A Study Of “Depression Culture” Costumes From The Perspective Of Youth Subculture

The pressure of life has prompted young people tend to seek relief online,so they mock themselves online with sad memes such as “Ge You Lying ”,“Buddha-like Youth”,and show their embarrassment with humorous words.In the entertainment of emotional catharsis,the discussion of “Depression Culture” enters the public vision.With the development of “Depression Culture”,a variety of relevant costume products and related costumes brands have appeared on the market,which tells us that the influence of “Depression Culture” costumes is gradually increasing.This paper uses the method of literature analysis,case analysis and image analysis to carry out the theme research of “Depression Culture” costumes.Based on the theory of youth subculture,this paper makes a comprehensive analysis of “Depression Culture”,interprets its concept,summarizes its main forms’ categories and features,analyzes its characteristics: decadence,entertainment,weak resistance,self edge,virtuality and mobility.Through literature research,this paper finds that the episodic characteristics of “Depression” as a youth subculture has appeared as early as the “Teddy Boys” in 1950 s.Through traceability analysis,this paper analyzes the “Teddy Boys”,“Hippie”,“Punk” and “Otaku” costumes styles how to express the characteristics of “Depression Culture”.As a contemporary youth subculture,“Depression Culture” is mainly manifested as “Buddha-like”.This paper takes “Buddha-like Youth”,the core group of “Depression Culture”,as the main research object,and highlights the characteristics of the“Depression Culture” costumes with “Buddha-like Culture” costumes.By studying the“Buddha-like Culture”,this paper finds that the colors,patterns,styles and fabrics of“Buddha-like Culture” shape the decadent style,and show the character image of the“Buddha-like Youth” hiding from the world.As the representative symbol of“Depression Culture”,“Buddha-like culture” costumes have the characteristics of decadence,entertainment,weak resistance,self edge and virtuality of “Depression Culture”,showing the essential characteristics of “Depression Culture”.The costumes of “Buddha-like Culture” show the passive values of “Buddha-like Youth” and externalize the identity demands of “Buddha-like Youth” at the four levels of individual,collective,social and cultural,and expresses their sinking lifestyle.“Buddha-like Culture” costumes and the “Depression Culture” style costumes launched by apparel brands jointly promote the popularity of “Depression Culture” costumes.This paper summarizes the reasons for the popularity of “Depression Culture” costumes at the three levels of youth,culture,and consumer market,analyzing the three major value meanings of “Depression Culture” costumes in economic,cultural,and ethical education,and analyzes the development trend of “Depression Culture” costumes moving towards the mainstream and integrating with popular fashion.