Sunday, July 29, 2012

Identity

As Ben watched The Teams enter The Stadium over yonder, I watched this clip from Santa Fe Folk Art Festival several times. On the telly there were disappointingly few teams wearing national costumes. I know there is a worldwide recession going on, but still disappointing to someone who looks forward to that part every four years. (I also discovered some teams have the competitors walk in front of the officials, others, the opposite; was this always the case? I don't watch a lot of Olympics, and very seldom the ceremonies, though I try not to miss the men's marathon.) 

As regards Santa Fe, at first I thought if ever I'm there, I'd like to join the New Zealand team, but I wasn't sure what New Zealand's national costume would be unless one is of Maori descent. Then I remembered there was a discussion on national costume, perhaps on the national guild online "list", several years ago, where I think the majority liked the natural (light brown-ish) colored, (unevenly) hand-spun, hand-knit vest with a V-neck. Or I imagined it while reading folks' opinions.

But I look Japanese, (but will never march in a kimono; have you ever tried the footwear??) and I sound Minnesotan, (Dakota Sioux may disagree,) plus my body size/shape is irregular, so I don't fit anywhere. I will have to cheer from the sidewalk.

Now that me feel a little bit sad.

Never mind. I think I'm on a Pillars high; that I still haven't come up with a reason to totally dislike it is a great sigh, I think.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Meg,
    Your wonderful post has touched a nerve. I refer to the light brownish, unevenly handspun vest. Can you imagine anything more unflattering, unfashionable? Sure, go round up the cows in it! It is usually the national guild bringing up the subject but rather than a costume I think they were asking for a NZ equivalent of the Shetland or Guernsy jumper.
    Each year there is a fashion event called Style Pasifika www.stylepasifika.co.nz with no end of local ideas but the best idea our knitters can come up with is a grotty vest.
    Maybe an idea for an Unravelling Challenge.

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  2. Hi, Dianne. You could be right, there. Of course, black singlet, short/tight white shorts and gummies would be more suitable as a national costume. NOT!

    The problem, for me, with the notion of Pasifika is it's entirely focused on the Pacific Islands (including Maori, but not the "others" in NZ much.) At least that's what it appears to me. And events like WOW, to me, appears to be either Maori/PI or Pakeha with a smattering of "others".

    I know ethnicity has a lot to do with national costumes. I wonder if in due course we could develop something for NZ - and I get the feeling wool isn't going to be a shoo-in necessarily.

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  3. Speaking of not watching the Olympics often anymore (or anymore at all, in my case), the last I heard they were held every 2 years, switching off summer and winter each time...instead of both summer and winter once every 4 years.

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  4. Yes, that happened sometime in the 90's?????

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  5. I totally agreee that national costumes are much nicer (and more interresting to look at)than the clothes/uniforms the athletes were wearing. I'm sure that all the Norwegian female athletes have a beautiful folk costume hanging in their cupboard at home,since folk costumes are enormously popular here and almost a "must have" on national day.In Norway there is an unwritten rule that you wear the costume from the region you live in or from the region your mother/father was from.

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  6. And wouldn't that look beautiful, Charlotte!! And there isn't a better platform for it, either. Much better than Miss World.

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