Since being in Japan, I have noticed a huge difference when it comes to men and what it means to be and look manly. In my report about The importance of looking pleasant; Reading Men’s Fashion Magazines, I compared the two types of masculine stereotypes in both America and Japan. In America, men in fashion magazines and even on the streets may have the rugged look since the American masculinity stereotype definition is strong, aggressive, and powerful; if men are not that muscular or show some attributes of the masculine stereotype, then they might be considered weak or more feminine. American men also pay less attention on their style because fashion can be seen as a thing for girls rather than for all people.
The Japanese have turned this
American, masculine stereotype sideways and made major changes to it. In my report I touched on the subject that
men in Japan do not grow beards and instead wear a "boyish look”. At first, I questioned why this was, and then
I realized that the Japanese have different genes than the Americans, which
makes it harder for them to grow facial hair.
It is possible for some men in Japan to grow beards, but they prefer the dandy, boyish
look. The beard isn’t the only thing
that sets Japanese masculine stereotypes apart from Europe or America, but it
is their amazing sense of style.
Japanese men make it a priority to look fashionable. Moden says that the Japanese men not only
dress for attracting someone, but they do it to please others and gain
self-confidence for themselves.
I took it upon myself to sit down in the middle of Kyoto
city to see if almost all men really do focus on their style. My friends help me point out a few men who
were seen as “really Japanese” such as this guy:
The hairstyle is probably what gives this “Japanese Style”
away. Most guys pay attention to their
hair. They style it with layers and hair
dye, but it still looks messy to give it that “masculine” look. Most Japanese people dye their hair to
different colors to become more fashionable from the usual Japanese black
hairstyle.
These men have one thing in common, stylish hats. It seems that hats are a big part of the
fashion here in Japan. American men
might wear similar things, but not as much as in Japan. My Japanese friend said that she saw men
wearing these kinds of hats more in New York City where this fashion is more
acceptable, while as in Pittsburgh, men wear more ball caps with sports names
and graffiti on them. I guess you can
say you can find styles like these, in bigger cities in America such as
California and New York. Men in Japan,
along with women also where a lot of stylish glasses. This is actually similar to most places in
America right now; glasses are seen as a distinguished look in Asia, America,
and Europe.
Japanese men use a lot of bright colors in their wardrobe. A pop of color with their shoes, pants, or
shirt, may tie the outfit altogether to look stylish. In America, men wear darker or blander
colors because they believe that bright colors are more feminine than
masculine.
The Japanese men have also adopted the skinny/slender
look. The look strays away from the
American muscular style that so many young men portray. Most men in America try to portray themselves
as big and powerful to fit the masculine stereotype. American men try to wear clothing that will
show off their muscles, which is most likely to attract a mate. The slender look is not only in itself a
revolt against stereotypes of masculinity, but it is also is used for the look
of youth. Unfortunately, this style of
body in America is more feminine and many gay men are the ones who show off
this body type and good sense of style.
If these fashionable Japanese men would come to places in America, they
might be seen as gay.
In the end, I believe that Japanese are very fashionable
while keeping the difference in appearance between men and women. Europeans might be similar to Japanese
fashion sense, but from my point of view it seems as though America is lagging
behind.
