Fashion
Nervous jitters are common amongst applicants for a new job, and many try to put their best foot forward by dressing in their nicest, most expensive, clothes. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, but there is something wrong in the perverse idea that you need to buy a thousand dollar pair of slacks. Fashion, the ever-mutating industry, changes with the seasons: trends that are “in” are soon “out”, causing consumers to blindly race after the next “big thing”. Designer brands such as Prada, Gucci, and Burberry feed off this mindset which is one of the many reasons they should not be bought first hand by young consumers. Financial exploitation, type of quality, and morality are all involved in your purchase of designer clothing. There is, however, a solution to reduce cost and scruples while still maintaining a polished exterior.
The targeted audience of Prada, Gucci, and Burberry -young men and women new to adulthood and financial independence- can not afford the expensive handbags that are thrust before them. In many fashion advertisements, youthful models are draped over each other like layered fabric; this suggests that by procuring the brand you will purchase instant sexiness and infinite youth. For example, one Prada promotion features four images of a couple lusting after each other. They are featured in a close up shot with PRADA in capital letters running across the image. The photo is entirely black and white, and the man and woman seem to be wearing expensive and luxurious clothing. (wordpress) The black and white aspect of this shot tells the consumer that this product is as elegant and classy as a successful businessman at a black tie event. The audience demographic for this photo would be a young individual, such as a teenager because they can relate to the models whom are around look to be around their age. The ad also preys on young adults unwavering urge to fit in to the “group”. The youth are thus brainwashed to believe that if they buy PRADA then they will be just as cool, sleek, and sexy as this model couple. However, with this burning desire for luxurious goods comes a high price tag. If you were to take the same amount of money as it takes to buy a “Soft Calf Leather Tote” from PRADA (Tronc) and put it toward rent you could pay for nearly two months in a one bedroom apartment in New Orleans (NOLA) If it went toward tuition you could advance your education through seven credits at Portland Community College. (Pcc.edu).
Even if you can afford a Louis Vuitton handbag, are you paying for quality, or the name? Did you know that designers often compensate celebrities to come to their show, or wear their clothing? For example, designer brands can pay Beyonce about 94 thousand dollars to grace their exhibition with her presence. (Fashion.telegraph.co.uk)Also, to further support this idea a psychology study titled “The Psychology and Behavior of Consumers in the Fashion Industry” by Jessica DeLace, a senior at University of Rhode Island, depicted how a group of college age students are more prone to choose a well known brand (such as Fendi) over a “lesser brand”, even when the object is nearly identical. (Digitalcommons.uri.edu) This shows how you, as a consumer, rely on and buy the brand name, not necessarily the quality of the product. With all of these celebrities flouncing around in “Peep Toe Mary Jane Pumps” from Louis Vuitton the young society that looks up to these popular stars are forced into the belief that they need those heels in order to survive the social order. (ADD ABOUT QUALITY)
Quality and price aren’t the only things that you have to be worried about; Morales are involved as well. Where does the money go when you buy a thousand dollar purse? Is it the artists, the company, the CEO? In reality many brands use sweatshops to reduce their cost in production. One example is, Lee Hu, an illegal Chinese immigrant in Italy, who got a job as a secretary for Gucci. She was fired when she pointed out that Italians minimum wage was five euros, but Gucci’s illegal workers were only paid three. Although there is no suggestion that the big houses know that contractors pay below the minimum wage, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Prada all refused to comment on the issue. (DOES THIS SUGGEST GUILT) Another Sweatshop worker (who refused to identify himself) stated, "I caught my fingers in one of the machines six months ago. The boss was furious. He had to pay fifty dollars for me to see a doctor. The pain is incredible still. He says I have to work day and night to pay him back.” (Sweatfree.org) Every cent that the companies save through production they make in profit. This causes greedy companies like Gucci to cutback on production costs which directly affects the workers living conditions, how much they are paid, and their overall job experience. (MORE EXAMPLES)
Although there are financial and ethical issues involving designer clothes, many people still purchase them. The consumers who are hooked argue that the quality of designer brands are superior. (ENTER QUOTE) The solution for both the financial and moral issues involving designer fashion: second hand stores carry tons of lightly worn clothes. Often designer brands get thrown in the mixture of used clothes, you will have to hunt for them, but they are there. This way you still get the quality of the brand, but not the expense. Another solution is called “The Fashion Project”. Since there are trends constantly going out of style, Fashion Project takes like-new designer clothes and resells them online. Fifty five percent of net proceeds goes to charity, and each item will tell you what specific charity you are benefiting when you buy it. For example, you could purchase a Miu Miu shoulder bag for two hundred and twenty nine dollars which was originally one thousand dollars and be supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at the same time. Through your purchase one hundred and fifteen dollars will go towards research and prevention of breast cancer. (Fashion Project) By purchasing your products from Fashion Project and second hand stores you simultaneously save your wallet and achieve a sensation of reassurance because you know that your purchase has helped others.
Every consumer feels a sense of elitism when they buy an established label. When you buy those thousand dollar jeans because they are a trendy brand, you are not paying for quality, but rather to print the name of a big time company that exploits low time employees on your back pocket. We, as consumers of the world, are ethically and financially responsible to insure that our purchase is for timeless quality clothing that lasts, comes from respectable origins, and is priced reasonably rather than simply the first brand name that slides into our head.
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