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Man wearing popular Bond's brand "tighty-whiteys"Although it was worn for decades by exotic dancers, the g-string first gained popularity in South America, particularly in Brazil, in the 1980s. It was originally a style of swimsuit made so that the back of the suit is so thin that it disappears between the buttocks. By the 1990s, the design had made its way to most of the Western World, and thong underwear became popular. Today, thong underwear is one of the fastest selling styles available among women and is even gaining some popularity among men. In the 1990s, retailers started selling boxer briefs, which take the longer shape of boxers but maintain the tightness of briefs. Though marketed as a new design, these are actually quite similar to the bottom half of the two-part union suits worn in the 1910s. In 2006, fashion gurus Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine released a new style of underwear, which are made of Nylon and designed to flatten the tummy or buttocks so that the areas appear slimmer, therefore acting as both underwear and a slimming mechanism.[3] Underwear and brassieres are a common sex symbol in culture today and modeling such as fashion shows Men's underwear, 1990s to the present Men's underwear styles in the present day have seen a dramatic shift in style when compared to the evolution of female styles in underwear. While women's underwear continued to emphasize feminine sexuality, around the late 1980s and early 1990s; particularly in the United States, men's underwear styles began to deemphasize sexuality, in favor of baggier and looser styles. This trend also became evident in swimwear, which grew longer and looser in this period as well as all other fashions which also became consciously baggier and less form fitting. Despite this exodus from extremely revealing undergarments, tighter fitting underwear still remains popular. Religious significance Mormon Temple garments (two-piece style) The tzitzis strings of one corner of a tallit. Note how the eight strings are really four that are folded through the hole on the tallit.Undergarments can also have religious significance. For example: Some members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wear special undergarments after they have been endowed in a temple to help them remember the teachings of the temple.[4] Many Jews wear a four-cornered garment called a tallit katan, with tzitzit (fringes) attached at the corners[5]. Some Hindus wear a sacred thread, called the Yajñopavītam, underneath their clothing. One of the five articles of the Sikh faith is underwear called kaccha. Underwear styles and function Traditional BriefToday, there are many options in underwear available. These include boxer style (at or near true waist, leg sections extending to thighs) woven boxer (traditional) knit boxer (like traditional but with more fabric give) boxer brief (also knit; more form-fitting) pouch boxer brief (boxer briefs but with pouch for genitals rather than access flap) athletic-style (skin-tight, usually with no access pouch or flap; like short tights; a variation are cycling shorts retro style (boxer shorts in a brief style) brief style (knit fabric, with access pouch or flap; usually at or near true waist, leg bands at tops of thighs traditional brief (vertical flap) double seat brief or double back brief diagonal flap brief pouch brief low-cut/low-rise brief bikini brief (usually lower than true waist, often at hips, usually no access pouch or flap, legs bands at tops of thighs) high-side bikini brief low-side bikini brief string bikini brief (the front and rear sections meet in the crotch with a shoestring-like thread at the top, with no fabric on the side of the legs) g-string type (with a front pouch for the genitals but no rear coverage) thong (with a strap securing the pouch at the bottom rear, passing up the crack between the buttocks to the waistband) athletic supporters, also known as jockstraps (with two straps securing the pouch at the bottom rear, passing through the perineum, around the bases of the buttocks up to the waistband at the sides) and dance belt strapless pouches (with a front pouch and waistband only, no securing straps) Man in boxer briefs (trunks style) Women's panties or knickersThere are also many types of long underwear, union suits, and other variations of men's underwear. Some underpants also have a fly. These usually do not allow detachment at the waist; elasticity allows them to be taken on and off. Usually the fly of underpants avoids exposure of the skin just by an overlap of cloth, without buttons, etc. Such a property may be one of the criteria for boxer shorts not to be suitable as outer clothing. Today, there are many specialized types of underwear made for sexual purposes, such as edible underwear or crotchless panties. Most of these are meant simply to display the body or genitals in certain ways, while some are intended to provide genital stimulation as well. Frederick's of Hollywood is an example of a business centered around manufacturing and selling such underwear. Not wearing undergarments Main article: Going commando Not wearing undergarments under one's outer clothing is also known in American slang as freeballing for men or freebuffing for females; the terms going commando and going bareback are also used for both sexes.[6] Finding female celebrities who are not wearing underwear and taking upskirt pictures of them is quite a common action undertaken by the paparazzi as the right picture of the right woman can earn them a lot of money. This trend shows that a few consider underwear unnecessary for hygiene, especially for modern people who bathe every day. In situations where a certain amount of body coverage is required (legally or socially), people who prefer to go clothes free might enjoy not wearing undergarments, as that is the closest they can get to nudity. For others, there may be sexual motives; undergarments are the final physical barrier to sex, and not wearing them might be arousing. Cycling shorts and swimwear such as board shorts are usually worn without underwear. Often the same applies for a kilt. |
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| Undergarment (Redirected from Underwear)• Ten things you may not know about images on Wikipedia •Jump to: navigation, search "Underwear" redirects here. For other uses, see Underwear (disambiguation). For the types and styles of women's undergarments, see lingerie. Undergarments, also called "underwear", "underpants," "lingerie", or "panties" (undergarments for women), or sometimes "intimate clothing", and "pants" or "knickers", are clothes worn next to the skin, usually under other clothes. They are also known as 'Katch' or 'Katchie' and worn under Indian traditional clothing. Contents 1 Uses 2 History 2.1 Ancient history 2.2 Middle Ages and Renaissance 2.2.1 Male undergarments 2.2.2 Female undergarments 2.3 Enlightenment and Industrial Age 2.4 1900s 2.5 1910s 2.6 1920s 2.7 1930s 2.8 1940s 2.9 1950s and 1960s 2.10 1970s till the present day 2.11 Men's underwear, 1990s to the present 3 Religious significance 4 Underwear styles and function 5 Not wearing undergarments 6 Underwear exposed above trousers and not wearing it 7 Designers / retailers of underwear 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading 11 External links Uses A man wearing a Japanese traditional fundoshi—specifically a red rokushaku.Some clothing is specifically underwear, while some is also used as swimsuits (if made of suitable material), and both T-shirts and some shorts are suitable as underwear as well as outer clothing. Suitability as outer clothing is, apart from outdoor or indoor climate, largely a social and sometimes even a legal matter. One of the criteria for shorts not to be suitable as outer clothing may be that it has a fly that avoids exposure of the genitals just by an overlap of cloth, without buttons etc.[citation needed] In the English Regency times this garment, basic for both men and women, was straight cut, usually knee length, and had the elbow length sleeves set straight into the shoulders. The two major types of men's underpants are boxer shorts (shorts-length and loose; also known as "boxers") and briefs (smaller and tighter), which are also referred to as Y-fronts in British English. In addition to keeping outer garments from soiling, undergarments are worn for a variety of reasons: warmth, comfort and hygiene being the most common. Undergarments are often used for modesty or erotic display; sometimes both of these motivations are simultaneously present. History Ancient history Roman female underwear from a mosaic at the Piazza Armerina, Sicily.The loincloth is the simplest form of underwear; it was probably the first undergarment worn by human beings. A loincloth may take three major forms. The first, and simplest, is simply a long strip of material which is passed between the legs and then around the waist. The ancient Hawaiian malo was of this form, as are several styles of the Japanese fundoshi. Another form is usually called a cache-sexe: a triangle of cloth is provided with strings or loops, which are used to fasten the triangle between the legs and over the genitals. The alternate form is more skirt-like: a cloth is wrapped around the hips several times and then fastened with a girdle. In warmer climates, the loincloth may be the only clothing worn (making it effectively not an undergarment), as was doubtlessly its origin, but in colder temperatures, the loincloth often forms the basis of a person's clothing and is covered by other garments. In most ancient civilizations, this was the only undergarment available (King Tutankhamun was buried with 145 of them). Men are said to have worn loincloths in ancient Greece and Rome, though it is unclear whether Greek women wore undergarments. Mosaics of the Roman period indicate Roman women (primarily in an athletic context, whilst wearing nothing else) sometimes wore wrapped breastcloths or brassieres made of soft leather, along with loincloths and possibly something like panties. Any cloth used may have been wool, linen or linsey-woolsey blend. Only the upper classes could have afforded imported silk. The loincloth continues to be worn by people around the world (it is the traditional form of undergarment in many Asian societies, for example). In various, mainly tropical, cultures, the traditional male dress may still prescribe only a single garment below the waist or even none at all, with underwear as optional, including the Far eastern Dhoti and Lungi or the Scottish kilt. Middle Ages and Renaissance Male undergarments Medieval braiesIn the Middle Ages, western men's underwear became looser fitting. The loincloth was replaced by loose, trouser-like clothing called braies, which the wearer stepped into and then laced or tied around the waist and legs at about mid-calf. Wealthier men often wore chausses as well, which only covered the legs. By the Renaissance, the chausses became form-fitting like modern Hose, and the braies became shorter to accommodate longer styles of chausses. However, chausses and many braies designs were not intended to be covered up by other clothing, so they are not actually underwear in the strictest sense. Charles V: 1530s codpiece.Braies were usually fitted with a flap in the front that buttoned or tied closed. This codpiece allowed men to urinate without having to remove the braies completely. Henry VIII of England began padding his own codpiece, which caused a spiraling trend of larger and larger codpieces that only ended by the end of the 16th century. There are two possible explanations for Henry VIII's codpiece becoming larger and larger. It is speculated that he, along with many others in this time period, may have had the venereal disease syphilis. The large codpiece may have included a bandage soaked in medication to relieve the symptoms. It would then be wrapped again to protect the outer clothing. Henry VIII also wanted a healthy son and may have thought that projecting himself in this way would portray fertility. The modern men's shirt appeared during this era, but it was originally an undergarment. Men would wear this long shirt under their other clothing and pull the long piece up from the back and then put their braies on over the shirt. In this way the shirt acted as underwear. Renaissance noblemen also adopted the doublet, a vest-like garment tied together in the front and worn under other clothing. Female undergarments This lady wears an informal linen jacket over her rose-pink pair of bodies (corset), smock, and elaborate petticoat, c. 1600Medieval women usually wore a close-fitting garment called a chemise in France or a smock in England (occasionally a shift), sometimes coupled with braies-like leg wrappings. They may have worn petticoats over the shift and under the dress. Quilted petticoats could be worn during the winter. Elaborately-quilted petticoats might be displayed by a cut-away dress, in which case they became a skirt rather than an undergarment. During the 16th century, the farthingale was popular. This was a petticoat stiffened with reed or willow rods so that it stood out from a woman's body, like a cone extending from the waist. Corsets also began to be worn about this time. At first they were called pair of bodies, which may refer both to a stiffened bodice designed to be seen, and a bodice stiffened with buckram, reeds, canes, whalebone etc., worn underneath another, decorative, bodice. These were not the small-waisted, curvy corsets familiar from the Victorian period, but straight-lined corsets that flattened the bust. There is a myth that Crusaders worried about the fidelity of their wives and forced them to wear chastity belts. There is no reference, image, or surviving belt to support this story. In fact most historians of this period are of the view that chastity belts were worn to prevent sexual assault and that the woman kept the key. Enlightenment and Industrial Age "Tight Lacing, or Fashion Before Ease", a satirical drawing of the early 1770sThe inventions of the spinning jenny machines and the cotton gin in the second half of the 18th century made cotton fabrics widely available. This allowed factories to mass-produce underwear, and for the first time, people began buying undergarments in stores rather than making them at home. Women's stays of the 18th century were laced behind and drew the shoulders back to form a high, round bosom and erect posture. With the relaxed country styles of the end of the century, stays became shorter and were unboned or only lightly boned, and were now called corsets. Undue binding of a corset sometimes led to a woman needing to retire to the fainting room. Colored stays were fashionable. 'health corsets' in 1883As tight waists became fashionable in the 1820s, the corset was again boned and laced to form the figure. By the 1860s, a tiny ('wasp') waist came to be seen as a symbol of beauty, and the corsets were stiffened with whalebone or steel to accomplish this. By the 1880s, the dress reform movement was campaigning against the pain and damage to internal organs and bones caused by tight lacing. Inez Gaches-Sarraute invented the Health corset, with a straight-fronted bust made to help support the muscles of the wearer. The corset was usually worn over a thin shirt-like garment of cotton or muslin called a shift. Shift In the latter half of the 19th century, long drawers, called pantalettes or pantaloons, often accompanied the shift to keep the legs out of sight as skirts styles got shorter. As skirts became fuller from the 1830s, women wore a profusion of petticoats to achieve the fashionable bell shape. By the 1850s, stiffened crinolines and later hoop skirts allowed ever wider skirts to be worn. The bustle, a frame or pad worn over the buttocks to enhance their shape, had been used off and on by women for two centuries, but it reached the height of its popularity the later 1880s, and went out of fashion for good in the 1890s. union suitThe standard undergarment of the late 19th century for men, women and children was the union suit, which provided coverage from the wrists to the ankles (this "second skin" style is more commonly known as long johns today). The union suits of the era were usually made of knitted material and included a drop flap in the back to ease visits to the toilet. Drawers for women were not generally worn until the mid-nineteenth century when the adoption of crinolines made them necessary for reasons of modesty and warmth. The jockstrap was invented in 1874 by C. F. Bennett of a Chicago sporting goods company, Sharp & Smith, to provide comfort and support for bicycle jockeys riding the cobblestone streets of Boston. In 1897 Bennett's newly-formed Bike Web Company patented and began mass-producing the Bike Jockey Strap[1]. |
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adult lingerie: briefs are a type of short, tight Y-shaped underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the adult costume material extends down the adult costume legs. |
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adult thong: boxer or boxer shorts, men's loose-fitting undershorts with an elastic waistband. |
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adult costume: bustier (alternately bustier re) is an article of clothing for women, which is form-fitting and is traditionally worn as lingerie. |
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Adult Lingerie The two major types of men's underpants are boxer shorts (shorts-length and loose; also known as "boxers") and briefs (smaller and tighter), which are also referred to as Y-fronts in British English. In addition to keeping outer garments from soiling, undergarments are worn for a variety of reasons: warmth, comfort and hygiene being the adult costume most common. Undergarments are often used for modesty or erotic display; sometimes both of these motivations are simultaneously present. Roman female underwear from a mosaic at the adult costume adult lingerie is the adult costume simplest form of underwear; it was probably the adult costume first undergarment worn by human beings. A loincloth may take three major forms. the adult costume first, and simplest, is simply a long strip of material which is passed between the adult costume legs and then around the adult costume waist. Another form is usually called a cache-sexe: a triangle of cloth is provided with strings or loops, which are used to fasten the adult costume triangle between the adult costume legs and over the adult costume genitals. the adult costume alternate form is more skirt-like: a cloth is wrapped around the adult costume hips several times and then fastened with a girdle. In warmer climates, the adult costume loincloth may be the adult costume only clothing worn (making it effectively not an undergarment), as was doubtlessly its origin, but in colder temperatures, the adult costume loincloth often forms the adult costume basis of a person's clothing and is covered by other garments. In most ancient civilizations, this was the adult costume only undergarment available. Men are said to have worn loincloths in ancient Greece and Rome, though it is unclear whether Greek women wore undergarments. Mosaics of the adult costume Roman period indicate Roman women (primarily in an athletic context, whilst wearing nothing else) sometimes wore wrapped breastcloths or brassieres made of soft leather, along with loincloths and possibly something like panties. Any cloth used may have been wool, linen or linsey-woolsey blend. Only the adult costume upper classes could have afforded imported silk. the adult costume loincloth continues to be worn by people around the adult costume world (it is the adult costume traditional form of undergarment in many Asian societies, for example). In various, mainly tropical, cultures, the adult costume traditional male dress may still prescribe only a single garment below the adult costume waist or even none at all, adult lingerie with underwear as optional, including the adult costume |
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Adult Thong corset over "step ins" and camisole,1922.In the adult costume 1920s, manufacturers shifted emphasis from durability to comfort. Union suit ads raved about "patented" new designs that reduced the adult costume number of buttons and increased accessibility. Most of these experimental designs had to do with new ways to hold closed the adult costume crotch flap common on most union suits and drawers. A new woven cotton fabric called adult thong gained popularity in the adult costume 1920s for its durability. Retailers also began selling preshrunk undergarments.Women's bloomers became much shorter and stockings covered the adult costume legs instead. the adult costume shorter bloomers became looser and less supportive as the adult costume boyish flapper look came into fashion. By the adult costume end of the adult costume decade, they came to be known as step-ins, very much like modern panties but with wider legs, worn for the adult costume increased flexibility they afforded. As dancing became a favorite pastime of young flappers, the adult costume garter belt was invented to keep stockings from falling. Nevertheless, the adult costume increased sexuality of the adult costume flapper also made underwear sexier than ever before. It was the adult costume flappers who ushered in the adult costume era of lingerie. A man wearing a pair of boxer shorts. Meanwhile, other modern adult thong and men's underwear was largely an invention of the adult costume 1930s. On January 19, 1935, Coopers Inc. sold the adult costume world's first briefs in Chicago. the adult costume company placed a Y-shaped front and overlapping fly on knitted drawers in both short and long styles. They dubbed the adult costume design the adult costume "jockey" since it offered a degree of support that had previously only been available from the adult costume jockstrap (the company itself would later adopt the adult costume name Jockey, as well). Jockey briefs proved so popular that over 30,000 pairs were sold within three months of their introduction. Companies began selling buttonless drawers fitted with an elastic waistband, the adult costume first true boxer shorts (named for their resemblance to the adult costume shorts worn by professional fighters) which became a popular addition to various kinds of undergarments. |
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Adult Costume Woman in camisole, garters and stockings. Underwear as fashion matured in the adult thong 1970s and 1980s, and underwear advertisers forgot about comfort and durability, at least in advertising. Sex appeal became the adult thong main selling point, in swimwear as well, bringing to fruition a trend that had been building since at least the adult thong flapper era (underwear is the adult thong last barrier before nudity, and thus it acts as a sort of gatekeeper to sex). Tank tops, an undershirt type named after the adult thong Tank suit swimwear which dates from the adult thong 1920s, have been popular warm-weather casual wear in the adult thong United States since the adult thong 1980s and are regarded as acceptable public casual dress in most locales there. Performers often wearing undergarments on top of other clothes. Later, in the adult thong 1990s, hip hop stars would popularize a similar style, known as the adult thong Sag, which allowed loosely fitting blue jeans or shorts to droop low, exposing the adult thong underwear. In fact, in the adult thong case of adult costume, it was his success as underwear model for Calvin Klein (with his chiseled muscularity on full display in a series of advertisements in the adult thong early 1990s) that allowed him a double launch to showbiz fame as both a white hip hop star and a respectable Hollywood actor. Mormon Temple garments (two-piece style) Undergarments can also have religious significance. Some members of the adult thong The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wear special undergarments after they have been endowed in a temple to help them remember the adult thong teachings of the adult thong temple.[4] Many Jews wear a four-cornered garment called a adult costume attached at the adult thong corners[5]. Some Hindus wear a sacred thread, called the adult thong Yajñopavītam, underneath their clothing. One of the adult thong five articles of the adult thong Sikh faith is underwear called kaccha. Underwear styles and function: Traditional Brief. Today, there are many options in underwear available. These include boxer style (at or near true waist, leg sections extending to thighs) woven boxer (traditional) knit boxer (like traditional but with more fabric give) boxer brief (also knit; more form-fitting) pouch boxer brief (boxer briefs but with pouch for genitals rather than access flap) athletic-style (skin-tight, usually with no access pouch or flap; like short tights; a variation are cycling shorts retro style (boxer shorts in a brief style) brief style (knit fabric, with access pouch or flap; usually at or near true waist, leg bands at tops of thighs traditional brief (vertical flap) double seat brief or double back brief diagonal flap brief pouch brief low-cut/low-rise brief bikini brief (usually lower than true waist, often at hips, usually no access pouch or flap, legs bands at tops of thighs) high-side bikini brief low-side bikini brief string bikini brief (the front and rear sections meet in the adult thong crotch with a shoestring-like thread at the adult thong top, with no fabric on the adult thong side of the adult thong legs) g-string type (with a front pouch for the adult thong genitals but no rear coverage) thong (with a strap securing the adult thong pouch at the adult thong bottom rear, passing up the adult thong crack between the adult thong buttocks to the adult thong waistband) |
| The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to
the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period.
Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a
picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other
circumstances represented or described, or to a particular style of
clothing worn to portray the wearer as a character or type of character
other than their regular persona at a social event such as a masquerade,
a fancy dress party or in an artistic theatrical performance. National costume National costume or regional costume expresses local (or exiled) identity and emphasises a culture's unique attributes. It is often a source of national pride. Examples of such are a Scotsman in a kilt or a Japanese person in a kimono. Holidays and festivals The wearing of costumes has become an important part of such holidays and festivals as Mardi Gras and Halloween (see Halloween costume for more information), and (to a lesser extent) people may also wear costumes in conjunction with other holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Mardi Gras costumes usually take the form of jesters and other fantasy characters, while Halloween costumes traditionally take the form of supernatural creatures such as ghosts, vampires, pop culture icons and angels. Christmas and Easter costumes typically portray mythical characters such as Santa Claus (by donning a santa suit and beard) or the Easter Bunny by putting on an animal costume. Costumes may serve to portray various other characters during secular holidays, such as an Uncle Sam costume worn on the Independence day for example. Costumes also serve as an avenue for children to explore and roleplay. Children can dress up in various forms; for example characters from history or fiction like pirates, princesses or cowboys, common jobs like nurses or police officers, or animals such as those seen in zoos or farms. Another very popular situation where costumes are employed are for sporting events, where people dressed as their team's representative mascot help the club or team rally round their team's cause. Animal costumes which are visually very similar to mascot costumes are also popular among the members of the furry fandom where they are referred to as fursuits. Cosplay (コスプレ, kosupure?), a portmanteau of the English words "costume" and "play", is a Japanese subculture centered on dressing as characters from manga, anime, tokusatsu, and video games, and, less commonly, Japanese live action television shows, fantasy movies, Japanese pop music bands, Visual Kei, fantasy music stories (such as stories by the band Sound Horizon), and novels. However, in some circles, "cosplay" has been expanded to mean simply wearing a costume. In Japan, "cosplay" as a hobby is usually an end unto itself. Like-minded people gather to see others' costumes, show off their own elaborate handmade creations, take lots of pictures, and possibly participate in best costume contests. The most specific anecdote about the origin of the word "cosplay" was that Nov Takahashi (from a Japanese studio called Studio Hard) coined the term "cosplay" as a contraction of the English-language words "costume play" while she was attending the 1984 Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon. He was so impressed by the hall and masquerade costuming there that he reported about it frequently in Japanese science fiction magazines. This point is debatable, however, as the word fits in with a common Japanese method of abbreviation: combining the first two syllables of one word with the first two syllables of a second word (or, more precisely, the first two moras of each). Other examples of this include Pokémon (ポケモン, Pokémon? short for ポケットモンスター, or "Pocket Monsters") and puroresu (プロレス, puroresu? short for プロレスリング, or "professional wrestling"). Cosplay can be seen at public events such as video game shows, as well as at dedicated cosplay parties at nightclubs or amusement parks. It is not unusual for Japanese teenagers to gather with like-minded friends in places like Tokyo's Harajuku district to engage in cosplay. Since 1998, Tokyo's Akihabara district has contained a large number of cosplay cafés, catering to devoted anime and cosplay fans. The waitresses at such cafés dress as game or anime characters; maid (or meido) costumes are particularly popular. Possibly the single largest and most famous event attended by cosplayers is the semiannual doujinshi market, Comiket. This event, held in summer and winter, attracts hundreds of thousands of manga otaku and many thousands of cosplayers who congregate on the roof of the exhibition center, often in unbearably hot or cold conditions. Cosplayers in Japan refer to themselves as reyazu; pronounced layers (by writing the word cosplayers in Katakana, it is possible to shorten it in this way). Those who photograph players are called cameko, short for "Camera Kozo" or "Camera Boy". The cameko give prints of their photos to the players as gifts. Tensions between players and cameko have increased due to perceived stalker-like behaviour among some obsessive males who push female cosplayers to exchange personal email addresses or do private photo sessions. One result of this has been a tightening of restrictions on photography at events such as Comiket. [edit] Cosplay trends A recent trend at Japanese cosplay events is an increase in the popularity of non-Japanese fantasy and science fiction movie characters, perhaps due to the international success of such films as The Matrix, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Characters from the Harry Potter films have a particularly high number of female fans in Japan, with female cosplayers playing either male or female characters, Draco Malfoy being an extremely popular choice. The act of cosplaying as characters of the opposite sex is called "crossplay", whereas the act of cosplaying as characters who dress as the opposite sex as the cosplayer is called "cross-dressing". Crossplaying and cross-dressing may be the same in some cases; however, they could be different. For example, a female cosplayer cosplaying as a male character who dresses as a normal male (such as Kira Yamato from Gundam SEED) would be cross-dressing and crossplaying; a male cosplayer cosplaying as a female character who dresses as a normal female (such as Lacus Clyne from Gundam SEED) would also be cross-dressing and crossplaying. However, a female cosplayer cosplaying as someone like Mana (male artist from the Visual Kei band Malice Mizer known for dressing in female clothes) would be crossplaying, but not cross-dressing (since the cosplayer is cosplaying someone of the opposite sex but is wearing clothes of her own sex); a male cosplayer also cosplaying as Mana would be cross-dressing, but not cross-playing (since the cosplayer is cosplaying someone of the same sex but is wearing clothes of the opposite sex). A small niche group in the crossplaying field are dollers, a subset of kigurumi cosplayers; usually male, they wear bodysuits and masks to fully transform into female characters. Another recent trend in cosplay is a blurring of the distinction between costumes based on characters from games and anime, and "original" costumes based upon a general theme or existing fashions. In particular, the Tokyo teen-fashion trend of Gothic Lolita has attracted some cosplayers who might not have the inclination (or possibly courage) to wear such distinctive clothes around town, but who would like to dress in such a manner on some occasions. Other popular trends include the "original Visual Kei cosplaying", "original punk cosplaying", "original Super Dollfie cosplaying", etcetera. [edit] Cosplay and the sex industry In Japanese, the term can also mean — and may originate from — the use of costumes for sexual purposes, in which case the "play" refers not to dressing up, but sexual play while dressed up. The term hence overlaps what would usually be known in English as sexual roleplaying or sexual fetishism: for example, wearing a schoolgirl uniform before or during sex would be known as seifuku cosplay (制服コスプレ, seifuku cosplay?), and many Japanese love hotels offer costume rental services. In the Japanese sex industry, sex clubs that specialize in sexual cosplay are known as image clubs. In addition to standard fetishistic standbys (schoolgirl, nurse, policewoman, etc), an increasing number, pioneered by the now defunct Wedding Bell chain, cater to otaku with staff dressing up as anime characters. Cosplay in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom differs from Japanese cosplay culture in some ways. Cosplay concerning Star Trek, Star Wars, other science fiction worlds, Renaissance-era characters, and historical re-enactments (e.g. Civil War battles), especially at science fiction conventions, are far more popular in America than they are in Japan. Alternatively, some costumes that might be seen as in bad taste in America (such as Nazi uniforms from certain comics or games) may be seen at events in Japan. For almost 50 years, costume fandom has had a consistent and widespread following with costumers in the west, from the first Worldcon onward, with the influx of anime costumes, the word cosplay is becoming a more and more commonly used term to describe costumes of specifically japanese media origins. An issue with cosplaying anime and manga characters is that these characters generally do not have bodily proportions that can easily be mimicked by many typical cosplayers (e.g. incredibly long legs, huge muscles or giant breasts), and there is debate among fans about how important or not this element is when cosplaying. In Mexico, cosplay is commonly seen inside conventions that can be video game, science fiction or anime themed. It is common that cosplayers will also organize their own reunions which can be themed or free for the sake of taking pictures together. Cosplay in Mexico is competitive in a healthy level, with well established representatives. This phenomenon also can be viewed in other Latin American countries, like Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In Australia, the trend mirrors the American in that the subject costumes may be selected from sources other than manga or anime. Sources include American comics, computer games, science fiction/fantasy movies and TV shows, animation shorts or features, period drama, novels - any source that provides vivid and graphic inspiration of a character and their costume. Usually the term "cosplay" is not used to cover historical recreation as the focus is on representational accuracy, not historical accuracy. In general, Australian cosplay is most commonly seen in the larger population centres such as the capital cities and major regional centres, as these have the population base to support the diversity among fringe interests. The display of the costumes is not limited to conventions, although it is not unusual for dedicated cosplayers to travel extensively throughout Australia following the convention trail during the year. In addition to the social convening at conventions, many smaller social groupings exist, hosting their own local events.[1] In France, cosplay is a widespread activity in anime and manga conventions. Large conventions like Japan Expo can attract more than 500 cosplayers. While the majority of French cosplayers choose anime and manga for inspiration, many people like to dress like movie characters, famous singers or even TV show actors even if it's not directly related to the theme of the convention. Unlike the Japanese, French cosplayers use almost exclusively hand made costumes which are often used only once. Buying or reusing costumes is seen as unfair competition ( in some contests they can't compete). French cosplayers are mainly focused on the cosplay contest, which take place in nearly all manga, science fiction, fantasy or role playing game conventions. They are not really competitive, they're more of an occasion to show off the costume and appear as good as possible instead (e.g. scene, lighting, soundtrack, etc.). Acting and singing skills are highly valued in contests, and some groups reenact fighting or musical comedy scenes also. For example being able to do a cartwheel stunt in costume is part of the Japan expo tradition and one of the most valued figures in the contest. In Belgium, cosplay plays an increasingly important role in the F.A.C.T.S. convention with hundreds of people dressed up in costume from different anime series. Cosplay is rapidly entering the mainstream in the Philippines[2][3] , where cosplay events are often held within an anime, manga, gaming, or sci-fi convention. More often than not, these conventions and events are sponsored, and debates have raged on whether or not judges' perspectives are influenced by the organizers of a cosplay event. Also Filipino cosplay rules overlook and allow professional fully commissioned costumes to participate in competitions. Cosplay also has followers in other parts of Asia such as South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. As well as attending comic festivals and events, cosplayers there also frequent districts popular with teenagers. Anime Convention activity in the United States and Canada has become a much larger and much more popular trend in the 2000's. With the added public attention coming from such popular animated series imported from Japan (see anime) including adult nightwear and now the popular Bleach, cosplayers and the anime world have peeked their heads into the world of mainstream pop-culture, on at least a relatively underground scale. More and more convention goers cosplay as their favorite characters from their favorite anime, and thus, the cosplay and anime subcultures have been able to have enough influence to further the creation of anime conventions to accommodate for the increasing number of cosplayers. Conventions in America often include both cosplay and costume contests.[4] The cosplay or "masque" (masquerade) is a skit contest done in cosplay costume. The costume contest is often a test of skill, design, and audience reaction. The contestants are judged either before hand or on stage and then walk across said stage while the audience cheers. The increased popularity of convention costuming has led to the addition of several relatively new cosplay-based events, adding to the traditional masquerade and hall costume contests. Such events include the Anime Dating Game, and Cosplay Human Chess, where participating sheer panty act out their characters' role in the game accordingly. Competition has led to the development of many cosplay groups that plan for conventions months in advance. Non-competitive cosplay can often be seen at opening nights for science-fiction and fantasy movies, especially those with an established following. Even in small towns, some cosplayers wait in line for hours before showings of movies in franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Even cult hits like Serenity have drawn opening night cosplay. In the UK, US and elsewhere, fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show attend screenings of the cult film in the costumes of its characters. This tradition began soon after the film's release in 1975. The annual Bay to Breakers footrace in San Francisco has been a favorite cosplay venue for decades. A large number of cosplayers run or walk in their favorite costume amongst serious competitive runners. |
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