Okay, ready set go! This is blog #1 Where to begin?

When I think of Fashion, I usually see either fancy clothes, random scenes from America's Top Model and an odd conglomeration of nice dressing people. Sometimes gangsters, other times businessmen but usually they wear something nice. I particularly like the old 1930s-50s gangster look like shown in the picture below from Kung Fu Hustle.

Now when I first signed up for this class I did not know what I was getting into. When first signed onto Smartsite and read that this class was about Fashion I was awestruck and horrified I was never had any competence at looking good or dressing nicely. I never was one for fashion, I always dressed comfortably a t-shirt and pant, now I am going to dive head first into a subject I know nothing in order to place myself in a situation where I can learn something new. Now as to the reason for blogging as learning assignment seems a little weird even for new wave teaching techniques but hey who am I to judge. Now onto the subject of this posting, fashion or more like the unique study of fashion and the socioeconomic determinants of specific styles of dress and their historical origins. Or at least that is what I got from looking at the readings.

Now while I was surfing the web, something oddly enough that I do not do on a regular basis anymore with the majority of my time online spent watching movies. So when I came across this article online I was thought it would be a important reference to how fashion or more specifically clothing can have social repercussions. In the introduction of Re-Orienting Fashion brought up the ideas of how economic practices, political views and public opinion are all influenced by how the people who participate act and dress from the fashion icon Princess Diana to the lowly office worker trying to impress his/her boss.

Big Corporations feel the sting of fashion as well, and how it can affect public opinion. In the Article I read, H&M and Walmart were found to have destroyed unsold clothing and thrown it out instead of the usual donation policy.

Now this story will have an impact on these two companies, a statement that even they are considered part of the Fashion world they have done this uncharitable, wasteful, some may call evil act. The actions of people has an impact on their fashion, In the example of Imperialism the West was strong and powerful so many people adopted the Western dress in order to be a part of that idea of power and advancement even though clothing has nothing to do with physically with power. Although I do admit a good power suit ensemble can make anyone more intimidating.

Eric Keng

Entry # 1

WORKS CITED

Niessen, Sandra and Ann Marie Leshkowich and Carla Jones Eds. 2003, Re-Orienting Fashion: the Globalization of Asian Dress. New York: Berg Publishers

H&M and Wal-Mart destroy and trash unsold goods