Looking Cute

One particular Japanese trend is known as kawaii, or cute. In the fashion world, cuteness is a popular trend among young women, particularly those who are in their teens and early twenties. Typically these women wear a lot of pink. Their clothing usually has a lot of ruffles and appears to be made for children.

Because cuteness is primarily a youth trend and a female trend, its potential for resistance seems rather limited. If cuteness is something that one puts on for a couple of years between school and work and then immediately abandons, what socio-political change can it effect?

Young women engaging in practices of kawaii are asserting their independence in one way that they are allowed to do. They are also creating a space outside of the ordinary expectations that young women should be modest, demure, and conservative. So hitting the town in a pink ruffled jump suit is a statement that some enjoy making.