KOREASCHOLAR

As mass media has come to intervene with politics in a more proactive way during modern times, the image of a politician has evolved into a more relevant factor compared with political content. This phenomenon is known as "image politics", and such externalized images as non-verbal cues have grown in importance, along with the numbers of female politicians. Thus image strategy has been instituted as a major research theme in the field of political marketing, especially for female politicians. In accordance with this theme, this study aims to approach fashion as part of image strategy of female politicians, in order to reemphasize political fashion as a valuable resource. The methodologies employed in this study are based on both the literature and positive research. Female politicians have long utilized fashion styles that are, or are assumed to be, the most appealing to their target base of support in a predominantly male-centered sector. In this sense, appropriate choices in the usage of apparel items, colors, hair styles, accessories, and others according to each situation and respective hierarchies are of the utmost importance. When attending official ceremonies and other related meetings, the strategic superiority afforded to a scientific approach based on thorough fashion research, compared with personal taste is imperative. The significance of this study lies within the recognition of the importance of fashion image, and how to utilize fashion for image strategy in practice, through the investigative synthesis and review of major preceding research.

• 최현숙(동덕여자대학교 패션디자인학과) | Hyonsook Choy Corresponding author