Controversy Ensues over Girl Group's Revealing, "Optical Illusion" Outfits

As a lot of girl groups often use nude-tone fabrics to create the illusion of bare skin in their onstage outfits, the appropriateness of this optical illusion is drawing attention. This method of using nude-tone fabric under see-through outfits has been in use for decades among stage performers as it ensures certain level of exposure without being censored. 

For the same reason, many Korean girl groups have been using the same method for their stage outfits. Dal Shabet‘s Soobin previously garnered attention with her skin-tone t-shirt at Mokdong Baseball Stadium during a celebratory performance. miss A took full advantage of  with their bandage see-through performance outfits for “Touch.” Recently, 4minute also applied the same method for their outfits for “Volume Up.” 

However, the nude-tone fabric protection does not mean they are controversy-proof. Last year at MBC “2011 Korean Music Festival,” SISTAR wore highly revealing outfits with these nude-tone fabric patching up the chest area. Although the actual outfits did not show any skin, many viewers complained that they were not family and children friendly. 

While many condemn these optical illusion outfits as uncomfortable and conniving, as their main intention is to reveal and sexualize the female body without doing it so overtly, other K-Pop fans recognize this as a form of art. They argued that whatever the intention may be, the outfits cover body parts appropriately, and it is the creator’s free will as well as responsibility to use whatever it takes to prevent any accidents and/or controversies.