A Study on the Symbolism of Track Suits Shown in Mass Media

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine track suits which appear in mass media and to attempt to understand their embedded symbolism. Hence, a theoretical inquiry and case study on suit tracks were carried out. The case study was confined to the period since 2000, when sportswear emerged as a megatrend in fashion, to 2012. Occurrences of track suits in film, TV dramas, music videos, advertisements, and fashion collections were examined. Research indicated that the track suits in film or TV drama worked as items to give a change to coordination, material and decoration, so that the track suits highlighted the characters in them rather than emphasizing external factors or their own design. They were used as tools to indicate the sensual and dynamical feminine image in the rap and hip hop genres in music video. They also showed the dynamic image of modern woman via advertisements of sports brands. In the case of celebrity fashion, both inside and outside Korea, they introduced the track suits in a comfortable and sensual manner through both official and unofficial image releases. In the fashion collections, transboundary deconstructiveness was strongly expressed in terms of design, material, color, and production method. The case study in this research indicated that the symbolism in track suits was characterized as transboundary deconstruction as well as value in dynamic femininity, and products from reactionary nostalgia. Keywords: mass media, track suit, symbolism