trade offs... blog #5

While finishing the class paper this past weekend, I found that through my research, couture clothing are produced in a "friendly" environment (Kawamura); which obviously makes sense. But as a student I can't afford the high priced, couture lines, therefore in order to keep up in a sense with what is fashionable, I have to shop at the cheaper alternative places. I'm placed in a dilemma; buying clothes from high end couture lines which will probably rack up my credit cards, or buy cheaper clothes that are knock-offs but are made in poor conditions. As a student with little means, the latter choice makes more sense even if I have to turn a blind eye to certain things. And if fashion is suppose to represent a social status (Stewart), then I'm sad to say that as a student I'm at the bottom of the food chain.