Freedom of expression is something we should never have taken away, but at what point are we misusing that right? Are we truly expression ourselves, or just using the freedom of expression as a cover-up. Centuries ago, we never had this right, and now that we do, we may be taking it for granted. Maybe we should fall back to those old clothing restrictions. And what does our clothing really say about us? Aesthetically, we are stunning, creative, flashy, but ethically, we may be sending the wrong impression. How much can we really change, when we are trying to express ourselves and what we love?
18th and 19th Century styles left
little for self-expression. Women wore
elegant, tight-fitting dresses that slimmed their midsections. Men wore overcoats and top hats. There was no such thing as a graphic tee or
skinny jeans. Women were expected to
have a certain body shape and to cover up.
Men were expected to look put together and proper. Though showing a very ethical style in terms
of exposure, the styles were not very different between one person or the next. As philosopher E. Wilson says, “…fashion is
one among many forms of aesthetic creativity which make possible the
exploration of alternatives.” It is
true. The more we express in our
clothing, the more creative we get with our articles of clothing, in style, shape,
and color. Styles of past centuries did
not provide the wearer or the observers to have a sense of creativity. A woman wore the one socially acceptable
style that was present in this time period, and all else was considered
disrespectful and shameful.
Fashion trends have always had some part in
one’s being. They come and go, and most,
if not all, of us comply. It’s only a
matter of time before what was once seen as disrespectful attire is in every
store. Clothing can changes one’s
appearance, but it can also change one’s personality. Will you hold to your morals, or will you buy
that new jacket? Everyone else is
getting it, you can’t be left out. But
it was made in a sweatshop; you would be encouraging and supporting that. In the essay “Women Shopping and Women Sweatshops”,
these concepts are discussed. It’s all
about view point and desires. In these
situations, one’s character can go from being against the cruelties of the
clothing industry to following the norm and getting that new jacket. If we are aware of where our money is going
to, are we to blame? We should know we’re
supporting it. Philosopher Peter Singer’s
view point on the situation is as followed: “…[we] should cut unnecessary
consumer and government spending to donate funds to relieve world poverty
because suffering is bad.” Many would
see the purchase of clothing items as a donation, but many others would see it
as encouraging the behavior, of encouraging the sweatshops. How many people’s lives went into that
jacket? Those pants? That shoe?
It’s all perspective. Is it
ethically correct for us to hold clothing so dearly when people were injured,
lives were lost in the making? Then
there is the view of how great it looks, how it expresses us. Some clothing may be made outside sweatshops,
but what if it doesn’t express us?
Again, ethics verse looks.
Society tells us suffering is bad, but then we are judged for not buying
the newest jacket or shirt or whatever.
At what point will the two be fulfilled.
Personally,
I think most stores sell what is socially acceptable. What is “in” is based off of the trends made
by celebrities, by other stores’ success, or what the consumer is making
themselves, and it’s only a matter of time before everyone is wearing it, then
it all needs to start again. In the 18th
and 19th century, women and men had little for self-expression, and
today, it seems like some people may be using “self-expression” as a cover-up
for their attire. Yes, I do believe
everyone should have their own form of self-expression, but there is such a
thing as a “limit” (too short, too revealing, too inappropriate). Yes, we should all have our chance to say
what we want, but clothing with provocative words or shorts the size of
underwear is inappropriate no matter who is wearing it. As for sweatshops, the suffering is hard to
solve in a day. If we stop buying from
them, are we not just putting millions of people out of jobs? If we continue to buy from them, are we just
trying to ignore the suffering? Either
way, the situation seems like a lose-lose, and a solution may be too fair in
the future for us to grasp. I would have
to say that I have always taken a more aesthetic side to purchasing of
clothing. I go for look, if I will wear
it. I do not take the time to look at
all the manufacturers or where it is from.
Once when I was younger, my friend and I went through my closet and read
all the labels on my clothing. There was
places such as Thailand, India, China, Japan, and USA. So many places, and I would not have known
had I not looked. For those of you who
do take the time to see the ‘Made In’ label before purchasing, good for
you! For those who do not, I am with
you. The most for ethical shopping that
I believe I do is avoid fur and avoid leather, but I cannot say I try to avoid
sweatshop material. 
There
are a few ways I can improve my ethical purchasing. I can look at the label, I can shop from
USA-Made stores, I can purchase clothing when it is absolutely necessary. But these can be big steps, especially for a
college student like myself. I am a very
picky shopper, so I would not consider myself an ‘impulse buyer’ or ‘shopping-obsessed’. I buy when I need it, unless the sale is too
good to pass, and in these cases, I know I am most likely buying from a manufacture
who doesn’t go through all the safety conditions or may not pay the workers
well. My biggest impulse purchase, Nike, are made in sweatshops. Nike designs and styles that I find so creative and flashy come with a price, and it isn't good. I buy unethically in this case, supporting the sweatshops, and this will be a hard change to make for me. I do stop in any Nike store I come across, but often times I walk out empty handed. I look for what will catch my eye, and if it doesn't, I'm not going to pick it up. In this case, I like to think that I did what was best. It’s all based on
perspective. Yes we can do our part by
avoiding sweatshop clothing, but are we truly avoiding all the suffering if we take away the one support those workers had for their families? Sarah Rup
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