By Jee Young Shin

　　　I remember the first time I came to Sapporo University at the beginning of this year and looking around thinking, "Wow, everyone looks like a fashion model." I saw girls in high heels that looked impossible to walk in and guys with immaculate hairstyles. I had never seen so many brand name bags all in one place at one time. The most fascinating thing I found was how fashionable the male students were in Sapporo University. They rivaled the girls in their hairstyle, fashion and style. To be honest, like most other exchange students, I was a little intimidated at first by such grandeur in university fashion.

　　　In an Australian university, people dress very casually. Not many people dress up to go to class, and especially during exam time when everyone is cramming for exams very heavily, we look our worst. Some people donﾕt even change out of their home clothes to go to university. I was told by one American student from Nebraska that they donﾕt change out of their pajamas for morning classes! We would be lucky to see one Louis Vuitton bag at all at university. Many girls donﾕt wear make-up to class and jeans is almost the university uniform. The university campus atmosphere in Australia is very casual and relaxed, and thus we dress accordingly. If we ever dress up in high heels or are not casually dressed, people would ask us if we are going to a party after class.

　　　There are a lot of cultural differences in gender fashion and trends among cultures such as the U.S. and Australia, and Japan that is reflected in university fashion. The ideal of masculinity, or what is considered manly, is completely different in each culture. For example, tight fitting clothes are normally only worn by women in western cultures and handbags are only carried mostly by women. Make-up and eye-brow shaping also are considered exclusively for women. However, in Japan there are no such rigid rules on fashion between genders and no such stereotypes associated with personal fashion. Thus, what is considered the norm or attractive in one culture might not necessarily be the same in another culture.

　　　Another interesting aspect of Sapporo University fashion is that many people have exactly, or very similar, styles and fashion brands. They are easily distinguishable as to what trend they follow by how they dress, what they carry and how they look. In Western cultures, individualism is considered very important and fashion reflects this attitude. It is almost embarrassing if people come to class with exactly the same bag, or wearing similar clothes. We actually try harder to have different things and wear different clothes, rather than follow a trend and look similar to someone famous. It is perhaps the difference in social conditioning while growing up in different cultures that produces this different attitude to following trends and styles.

　　　It has been a great experience to attend Sapporo University and see the big difference in university fashion. What first seemed unusual in Japanese fashion by most of the exchange students is now seen as the norm or very "kakkoii," (cool). Even though there is a great contrast in Japanese and Western trends, I think it is the individual charm and style that makes someone trendy and fashionable. Thus, I have yet to meet one student here at Sapporo University who is not trendy and "kakkoii."