1. Elective
fashion
and
culture
–
Chinese
political
art
and
fashion
Done
by:
Sarah
Lee
Shan
Yun
Figure
1
–
Cao
Youcheng.
The
army
loves
the
people,
the
people
support
the
army,
the
army
and
the
people
are
as
dear
to
each
other
as
members
of
one
family.
June
1957.
Shanghai
renmin
meishu
chubanshe.
Print.
The
title
of
the
poster
itself
seems
to
summarize
the
sense
of
enforced
unison
that
was
propagated
during
the
early
stages
of
the
Great
Leap
Forward.
Before
China’s
Cultural
Revolution,
the
Communist
Party
of
China
(CPC)
campaigned
aggressively
to
reorganize
the
society
from
a
predominantly
agrarian
one1,
to
a
communist
one2.
In
this
picture,
a
soldier
wears
a
standard
military
uniform
tunic
of
1
"China".
Encyclopædia
Britannica.
Encyclopædia
Britannica
Online.
Encyclopædia
Britannica
Inc.,
2014.
Web.
19
Mar.
2014
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111803/China/71844/Reconstruction-­‐and-­‐Encyclopædia
Britannica
Inc.,
2014.
Web.
19
Mar.
2014
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111803/China/71844/Reconstruction-­‐and-­‐
consolidation-­‐1949-­‐52>.
2
Teiwes,
Frederick,
and
Sun
Warren.
China's
road
to
disaster:
Mao,
central
politicians,
and
provincial
leaders
in
the
unfolding
of
the
great
leap
forward.
Armonk,
N.Y.:
Contemporary
China
papers,
1955-­‐
1959.
52-­‐55.
Print.

2. the
People’s
Liberation
Army3
known
as
the
Zhongshan
suit4.
The
Zhongshan
suit,
one
of
the
early
versions
of
the
Mao
suit,
is
a
significant
symbol
of
proletarian
unity.
According
to
Hongdu,
the
Chinese
manufacturer
of
Zhongshan
suits
since
1956,
the
stiff
collar
of
the
suit
represents
the
rigorous
representation
of
the
state,
the
five
buttons
in
the
middle
of
the
suit
represent
the
five
powers
of
administration,
legislation,
jurisdiction,
examination
and
supervision,
the
three
buttons
on
the
cuff
of
the
suit
symbolize
nationalism,
democracy
and
people’s
livelihoods
and
the
four
pockets
represent
prosperity,
justice,
integrity
and
a
sense
of
shame5.
In
addition,
Gu
Mingtian,
the
general
manager
of
Beijing
Hongdu
group
notes
that
the
singularity
of
the
suit’s
back
piece
signifies
the
“peace
and
unity”
of
the
country6.
On
the
collar
of
the
suit
lies
an
embellishment
containing
two
stars
on
a
red
background
–
dominant
symbols
of
Chinese
communism7.
Noticeably,
there
is
a
stark
contrast
between
the
dress
of
the
male
soldier
and
that
of
the
old
woman
that
stands
beside
him,
providing
him
with
food
and
drink.
She
wears
a
robe
of
the
‘old
society’,
known
as
the
Cheongsam8,
characteristically
representative
of
the
rural
and
pastoral
lifestyles
of
the
late
republican
socialists9.
Also
known
as
the
Qipao,
the
traditional
dress
encompasses
many
centuries
worth
of
historical
significance
in
China,
dating
back
to
the
early
17th
century,
later
becoming
a
symbol
of
the
changing
political
climate
during
the
1900s10.
The
garment
seen
in
the
image
is
loose
fitting
and
made
of
a
relatively
3
China.
Department
of
the
Army.
Handbook
on
the
Chinese
Communist
Army.
1960.
Print.
4
Generalissimo
Chiang
Kai-­‐shek
(front
centre)
and
Mao
Zedong
(front
right)
both
dressed
in
the
Zhongshan
suit
(1945).
1945.
Photograph.
Ugly
Chinese,
China.
Web.
19
Mar
2014.
<http://www.uglychinese.org/civil_wars.shtml>.
5
Huang,
Lan,
prod.
Zhongshan
suit:
Timeless
Chinese
style.
China
Daily,
2011.
Web.
19
Mar
2014.
<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/video/2011-­‐05/03/content_12432753.htm>.
6
Ibid.
7
Snow,
Edgar.
Red
Star
Over
China.
Canada
and
USA:
Grove
Press,
1968.
Print.
8
Lee,
Chor
Lin,
and
May
Khuen
Chung.
In
the
Mood
for
Cheongsam:
A
Social
History,
1920s–Present.
Singapore:
Editions
Didier
Millet
and
National
Museum
of
Singapore,
2012.
Print.
9
"China".
Encyclopædia
Britannica.
Encyclopædia
Britannica
Online.
Encyclopædia
Britannica
Inc.,
2014.
Web.
19
Mar.
2014
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/111803/China/71838/The-­‐tide-­‐begins-­‐to-­‐shift>.
10
Chiu,
Chu
Yang.
The
meanings
of
Qipao
as
Traditional
Dress:
Chinese
and
Taiwanese
Perspectives.
Diss.
Iowa
State
University,
2007.
MI:
ProQuest
information
and
learning
company,
2007.
Print.

3. inexpensive
fabric
when
compared
to
its
silk
and
georgette
counterparts11.
As
seen
in
the
background
of
the
image,
the
rural
population
had
to
perform
farming
jobs
and
agricultural
activity,
leading
to
a
more
practical
silhouette
with
little
or
no
embellishments.
In
a
way,
the
Qipao’s
simplicity
represented
the
simplicity
of
rural
life.
According
to
Chen’s
article,
the
CCP
celebrated
such
minority
groups
and
considered
them
as
part
of
the
socialist
society,
yet
at
the
same
time,
deemed
them
as
being
“backwards”
with
regards
to
liberation
by
the
CCP12.
The
picture,
therefore,
contains
an
abstruse
ulterior
meaning.
To
the
individual,
one
might
construe
an
idea
of
servitude
between
the
peasant
and
the
soldier
and
therefore,
a
corresponding
power
dynamic.
When
the
Cheongsam
and
the
military
uniform
donned
by
the
male
individual
are
compared,
both
garments
seem
to
emphasize
functionality,
though
in
considerably
different
ways.
The
embellishments
on
the
Zhongshan
suit
connote
a
sense
of
a
higher
collectivist
purpose
as
opposed
to
a
more
independent,
self-­‐
serving
one.
On
the
other
hand,
from
the
perspective
of
the
collectivist
or
communist,
the
image
could
also
suggest
that
the
army
and
people
should
be
united
as
one
family,
relating
to
the
virtue
of
filial
piety
that
is
deeply
embedded
within
Confucianism
and
Chinese
philosophy13.
It
communicates
the
notion
that
it
was
also
the
duty
of
the
collectivist
soldier
to
include
and
influence
the
rural
population
in
the
country’s
progression
towards
“liberation”.
Why
did
the
artist
choose
to
portray
an
elderly
woman
in
the
“old”
fashion
and
a
young
man
in
what
was
considered
the
“new”
fashion?
Evidently,
the
political
propaganda
hidden
within
this
image
can
also
be
thought
of
as
an
elimination
strategy,
and
that
the
old
ways
of
thinking
will
slowly
fade
away
with
time,
and
that
new
strength
will
arise
from
the
passing
of
the
old.
11
Lee,
Chor
Lin,
and
May
Khuen
Chung.
In
the
Mood
for
Cheongsam.
Singapore:
Didier
Millet,
Csi,
2012.
Print.
12
Chen,
Tina
Mai.
Dressing
for
the
Party:
Clothing,
Citizenship
and
Gender-­‐formation
in
Mao's
China.
United
Kingdom:
Berg,
2001.
149.
Print.
13
Huang,
Kuang-­‐Kuo.
Asian
Journal
of
Social
Psychology:
Filial
piety
and
loyalty:
Two
types
of
social
identification
in
Confucianism.
Taiwan:
Department
of
Psychology,
National
Taiwan
University,
1999.
163-­‐183.
Web.
<http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/1467-­‐839X.00031/asset/1467-­‐
839X.00031.pdf?v=1&t=htitnkn2&s=99747929fbb063ec2240a5c4889294cdcb21203a>

4.
Figure
2
–
Uniforms
worn
by
all
students
at
ACS
(International),
Singapore
In
my
country,
Singapore,
all
primary
and
secondary
level
students
are
required
to
wear
uniforms
in
school,
whether
in
private
or
public
institutions.
Although
the
uniforms
vary
between
each
school,
they
are
a
way
to
promote
equality
amongst
students
when
they
are
in
an
academic
environment.
Racial
and
ethnic
harmony
is
a
major
part
of
the
value
system
in
Singapore
as
the
city
has
always
been
and
continues
to
be
particularly
multicultural,
since
its
founding
in
181914.
In
1965,
Singapore’s
population
was
made
up
of
about
75%
Chinese,
13%
Malays,
7%
Indians
and
5%
others15.
This
ethnic
composition
of
its
citizens
remains
similar
today16
although
there
is
a
considerably
bigger
presence
of
foreign
workers
(over
1
million
in
December
201317).
Although
the
pre-­‐dominant
race
in
Singapore
is
Chinese,
the
national
identity
of
Singaporeans
has
always
14
Barbara,
Leitch
Lepoer.
Singapore:
A
Country
Study.
Washington:
GPO
for
the
Library
of
Congress,
1989.
Print.
15
Chan,
Sek
Keong.
Multiculturalism
in
Singapore.
Diss.
Singapore
Academy
of
Law,
2013.
Singapore:
Singapore
Academy
of
Law
Journal,
2013.
Print.
<http://www.sal.org.sg/digitallibrary/Lists/SAL
Journal/Attachments/625/(2013)
25
SAcLJ
84-­‐109
(multiculturalism).pdf>.
16
Wong,
Kee
Kim.
"Population
Trends
2013."
Department
of
Statistics,
Ministry
of
Trade
&
Industry,
Republic
of
Singapore
(2013):
3.
Web.
2
Apr
2014.
17
"Foreign Workforce Numbers." Ministry of Manpower. MOM, 14 03 2014. Web. 2 Apr 2014.
<http://www.mom.gov.sg/statistics-publications/others/statistics/Pages/ForeignWorkforceNumbers.aspx>

5. remained
diverse
through
rigorous
social
control
by
the
government18.
Part
of
this
effort
to
promote
equal
opportunity
and
racial
amicability
in
Singaporeans
was
the
enforcement
of
official
uniform
laws
in
schools
by
the
Ministry
of
Education
in
195719.
In
addition,
Singaporean
primary
and
secondary
students
celebrate
racial
harmony
day
each
year
on
the
21st
of
July
to
commemorate
the
unfortunate
deaths
of
those
involved
in
the
race
riots
of
196420.
Figure
3
–
1964
Racial
riots
in
Singapore21
18
Chua, Beng Huat. Multiulturalism in Singapore. Diss. National University of Singapore, 2003.
Singapore: Institute of Race relations, 2003. Print.
19
Singapore
Education
Act.
Revised
edition.
Singapore:
Attorney-­‐General's
Chambers,
1985.
Part
61.
Web.
2
Apr.
2014.
<http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;ident=1f5ec256-­‐c27f-­‐
4386-­‐86ba-­‐834d19ecca94;page=0;query=DocId%3A%22acab79b8-­‐6671-­‐4ed8-­‐a984-­‐
4eb09060e314%22%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0#pr61-­‐he-­‐.>
20
Clutterbuck,
R.
L.
Conflict
and
violence
in
Singapore
and
Malaysia:
1945-­‐1983.
Singapore:
G.
Brash,
1984.
Print.
21
1964 racial riots in Singapore. 1964. Photograph. Internal Security Department, Singapore. Web. 2 Apr
2014. <http://www.mha.gov.sg/isd/ct.htm>.

6. Like
the
Mao
suit
in
communist
China,
the
uniform
seems
to
promote
a
sense
of
equality
and
homogeneity
amongst
its
citizens,
or
in
this
context,
its
students.
However,
it
is
important
to
note
that
unlike
communism,
the
uniform
celebrates
the
diversity
of
Singapore
as
a
nation
and
its
ability
to
exist
harmoniously
and
peacefully
as
a
community
despite
encompassing
many
heterogenic
identities.
Education,
to
most
communities,
represents
the
growth
potential
of
individuals
and
thus
the
development
of
a
society,
especially
in
a
meritocratic
political
climate22
like
Singapore.
Could
the
school
uniform,
thus,
represent
equal
opportunity
in
the
context
of
national
education?
Personally,
I
felt
certain
benefits
of
wearing
a
uniform
to
school,
including
not
having
to
worry
much
about
perceived
social
hierarchy
or
racial
status
in
terms
of
appearances.
However,
it
also
imposes
a
muting
of
ones
personal
identity,
not
just
racially
or
culturally,
but
also
in
terms
of
individual
expression.
Could
the
enforcement
of
a
uniform
also
have
had
the
effect
of
stifling
individual
freedom
of
choice
in
a
society?
By
complying
with
the
rules
to
wear
a
uniform
to
school,
students
are
in
actuality
creating
a
political
identity
for
themselves,
whereby
they
are
willing
to
sacrifice
individual
expression
for
the
collective
efforts
of
the
nation
in
the
promotion
of
racial
harmony.
By
choosing
to
wear
a
uniform
to
school,
students
of
a
certain
race
are
indirectly
giving
students
of
another
race
the
consideration
and
respect
to
share
a
public
space
and
a
collective
vision.
This
notion
relates
back
to
our
understanding
of
the
way
collectivism
is
enforced
through
fashion
and
dress,
although
not
as
dire
or
consequential
as
in
the
context
of
communist
China.
In
the
modern
day,
as
traditional
clothing
is
no
longer
the
predominant
dress
on
the
streets
of
Singapore,
and
everyday
wear
is
a
result
of
the
globalization
of
multi-­‐national
fashion
companies
and
the
proliferation
of
westernized
ideals,
could
the
original
purpose
of
the
school
uniform,
perhaps,
be
made
redundant?
In
some
sense,
much
like
the
hijab
garment
in
Marrakech23,
the
school
uniform
no
longer
22
Tay,
A.
(2013,
09
22).
[Web
log
message].
Retrieved
from
<http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/2013/09/22/equality-­‐in-­‐singapore-­‐society-­‐is-­‐far-­‐from-­‐a-­‐
reality/>
23
Taymour
Grahne
Gallery.
(2014).
Hassan
hajjaj:
'kesh
angels
exhibition
press
release.
Retrieved
from
<http://images.taymourgrahne.com/www_taymourgrahne_com/HH_Press_Release_2014.pdf>

7. possesses
the
same
advantage
and
power
to
effect
homogeneity,
particularly
when
young
people
are
no
longer
dressing
according
to
their
racial
groups,
but
rather
to
suit
their
personal
tastes
or
ideals.
It
is
not
uncommon
to
hear
complaints
about
the
rigidity
and
strictness
of
the
rules
regarding
the
school
uniform
from
Singaporean
students
today.
However,
the
significance
of
the
school
uniform
in
establishing
racial
equality
amongst
youths
makes
the
possibility
of
the
abolishment
of
those
laws
questionable
and
highly
bureaucratic.
Whether
noticed
or
unnoticed,
students
become
political
subjects
in
Singapore
and
will
remain
that
way
so
long
as
the
rules
governing
school
uniforms
continue
to
be
enforced.