FROM MAOISM TO ELLE - THE IMPACT OF POLITICAL-IDEOLOGY ON FASHION TRENDS IN CHINA

Through an examination of the social changes in contemporary Chinese s ociety (mid-1960 until present), it is argued that concepts of beauty and fashion are defined by the dominant political ideology. One reason is that ideology defines the social norms and legitimizes the economi c structure. It is also hypothesized that individuals have the ability to modify their sense of beauty and fashion within prevailing social norms. Results from the content analysis of China Reconstructs and the 1994 ELLE (PRC) readership survey support these hypotheses. Beauty an d fashion under Maoism were uniformed, and creativity suppressed. This was accomplished by the centralized, state-run economic structure. Wi th the change in the infrastructure, i.e. the economic reform in the 1 980s, creativity in fashion has been revitalized. Much of this change could also be attributed to the joint-ventures between China and the d eveloped countries, as well as the creativity of the Chinese.