Creativity and Humor Behind "Shimmer Dresses" to Rengginang Cans
"Dress shimmer" to cans filled with rengginang. Endless creativity, the ability to laugh at yourself and survive.
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Neli Triana - Kompas journalist
The trend of clothes made from shiny fabric which is famously called ”shimmer dress” is increasingly enlivening Eid this year. As the group leave ended, the clothes that shone even more when the light fell on them were washed, folded and put back in the cupboard.
However, that doesn't mean enthusiasm subsides, let alone goes out.
For many people, holidays are the peak and beginning of a cycle of life's struggles. The existence of clothing trends that take advantage of the holiday momentum is just a "booster" to increase enthusiasm.
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If last year there was a trend for Eid clothes colored sage, now products made from shiny fabrics are the replacement. These colorful bling-bling clothes did not suddenly appear. It can be said that this trend is a form of adaptation of creative people in this country in following world trends and their ability to target the local market.
Pantone and WGSN (Worth Global Style Network), some time ago, announced that the color of 2024 would be peach fuzz and apricot crush, which is the color of peaches and apricots with a hint of soft pink.
Screenshot of search results with the keyword dress shimmer on Google.
The reference from the world color and fashion trend forecasting company was then applied to silk and silk-like fabrics with a metallic touch to be created into contemporary clothing. Variations have developed into clothing products with pastel colors that give a cool impression, but are luxurious when worn.
The reality is, there is a price and there is quality.
Products made from premium Shimmer Silk fabric can reach hundreds of thousands of rupiah or even more. At a higher price, the clothes are comfortable to wear, absorb sweat, and give the impression of being ready to party as promised.
On the other hand, some are much cheaper and may feel less comfortable when worn.
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However, at a glance, the appearance of those wearing expensive and affordable dresses are not much different. Recorded in photos and moving images, both of them shine and look fashionable.
Whatever it is, everyone has the right to look their best on a special day. They have the freedom to choose the product they want according to their taste and budget.
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A mother who chose the best clothes for her child to celebrate Eid al-Fitr as they shopped at Johar Market in Semarang City, Central Java, on Sunday (7/4/2024).
During last year's Eid al-Fitr, many also made this dazzling gamis a family uniform. Moreover, similar products are already available for men, adults, and children.
The joy is created when wearing party clothes and gathering with relatives, forgiving each other, eating together, and sharing content of togetherness on social media. This is in line with the effort to slightly hold back the unpleasant feeling when wearing expensive special clothes.
Laughing at yourself means the ability to accept the absurdities in life while attempting a more relaxed resistance.
Many people also mock this trend at first, but eventually fall in love with it and do not hesitate to wear dazzling clothes on special days.
The economy is clearly no less thriving thanks to the production and buying and selling of shiny fashion.
Laugh at yourself
Just like when the color sage was popular during last year's Eid al-Fitr, many humorous memes were uploaded on social media. Netizens were amused. When encountering in the real world, the phenomenon of everything sage became a joke that invited laughter, lightening the mood.
This year, before the "shimmer dress" fever and its various memes hit, the public was invited to laugh out loud watching a short clip containing a group of women wearing tiger skin patterned uniforms.
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Screenshot of a parody search about "shimmer dress" on TikTok
Riding the trend of clothing that makes people dazzle, parodies of "shimmer dresses" in the form of photos and videos have emerged following the tiger clothes. Some wore thin plastic raincoats or colorful shiny paper.
Prank or not, these various funny parodies are still a side effect of the useful momentum of shiny clothes.
If a parody video explodes and is viewed by many people, it can become a source of income or at least bring fame to the creator. Content consumers get free entertainment, allowing them to forget about various pressing issues for a moment and laugh out loud.
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Philosopher Henri Bergson and psychologist Sigmund Freud, whose expertise and theories in their field of science are worldwide, have their own opinions about laughter and the practice of laughing at oneself that has existed since time immemorial.
Bergson refers to laughter as a social correction, while Freud sees it as an outburst of oppressed people. Both opinions are often cited in scientific journals and various writings.
Laughing together during one of the Indonesian Laughter Yoga sessions for the elderly, February 18 2020 in Yogyakarta.
Translating from those two opinions, laughing at oneself means the ability of individuals and society to make jokes about everything around them, including themselves. This means the ability to accept the absurdities in life while also making a more relaxed resistance effort.
Ahmad Bahar, in his book Learning to Laugh at Yourself, explains that jokes are funniest when played on oneself.
Trying to understand Ahmad Bahar, if someone is easily able to laugh at themselves, it means that the person is already friendly with themselves. Laughing at oneself is part of the process of constantly navigating the ocean of life in order to find one's true identity as a national child with personality and character.
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All of this reminds of the teachings of Abdurrahman Wahid alias Gus Dur who used to use humor at every opportunity. The President of Indonesia for the 1999-2001 period often made himself the subject of ridicule which apparently touched on social and political realities.
Through his jokes, Gus Dur popularized tolerance, mutual respect, as well as understanding that all humans are equal in the eyes of God and should not belittle each other.
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A mural depicting the 4th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, was seen in the Wijilan area of Yogyakarta on Monday (8/6/2023). The figure of Gus Dur left behind important values for the life of the Indonesian nation.
On the other hand, comedy has been proven to help humans get through something very painful, providing distance and pause. This allows for a momentary retreat from an event that we cannot control, before gradually finding a way to deal with it, and then continuing with life.
Those thinkers, through their theories, stated that humor cannot be separated from humility and humanity. Humans cannot do one thing without doing another. Each person cannot have one without having the other two.
Through his jokes, Gus Dur fosters tolerance and mutual respect.
Resilience
Just like reusing biscuit tins filled with rengginang, crackers, candy, or other snacks that continue to bring smiles, the "shimmer dress" trend shows people's wisdom in responding to things around them.
The sage colored clothes, the "shimmer dress" and the legendary rengginang cans are a portrait of the community's resilience.
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The political drama of the ruling state that affects the rise of food prices and strangles the people, let it pass and hopefully end peacefully.
Most residents who have no power to do anything do not care. What is important is to continue to exist and drive the economy. They do not forget to spread comedic entertainment to gain strength to continue living.
Eid next year, just wait for other interesting creativity and humor from us for us.
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