sweatshops

The main question that many fashion industries ponder are sweatshops. They are said to be bad and the United States somewhat tries to expose these sweatshops. However on the other hand sweatshops save companies millions of dollars each year by shipping fabrics elsewhere to be sewn and made for the consumer here in the United States. As a merchandising major my opinion would be do whatever to save money especially with the economy right now. Yet in order to write this blog I wanted to learn a little more so I browsed through YouTube to find an actual showing of a sweatshop and how unfair it is for other countries to make far less than they should. Some of the conditions as well are overwhelming. I also remember in high school in my fashion merchandising class I was showed a video of an undercover sweatshop in China and some of the graphics on this video have stuck in my mind. The conditions in a sweatshop are awful. So what is a merchandiser supposed to do in this situation. I think this is why there still are so many sweatshops out there. A recession is on a rise and the United States can not afford to spend any more money. I wish there was some way they could meet in the middle. Maybe by making sweatshops not as harsh and paying more but not as much as we would pay in the United States. I think everyone in the fashion industry needs to work together to eliminate sweatshops and try to keep the prices down as well.

art vs. utility

Everyday we wear clothes and there are always a few people that stand out and make their clothing choices into an art form. When deciphering between fashion as an art or utility it really cannot be determined. As the designer fashion is art. Look at the couture lines, that is art. However most when designers design they sketch which is art and when creating a new piece of clothing that is art. Yet once it gets to the consumer it is wearable. The consumer can then decide if they are going to make it more artsy by adding their own style to it and making it stand out from the rest of the crowd. I consider that art as well. Fashion is art and utility from the beginning of the process to the end one cannot pick out if it is one or the other.

What Inspires Me When Creating Something

Although I am not on the the design side of fashion, I do have my preferences. My style is very classic and I like to be able to wear something that makes me feel better about myself by the way it fits the curves of my body. I have always been a fan of something simple but with a pop of color. I also love dresses so when thinking about something I would like to wear I thought of a dress that could be dressed down for the day and dressed up for night yet is loose and comfortable. These factors play a huge role in the way I dress.

Here in my design I have drawn, not very well because once again I am on the merchandising side of fashion but the dress is simple, with that pop of color. I think the color under the bust helps to break up the body and the low V-neck helps define the bust. I also love the crossed straps in the back because it is fun and flirty this also accentuates the back and the shoulders. During the day I could see someone running errands in this with a pair of flats and a sweater. At night I could see someone wearing heels and going to a nice dinner. Versatility is very important in clothes.

Most of my inspiration comes from my own personal style as well as more of the classic yet modern looks. Oscar de la Renta is one of my favorite designers because he does this throughout his clothes. I also chose red because red will never die. I think red looks good on everyone and can be worn any time of the year. As well as black is a very classic color which goes with everything.