The Most Darling of all Outfits

This week we're celebrating the start of summer by reviewing a sunny-shiney, feel good video! 

We're wishing for good weather with:

SunnyHill's Darling of all Hearts!!!

This glorious 4 minute ball of cheer and happy can be found HERE.

The mv was released June 19th 2013 and had 164,573 views as of June 22nd 2013. 

Overall impression:

Ruby: This is by far the closest to my own style of any video we’ve reviewed, so I’m pretty dang excited to gush over the retro-wonderful outfits. Sunny Hill is always a little alternative and this time they went full out old school referencing in parts the 30s, 40s and 50s of western fashion. However making outfits more fitted and shorter and by using bold colors modernized the looks. It’s very indie, very current and completely adorable. It’s cute without going aegyo and super wearable. There weren’t very many outfit changes, but every detail, down to the back up dancer’s shoes was well thought through.

Dancers in loafers! Practical, shiny and super retro!

Retro, quirky and super cute.

Em: This was super super adorable and sweet, and not in a fake frosting kind of sweet but in a homemade chocolate chip cookie kind of sweet. Yeah. I was a big fan too. In the all-band outfits, one main color tied the scene together, like blue, and then there were some bright pops of color to add interest, like in the shoes. I kind of hate myself for using the phrase ‘pop of color’ cause its so overused (Ruby: THAT PHRASE IS TOTALLY A THING.) though…hmmm…like a miniature explosion of aesthetic happiness. Better. In all seriousness though, the outfits were consistent and cute and had a fun variety of retro styles and shapes that were very flattering, especially in the solo outfits. Nice mix of swingy skirts and high waisted pants too.

Shoes that add A POP OF COLOR.

flouncy, bouncy, floofy skirts add some pizzaz to dance scenes.

Other promotional Materials:

Ruby: The teaser for the mv was cute and playful. It featured one of the coordinated dance outfits. (POKASPOTS) They did do a showcase where they wore new outfits, but they very much fit within the theme established in the mv. These were a bit more mismatched. I liked the outfits once I saw them in the interview portion but in the first stage they looked really oddly colored. I think it may have been the lighting… But they were cute anyway.

 

teaser outfits and sass

at the showcase with cute outfits and weird lighting

Em: The video teaser played a lot on the retro theme with the surroundings too, emphasizing the era the outfits stemmed from. The interview clothes stayed consistent with the retro theme too, right down to the bright red lipstick. Even their hair is cute. The interview looked a BIT more mismatched, and it was interestingly casual. Somehow it didn’t feel like high fashion mismatch but just fun and a little random, which is odd for kpop. It’s cool that they’re doing something different.

 

some coral lipstick adds a dewy, pink look when paired with blush

while some red lipstick with a heavier eye makes for a more dramatic look.

Continuity:

Ruby: I thought the mv as a whole was really nicely put together. I mean, the dancers in the rompers and the loafers were great. Often dancers get slighted but they really added to the whole concept. The dance scene outfits were really simple cuts and really consistent which helped since the pattern was soooo busy and could have easily overwhelmed everything. The girls just felt fresh and young and stylish throughout the whole thing. Bold patterns, pop colors, and details, like puff sleeves or a high waist, really make this feel new and bright, perfect for summer style.

 

puff sleeves make a normal button down 394832x cuter.

rompers! easy to move in and great for summer.

Em: I agree about the backup dancers. Their outfits were interesting without being distracting, and even their hair was consistent. Good fashion for the backup dancers helps them do their jobs of supporting the band without distracting from them. I also liked that POKASPOTS were everywhere, even in some of the little details that are barely noticeable. They even went on the guy’s jacket. Win.

 

Sure, the giant white polkadots aren't subtle, but the little black ones
are super classy and super wearable.

Mr. hypnosis and his mesmerizing jacket

Band’s Overall Image:

Ruby: Sunnyhill’s second incarnation had their big break with a super cheesy, ooey gooy goodness track called Pit-a-Pat, written as an ost for a drama. They were super cute and super girly. Then they moved toward something darker and a little weirder with midnight circus and the grasshopper song. Both of these concepts relied heavily on the metaphor in the song, one was a circus concept and the other was a businesswoman meets grasshopper concept. No, I’m not even kidding. So I think this strikes a nice balance moving in a quirky and unique but wearable and cute direction.

 

Oh for the outfits in the Pit-a-Pat video....

Even the coats had wings in The Grasshopper Song...

Em: They are always different from the main direction kpop bands go, thankfully for us since they do it so well. They’ve experimented with a lot of styles, and they’ve always had interesting fashion to go with it. In Princess and Prince Charming, they had a totally different style, but they had the same sense of experimentation and humor. Even though this was stylistically different than some of their previous stuff, it fits right in with what Sunny Hill does.

 

And for something completely different..... Princess and Prince Charming!

Trends in K-POP:

Ruby: Well I mean. Retro is in, though the era’s vary, a lot. Being girly will always be in, but SunnyHill does it differently in this mv, and I think that says something. They really represent a more mature take on the tendency to push younger concepts for girl groups, no matter their age. Look at SNSD and Rainbow; both promoted as giggly high school girls, when both groups average age is 23. The eldest member (Woori of Rainbow) is 25 and the youngest (Seohyun of SNSD) is 19. Hardly giggly 15 year olds. The point is that with an average age of 26, SunnyHill is adorable and grown up. I think they’re cute but I also trust them to like, use the grown up scissors or dress themselves.

 

Taeyeon of SNSD looks confused while Seohyun looks petrified....
there's a man at the door.

we'd want to pull our hair out too if we were in Rainbow's Sunshine video,
and we're not in our mid-twenties yet.

Em: AGREED. It’s one thing to have fun and be cute with a video, its another to literally be pretending to be far younger than you are. I mean, some girl groups act like younger girls who are then acting like younger girls. Too much. On a more positive note, Lee Hi’s It’s Over was rather retro and had a childlike style, yet I never got the sense that she was literally pretending to be a 4 year old. Maybe it’s something in the way the artists present themselves in the clothes. Lee Hi is still pretty young, but her attitude changed the clothes from silly to something much more interesting.

 

Lee Hi, who is 16, adds class and sophistication to her innocent look
in It's Over.

Ruby: Other songs that use similar fashion eras include: Shy Boy (Secret), Nobody (The Wondergirls) and Going Crazy (Lee Hyori)

DOOWAPDOOWAPDOOWAP.... Shy Boy.

Nobody concept photos

Conclusion:

Ruby: I think its pretty clear that I am in raptures over this video. I just adore it. I love their fashion, I love the hair and makeup and the details. It my style in both fashion and in precision. There are no details left un-tended to and it felt like someone had actually really taken the time to think it through. Poofy skirts and retro sunglasses, high waisted pants and rompers all these things are flattering and right on trend. It just worked. 

 

Can I have this dress? Like, pretty pretty please. (it's pretty, after all.)

Her pants and glasses match. Retro and coordinated! 

Em: Yeah this was wonderful. I really hope the retro trend continues in an equally spectacular way, and also that Sunny Hill keeps doing stuff like this. It was clean and well done and wearable and just so many yeses. On the checklist of good things that happen in kpop videos this one wins.

 

Relaxing (........) on the web in a tied up shirt and high waisted shorts.

Daily Dose of Daebak:

What do I do when I’m home alone? I ROLL MYSELF UP IN FABRIC AND THEN UNROLL MYSELF. OH BOY FUN TIMES.

They all match their furniture. That, ladies and gentlemen, is coordinated.

POLKASPOTS.

How do you rock the retro look? Let us know or leave us a comment about anything you want! 

We'd love to hear from you!

Hope your summer starts off with lots of sunshine and great style.

Ruby and Em <3

4Minute versus the Undead (But Fashion-forward)

Last week was a nice break from the insanity, but this week we're back where we started with

4Minute- What's Your Name?

If you haven't seen this thoroughly entertaining and vastly interesting music video, check it out here: GET YOUR ZOMBIE KILLIN GEAR ON

As of May 20th 2013 it had 6,019,986 views.

Overall impression:

Ruby: So I have mixed feelings about this MV. I am a big fan of the hipster-kawaii idea, but its so easy to take too far. For me the clothing was over accessorized and over sexualized. Which is super sad, because there are some really cool, awesome pieces mixed in there. I love the splatter paint/zombie blood idea, the old school references and the wedge sneakers. Super cool and on trend, but there were so overwhelmed by too many accessories, fake tattoos everywhere and revealing cuts. I watched the choreography video, and was surprised by how cute the dance was, since in the video its all about words on butts and exposed crotches. Not to mention they look so much more comfortable with the dance when they’re not worried about clothing staying in place.

temporary tattoos make for a badass concept, 4minute.....

you might want to retie those shoes.

splatter paint zombie blood.... cute >.<

Em: My first impression was that I liked a lot of individual details in this, and that there was a lot mixed in that was very cool. A lot of the pieces individually could be taken out and used, even as regular clothing. However, a step back made me find the same thing Ruby did…it was chaotic and too much. This seemed like another band trying to pull of the style that f(x) has so well—the concentrated craziness that doesn’t just overwhelm. Even in Electric Shock, which was weird in itself, they still managed to look artsy rather than confused. The comment about the dance was accurate too…still fairly sexualized, but much more interesting than the MV made it seem.

F(X), from Electric Shock teasers, with cutely mismatched shoes

Other promotional Materials:

Ruby: The teasers were odd and poorly connected to the video I thought, though they themselves were really really cool. Blacklights make everything better. Stages still felt over worked but because they don’t change clothes, it is easier to absorb. They certainly make for fun and lively stages with lots of bling bling.  I still feel like the costumes limit movement sometimes and make me worry about camera angles and catching lady parts on camera.

Blacklight Teasers (BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE)

You might want to put some pants on before you leave the house next time.

Em: I didn’t think they were that poorly connected…I mean, the style seemed the same, it just wasn’t promoting the plot or anything, just the members themselves. They were fun. The comeback stages were fine, not too impressive…I feel like the could’ve used some unifying feature, like a color that everyone used, or shoes, or SOMETHING in common. It didn’t even feel like the stylists were going for individuality, just randomness.

Now that the salvation army meeting has commenced....

Continuity:

Ruby: Here’s the crux of the matter I think. I like a lot of the clothes but we see 3-4 different outfit sets within the first 10 seconds of the MV.  That's a lot of fast changes for a video laden with accessories and heavy handed detailing. There were so many colors and location changes props and lighting effects in this video that the constant changes in clothing and styling were disorienting.

Rings, necklaces, earrings, OH MY.

Em: Out of everything, continuity was definitely the main problem. I guess there was continuity in the level of craziness, but that doesn’t mean it looked clean and together at all. There were few consistencies, if any. I guess there were the weird fishnet shorts. Why would anyone want neon fishnet shorts? It defeats the point of both fishnets and shorts!

Neon shorts. Thanks Hyuna.

Band’s Overall Image:

Ruby: Oh 4minute.  They are known for their sexy, and its well deserved. The members have great bodies and dance well. For me, videos like Huh, Muzik and especially Volume Up really mastered the art of classy sexy. This video, for me smacked more of Hyuna, like Bubble Pop or Icecream. Fun videos, but definitely edging on overt and superfluous sexiness. I appreciate those videos and Hyuna’s solo work for very different reasons than 4Minute’s group work. I guess I would prefer them to stay separate, but only because I miss that presence in kpop of quiet, powerful and sexy.

4Minute's Volume Up outfits, still odd and mismatched, but coordinated and really cool.

Hyuna and her completely nonsexual music video Icecream.
Nothing here but sticky white goo and her boobs.

Em: Sometimes they’re successful, sometimes they aren’t. Though I don’t always agree with the fashion choices (see picture) they do usually have more continuity as a group. They need to simplify, and maybe make dance costumes a little bit more practical for dancing. They’ve done it before, they can do it again. Like the other picture has a similar idea of variety, but the colors are together so it isn’t like a neon unicorn threw up on you. And as much as I like unicorns…

4Minute looking insane

4minute looking less insane

NO UNICORNS HERE FOLKS.

Trends in K-POP:

Ruby: Kawaii-hipster. I swear it's a thing. There are a lot of bands that are playing with this idea of endless accessories, in the style of decora, harajuku etc. Sometimes it works, but I think its one of the harder styles for a band to pull off. It is super variable and it definitely doesn’t go sexy well. Then you have off trend, cute and sexy all in the same one. That's too much I think.

I wouldn't try to go through airport security like that.

I was so distracted by her clothes, that I completely missed
the super cool wall and set behind her. Really, look at it, it's super cool.

Em: Zombies are such a thing right now, like SHINee did stuff with zombies too in Why So Serious. In addition, with the kawaii-hipster thing (which in theory sounds fantastic), I think a lot of bands just go overboard with it. A little works, so a lot works better, right? Not really. It produces some really cool pieces though, like a lot of the t-shirts themselves were awesome. They just need more focus. Unless of course you want to hypnotize people, in which case go ahead have fun whatever floats your boat.

SHINee, Why So Serious Zombies. You should go read our review of that. 

Mickey Mouse T-shirts are super hipster. 

The Ramones. And gold pleather. And fishnets. Classy.

Conclusion:

Ruby: I think I would have been a really big fan if they had just simplified it a little bit. I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t help but be put off. I loved a lot of other promotions from 4minute but I think this was just not my style. That being said, cute choreography and a good concept, I think it just needed some more refinement.

Yes, what a cute dance.

This necklace feels very appropriate here.

Em: They had so many great styles that they brought together…I just want to see them divided up. If, say, the punk side was emphasized and they all wore leather jackets for the video, it would’ve been better. Same with the retro side of it. Just pick something! They just went for it though, and didn’t do too bad with pulling it off. Maybe they’ll simplify next time. Unless the whole being-zombies thing gets in the way, and they just end up eating brains instead of making music and dancing.

Yes, Hyuna, he really does want you for your brain.

Daily Dose of Daebak:

ZOMBIE SURVIVAL HINT FOR THE DAY:

YOUR WEAPON OF CHOICE SHOULD ALWAYS BE A HAIRDRYER. THAT ALWAYS WORKS AGAINST REANIMATED CORPSES. TRUST ME I KNOW THESE THINGS.

Skateboarding in high heels. Kids, you should try this at home. Though I must admit I like the shoes anyway in all their glorious impracticality…. 

Leave us a comment and tell us your favorite zombie fighting technique or weapon of choice!!!!

See ya soon!

Ruby & Em <3