“Exposure or Liberation?” Mixed Opinions On Pantsless Fashion (ft. LE SSERAFIM, BLACKPINK, (G)I-DLE)

Back in the 2010s, the disappearance of bottoms hit the fashion world. The match of a loose top and short bottoms has gone. The new trend is no bottoms. That’s the so-called “no pants” look.

More and more actresses and idols chose the pantsless style. Han So-hee, Moon Ga-young, BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Lisa, (G)I-DLE and LE SSERAFIM tried it. However, the public’s reactions were mixed. Opinions were divided on freedom of expression and criticism on excessive exposure.

(G)I-DLE wore a uniform suit in the teaser for their new song “Super Lady.” They emphasized the “Super Lady” theme through bold costumes and large-scale performances. They also expressed the will of strong women in their lyrics.

LE SSERAFIM also showed off their amazing visuals in the trailer of their new song “Good Bones.” Kim Chae-won and Heo Yoon-jin wore padded jackets on top of their underwear and strutted down the street. They are interpreted as expressions of worries and anxiety behind their confident appearance.

Girl groups’ decision to wear these revealing outfits is interpreted as a visual expression of their confidence, subjectivity, and freedom. However, most of their meanings were obscured by their sensationalism. Is it too much or too bold? “Can’t they deliver a message without exposing themselves a lot,” an entertainment industry official said. “As idol fandom is mostly teenagers, we need to check how much they expose themselves.”

On the other hand, some people suggest that we pay attention to messages rather than sensationalism. “All entertainment businesses, including music and fashion, have begun to become visualized. We need to see them as a kind of production itself,” said Kang Tae-kyu, a music critic. “If you just aim for sensationalism, you will get a cold evaluation,” he said. “There is no reason to regard (pantsless) as an exposure competition. We need to focus on the messages behind them.”

Source: Dispatch