Sweatshops

A sweatshop is a manufacturing workplace that treats its workers inhumanely, paying low wages and imposing harsh and unsafe working conditions. Many of the workers can even be young children. Sweatshops can be located in all parts of the world, but are mainly found in developing nations. Sweatshops also produce many different goods, from clothing to shoes to furniture. The main product produced in sweatshops is clothing (wikipedia).


Many companies such as Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and New Balance have stopped using sweatshop workers to produce the goods they buy. This happened because these companies received intense pressure from campus anti-sweatshop groups. Wal-mart and Nike are two of the largest brands that still use sweatshops today. They claim they use "better sweatshops" instead of the really bad ones (wikipedia).


I am against the use of sweatshops. Everyone deserves to be treated humanely while at work. Everyone also deserves to be paid well enough to where you can live comfortably. These people in sweatshops can bring home a nickel a day after they have worked 15 hour days without a break. This doesn't even buy one meal for them to eat much less survive off of. Sweatshops need to be banned because they are inhumane and cruel.

Fashion...Art or Usability?

Fashion is a balance between art and usability. High fashion to me is considered art. The Milan fashion week is a perfect example of art. The pieces are extravagant. This year however, the Milan fashion week had pieces that were more usable for day to day wear than that of the previous seasons. While the pieces can be extravagantly beautiful and over the top, how many of us would wear something like that on a day to day basis? Don't get me wrong, I would. I love high fashion and it is a true form of art. Designers get ideas from nature, different ethnicity's, different eras, just everyday life in general and can create the most breath-taking pieces of art imaginable.

Everyday fashion such as jeans, t-shirts, sandals, etc is a form of usability. We wear these types of clothes to feel comfortable and to be part of the crowd. They get us from point A to point B and can withstand some wear and tear. Buying designer items such as a nice bag, nice jeans, shoes, etc to wear on a daily basis is to me bringing art into picture. I consider the way I dress and the way I feel about fashion to be more of an art form than usability.

Fashion is what makes me happy. I love to go shopping and I love designer fashion. I love Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc. I love high heels and designer jeans. Fashion can ultimately express who we are as individuals without even talking. To me it brings excitement into everyday life.

If I could have a dress designed for me...

My style is very classic and feminine with an edge. Since I am not in the actual fashion design part of the major, I will describe what I would want a dress made for me to look like. I have always wanted to be a fashion buyer for Nordstrom or any high-end department store.

My dress would be very Coco Chanel. The little black dress that is very form-fitting, comfortable and chic. It would fall right above or at the knee and would be made of satin. It would have a square neck that cut low and the back would be similar but not low cut. It would flare out from the waist and the rest of the dress would be very body contouring. Around the waist I would want a satin belt with a black bow draped to the side.

I would accent the dress with a black diamond necklace. Along with a bracelet and earrings to match. Overall, my dress would be very classic and elegant. The black diamonds would give the dress an edge. Coco Chanel is my idol. Very classic and elegant designs that make a woman feel beautiful. I love how Chanel used lots of blacks and actually introduced the color black into the fashion world. Black is my favorite color and it makes any outfit elegant and dressy.