A study on clothing behavior of world female political leaders -based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory-

Abstract

This study uses a macro-viewpoint to investigate how female world leaders' clothing behaviors are different by nation and culture. This study conducted a comparative study on clothing behavior by cultural block in order to understand similarities and differences based on Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. The findings are as follows. First, the clothing styles of female world leaders are categorized into classical suit style, national traditional style, and eclectic style. Second, classic suit style is more often found in countries characterized by high individualism, low power distance index, and low avoidance index. The style represents individual activity and rationality as well as trust towards women acting in men's roles. Third, a national traditional style is found in countries featuring high collectivism, high power distance index, and high uncertainty avoidance index. These countries share a culture that emphasizes harmony with the whole, rather than any one given part; consequently, clothing style represents a national identity (or the roles as a national member) rather than that of the individual level. Fourth, an eclectic clothing style is expressed in a mixture of classical suits and a national traditional style that depends on how much Eastern and Western cultures are reasonably compromised or Eastern tradition and Western culture coexist. © 2017, The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles.