Tween Girls' Dressing and Young Femininity in Singapore

This insightful book examines how young Singaporean girls express their cultural identities through fashion, highlighting their unique experiences and perspectives.

In Tween Girls' Dressing and Young Femininity in Singapore, readers are offered a compelling exploration of the cultural identities and young femininities of tween girls in Singapore. The book emphasizes a girl-centered approach, highlighting the narratives and experiences of young Singaporean girls, aged 8 to 12, whose voices have often been overlooked in broader discussions. Through engaging conversations, the author delves into the girls' preferences in dressing, their sources of inspiration, and the social factors that shape their choices. This approach reveals the complexity of growing up in Singapore, challenging the notion that there is a singular, 'correct' path to femininity.

The narrative further unpacks how young girls navigate their cultural identities through clothing, illustrating that their fashion choices do not merely reflect their roles as students. Instead, the book presents a multi-faceted view of girlhood in Singapore, showcasing how the values and meanings associated with their dressing intersect at personal, social, and cultural levels. By doing so, it moves beyond traditional discussions of sexualization, offering fresh perspectives on the adult-like dressing of young girls.

Ultimately, Tween Girls' Dressing and Young Femininity in Singapore establishes a vital space for the voices of young Singaporean girls in a field that has largely been dominated by Western studies. It underscores the importance of understanding tween girls in Asia, contributing significantly to the advancement of girls' studies and broadening the conversation around femininity and identity.