Sweatshops Are A No

I absolutely do not approve of sweatshops. I believe they take away basic freedom rights and are something that needs to be stopped. Unfortunately the situation is not justblack and white. I do not approve of sweatshops and in an ideal world sweatshops would not exist or at least people would speak out against them. But we live in reality, and in reality sweatshops are a neccessary evil. the only thing that is good about sweatshops, and when I say good I don't actually mean good, but the best of the situation is they keep a small percentage of children out of prostitution.
Before this class I never looked at sweatshops from the people working in it. I understand that sweatshops are the only jobs that provide them with money, but working in a sweatshop the worker has no rights.
Horrible events happen in sweatshops, in American and other places in the world. It is estimated that 4,500 of the 7,000 factories in New York are sweatshops (Hearts & Mind, 1).
I do thinkn it is possible to end sweatshops, but it is going to take consumers to make the first step. For me in the end it comes down to how much I value the lives of the people working in sweatshops. I think it is worth paying thirty , fourty, or any amount more for a pair of jeans or whatever in order that someones life is saved. I think there is something wrong when a worker gets paid 69 cents an hour and it locked in an apartment with razor wire (Heart & Mind, 1). IT IS WRONG!
I think that sweatshops are wrong, but i also understand why they are being used. I wish people would rise up and not only fight sweatshops, but find a solution to getting the people good jobs. There is nothing more precious than a life, to me it is the most sacred gift God can give a person other than salvation. But as it seems now, sweatshops are a "Catch 22" as a fellow student in my CSR 231 class said.

Fashion in Milan

While I was watching videos of designers collections during fashion week Dsquared particularly caught my attention. The shows in Milan had a totally different feel. The models did not just walk down the runway. With Dsquared they had a whole Charlie's Angels theme and they used a whole background. It looked like a set in a film production. The designers weemed to want to express more than a statement. It kind of reminded me of an art gallery because the models stopped longer than usual and struck a couple poses.
During class Ms. Minita talked about how the Milan designs are not necessarily created to be worn. While watching Alessandro Dell'Acqua Heidi Mount commented that the sheer pieces were not exactly wearable for everyday, but were perfect for the runway (Style.com). The New york designers created collection for women to wear on trips or for everyday. When the Milan designers were asked about their collection they never had a vision to create a look for a women on the go or a business women. The function of the clothes in everyday life did not seem to be emphasized as much in Milan as it was in New York.
I absolutely loved the Fendi collection. The first thing I noticed was the models hair. It looked like they had a sculpture on their head, but none the less I liked it. I noticed that on the pieces the belts has holes in them. In my own little mind this hinted at art. I am not sure why though. I also noticed that the color pallets were quite different from the New York Collection. Out of all the Milan collections the colors were grays and blacks and soft pastels. In New York there were quite a few loud colors and designers really wanted that WOW factor. It seems the Milan designers wanted to make a different Wow statement, a more subtle one.

My Style 101

I have never been artistic or creative enough to design clothes. so when I learned that our next blog would require us to create a design I flipped out. Luckily the class was also told that if you are not into the designing aspect of fashion you could describe what you would tell a designer if they were to create a look for yourself.
First of all I would tell my designer that I want to be comfortable and fashionable all in one. I do not like to feel constricted, so the deisgn has to be somewhat loose. Next I would express my desire for something that can go from day to night. Next I would specifiy that I want a dress. I love the 50's so an shift dress would be perfect. If not a shift dress and wrap dress. But I would let the designer look at my body and determine what shape would fit me. I think it is important for the designer to have some creative freedom. After all I would not ask them to design me somethng if I did not think they knew what looks good on a women's body.
I love staple colors so the designer would use fabric colors such as navy blues, greys, beiges, red, and blacks. My favorite color is white, but I am sure I would tell the designer to make a black dress, if not black then a navy blue.. For details on the dress, I love a ribbon or a bow. I love the preppy conservative look. So if it was a shift dress, maybe a plaid pattern or a piece of silk that wraps around my waist would make me very happy. The only part of my body that I absolutely love and would not change is my legs. So the designer would have to make the dress sexy, sophisticated, and conservative all in one.
I would also request a jacket. A tailored one that has a masculine influence. So that if i decided to wear the jacket with a pair of trousers I could.