Sweat Shops

Sweatshop workers undergo horrible working conditions including sub-minimum wages, no benefits, non-payment of wages, forced overtime, sexual harassment, verbal and physical abuse, corporal punishment, and illegal firings. Children are often found working in sweatshops instead of going to school. Sweatshop operators are famous for ignoring maternity leave forcing women workers to take birth control or to abort their pregnancies. Are sweat shops a necessary evil?

A sweatshop is a working onment with very difficult or dangerous conditions, usually where the workers have few rights or ways to address their situationI do believe sweat shops are a necessary evil. Of course I don't like them, but considering the idea that most of these children would not have jobs and be able to support their families it does seem like an ok prospect.

Defenders of sweatshops, such as Paul Krugman and Johan Norberg claim that people choose to work in sweatshops because the sweatshops offer them higher wages and better working conditions as opposed to their previous jobs of manual farm labor, and that sweatshops are an early step in the process of technological and economic development. Sometimes anti-sweatshop activists are successful in getting sweatshops to close, some of the employees who had been working in the sweatshops ended up starving to death, while others ended up turning to prostitution.The website below contains a list of apparel companies that are union operated working against sweat shops :)

http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/sweatfreeproducts.cfm

http://www.coopamerica.org/images/sweatshops_lg.jpg

Fashion Inspiration

Fashion is an impeccable field for numerous reasons, my favorite however is the use of ones imagination. Fashion truly is art, which I have trouble explaining to several people, especially my parents. It is wearable art that comes from each designer's unique inspirations. I am currently studying to be a buyer in the fashion industry so the design aspect is very foreign to me. However foreign design is to me I still manage to gather inspirations on new ideas. Whether it be from magazines, movies, runway shows, music, even observing peoples outfits and trends helps inspire me. However most of my inspiration comes from watching runway shows. They are the most extreme form of wearable art as you can get with little to none limits which is what I like.

One of my all time favorite style icons is Audrey Hepburn. Her idea of simplicity mixed with bold statements is my motto of thinking everyday. Her love for little black dresses, oversized sunglasses, and ballet flats are a major part of my wardrobe. I also love her idea of full skirts, cinched waists, unique, special and striking silhouettes. She is a true fashion icon.

I really do not pride myself on being a good sketcher, so please look to the left with caution :). It took me a few days but here is the best of what I could come up with. I designed a dress because I am absolutely in love with dresses, I would wear them everyday if I could. I was inspired to do gold because I love warm, shimmery, golden bronzed tones and I added a well fitted top with a little bit of a design for a twist. I like to mix pieces that seem as though they would not go together; a long skirt with a fitted baby doll patterned top. It is almost vintage mixed with a hint of modern.