturday, April 9 @ 8 pm, Kenan Auditorium
Hip-hop is redefined by this award-winning dance troupe. Come out
to witness the evolution of an important dance form.
Tickets 962.3500 or UU Info Center
$6 for UNCW students: $14 for F/S
2,3500 a
mm
Division of Student Affairs
www.uncw.edii/arts
CM K