Braces. The mere word conjures up cringe-worthy memories of
adolescent awkwardness and dorky grins at best and mortifying bloody
kisses at worst. Having a mouthful of metal isn’t really something you’d
associate with cool, right? Except now it is, according to the New York Daily News.
The latest fashion trend in Southeast Asia, buying braces on the
black market—particularly in a rainbow of colours and designs, like
Hello Kitty and Mickey Mouse—is to teenagers in Thailand, Indonesia and
Malaysia what wearing neon jelly bracelets were to Western teenage girls
in the ‘80s (don’t front like you didn’t): Ya gotta have ‘em. The
newest It thing a, braces are a major signifier of wealth, status and
style (given that genuine braces are quite expensive, if you’ve been
blessed with a temporary silver set of teeth jewellery, you obviously
come from money).
Asian pop stars like Thailand’s Earn the Star and Indonesia’s Andika Kangen both wear them and Gwen Stefani
also recently confessed to wearing her braces in the ‘90s as a fashion
statement, not out of necessity. And since we all know how simpatico
Gwen Stefani is with teenagers in Asia, I think we need no longer wonder
why and how this is a thing.
There is a downside to wearing fakes though (like a major one): the
elastics can come loose and slip into your throat, or they can cause
sores on your gums and the inside of your mouth (fake braces have
reportedly been tied to the deaths of two Thai teens!).
The Thai government has now cracked down on the importation, production
and sale of fashion braces, making the sale of fakes punishable by up
to six months in prison and a fine of 50,000 baht ($1,626). But
apparently all that’s done is make the acquisition of fake braces even
more sought after, with DIY kits being sold online and at flea markets.
0 nhận xét:
Post a Comment