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(05/09/19 9:55am)
So, my last column. I started this column after a joke turned serious during a conversation with The Campus’s editor in chief. It happened right before the beginning of my senior year here at Middlebury. Now, I am in my last week at this academic institution. I have begun saying my goodbyes, revisiting meaningful places and finding closure on this incredible era of my life. So, I am dedicating my last Lookbook article to graduation, or more specifically, the history behind graduation gowns.
A couple of weeks ago, I took my senior portraits and became overwhelmed as the photographer told me to put on the cap and gown. As many of us look to graduations to commemorate, validate and close amazing academic journeys of our lives, I began to wonder; who’s idea was it to put on heavy, polyester garb to walk across a stage?
According to the Washington Post, graduation gowns originated in twelfth-century Europe. It is no surprise that the first universities were founded and run by clergymen. With clergy donned in typical religious ceremonial attire, their students soon adopted similar garments in order to emulate their faculty but distinguish them from uneducated town residents. The original gowns were heavy, as they were made of Worsted-spun yarns and had hoods in order to keep students warm in unheated buildings. In the late 1800s, the style of robes was standardized for each level of education. All gowns from then on were to be the same color, while certain types of sleeves, fabrics, and add-on decorations were designated for specific degree holders. This is why our professors and teachers look more elaborate than we do on convocation and graduation day. Today, gowns use more lightweight fabrics, and we have transitioned from hoods to caps, tams and bonnets.
Many schools now choose a variety of colors, stoles or other decorations to add flare to the outfit. We excitedly put on our graduation caps and gowns, not realizing the long, religious history that is behind them. What was once religious regalia is now academic. As I am preparing to graduate in a few weeks, I have reflected on the what my education has meant for me. I am very different from the initial white clergymen my graduation gown (and education) was originally for; I wonder if the clergymen of Europe or the founders of Middlebury ever thought someone like me would be adopting their traditions. However, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter what they would think. On May 26, I will grab my gown and walk across the stage in my best heels toward my diploma and Painter’s cane.
Thanks for an amazing four years Midd! You taught me a lot.
(05/02/19 9:57am)
This week, I am featuring one of my favorite hosiery items. As someone who loves wearing skirts and dresses, I spend a lot of time wearing tights, leggings and knee high socks, especially during the winter. My favorite, however, are my fishnet tights. As a young 20-year-old heading off into the professional business world after college, I have tried to use my remaining time at Middlebury as an opportunity to wear typically unorthodox clothing.While fishnets definitely do not keep me warm in the Vermont winters, I enjoy the sense of edge and empowerment I feel when I wear them. My time at Middlebury has been full of controversial events and personal growth. I have had journeys exploring my sense of self, my womanhood and my Blackness in the context of this institution. I am leaving this campus more empowered and strong. So wearing fishnet tights has felt like one small way to wear my rebellion. It’s been a subtle but bold means of self expression.
This past semester, there have been many events focused on body empowerment and celebration. I attended Behind the Vagina Monologues, Evolution and the BrASS Burlesque Show and each left me feeling reaffirmed within my body. Fishnets are typically associated with hypersexuality, promiscuity and deviance. I wanted to explore how nylons have managed to take on such a heavy connotation.
The origins of hosiery date back centuries. The earliest known pair were found in the tomb of a noble Egyptian women over two thousand years ago who more than likely used them for warmth. A stark contrast to when fishnets became a popular choice for women during the Victorian era as a display of nobility. They have been used for style but also warmth as they’ve been made from animal skin, hair, silk and nylon. And, as technology has evolved, so have hosiery. Knitting, looming and modern day manufacturing have lead to what we know and love today. Fishnets, in particular, have been a stylistic choice for many for the past several decades. Movie stars, celebrities and sex workers have all donned the nylon versions of the past. Fishnets are thought to have been popularized by Parisian performers in the early 1900s before coming to the U.S. and becoming a part of flapper and pin-up culture starting in the 1920s.
I think it is because of these more modern uses specifically that the hosiery has been sexualized and symbolic of rebellious femininity. So, throughout their journey, from flappers to punk rockers to urban streets to me in Middlebury, VT, the trend has persisted and stylistically evolved. When I put on my fishnet tights to go to class, I am reminded of their long history and every type of person who wore them in the past, for whatever occasion.
(04/18/19 9:54am)
This week, instead of discussing an item, I will be featuring one of the new businesses in town. Parlour Salon just moved onto Main St. A short walk from campus, the salon provides hair and beauty services for the community. These services include hair styling, waxing and more.
Parlour was opened by local residents Megan Mandigo and Lisa Phelps. The two women met several years ago through their husbands, who both work with Middlebury College Athletics. Mandigo is a Middlebury alumna from California. Phelps grew up in Waitsfield, Vt. before moving to Florida and then Burlington to train as a hairstylist. After years of joking around, the two women decided to open a business. They were with their children at a local playground when they decided they would try and bring Parlour into fruition. It was a daunting task. Mandigo and Phelps have a collective five children and needed to simultaneously run their households, open a business, market their salon and hire staff when they started in 2016. The women are grateful for the support of their friends and family who helped them through the daunting task.
Having both spent parts of their lives in cities very different from Middlebury, Mandigo and Phelps wanted to create a salon with beauty services comparable to what one might find in a large city. Mandigo explained that the name was chosen because parlours tend to be spaces that people go to feel welcome, socialize and develop community. Their clientele includes the greater Middlebury community, including college students. The town of Middlebury brings in people from all over the world and from different backgrounds, so creating a space for people to interact has been extremely important.
As residents, Mandigo and Phelps want to revitalize downtown Middlebury and add to the growing community. The salon is hiring more staff and building their clientele as they have been growing over the last few years. Parlour was previously located on Seymour St. but moved to the more central location on Main St. Mandigo mentions that, since their move, they’ve been welcomed by other local businesses. She describes how the business owners try to build relationships with each other by referring customers to one another. Having a strong business community has proven beneficial to the local business people and the residents.
One of my favorite parts of attending Middlebury is the intentionality of the community. During my visits to the salon, I appreciated walking into a space with familiar and unfamiliar faces who were all open to socializing and chatting. Given that salons are venues to pamper and rejuvenate the body, it is nice to see that Parlour works both for the mind and community.
(02/28/19 10:57am)
This week I am featuring a new dress that I recently bought from Zara. The dress is bright red, long-sleeved and features covered buttons and a pussycat bow neckline. Working in the Admissions Office as a Senior Fellow, I have to wear business casual attire at least once a week. Given that professional clothing can be very expensive, I was super excited to find this dress on clearance for less than twenty dollars. I felt that it was the perfect dress to match my preppy style while also looking office appropriate.
I find that many companies are adopting inclusivity and wellness practices into their work environments. One main component of this is allowing employees to dress in a way that allows for self-expression and comfort. “Business casual attire” is supposed to be the happy medium between business professional and casual clothing. Clothes that are informal enough for you to feel at ease, but professional enough not to disrupt the work environment. Despite my past internships and career bootcamps, I still sometimes struggle to discern which articles of clothing I should wear to the office. What clothes are suitable and which are pushing the limits of professionalism? I find that many people my age and across industries, struggle when deciding what to wear to work in the mornings. This is why I wanted dedicate a column to unpacking and explaining what it means to adopt a business casual attire.
So, here are some tips for how to navigate the business casual work space:
1. Skirts and dresses above the knee are typically not acceptable, but capri cut slacks and khakis are fine. Never jeans.
2. Collars on shirts are nice but are not required. Feel free to wear a stylish blouse or shirt of your choosing--just stay away from anything too revealing. Polos and short sleeves are acceptable. Ties are optional.
3. For shoes, please stick to closed-toed dress shoes. Peep-toe sandals and mules are typically acceptable, but flip flops, slides and sneakers are a no-no.
4. Wrinkles are never acceptable, so allocate time to ironing your outfit in advance. Also, “distressed” anything is definitely unacceptable. Stay away from ripped, bleached or cut up garments.
5. Business professional attire typically only includes dark and neutral colors. So, business casual attire means you have room to experiment with colors and patterns. Be careful not to go overboard–but this gives you room to experiment.
6. When it comes to jewelry, have fun, but in moderation. A nice necklace, watch, lapel pin or belt can add a pop of style as long as they aren’t too distracting.
7. Makeup is also acceptable in moderation. Feel free to sport a bold red lip, but don’t come to the office looking ready for the Grammys.
8. I believe that everyone should at least own a blazer or suit jacket for initial interviews but it is not needed for the office. A nice cardigan or vest is all you need.
9. In the name of sustainability, I recommend shopping at thrift stores to find clothes. Especially when you’re on an intern salary or just starting your career.
10. Finally, stockings are typically required for business professional settings but not business casual. Leggings as pants are never a good idea in the workplace but may be a nice option to wear under your work dress.
While these tips provide an idea of how to dress appropriately, these aren’t fixed rules. Above all else, I recommend being a tad over-dressed for the first day. This not only helps you make a good first impression but saves you from unknowingly wearing something too informal.
Also, because every company is different, no one work culture is the same and neither are their definitions of business casual. Take at least a week to feel out the company. Take mental notes of what other employees are wearing and maybe even have a chat with the Human Resources representative to learn official company policy on clothing. This way you can find the happy medium between professionalism and personal style.
(01/17/19 10:55am)
My mom tells me all the time that I need another jacket like I need a hole in my head.
They’re my favorite item of clothing to wear because they’re stylish, comfortable and can be layered on top of other clothing. Jackets are my weakness. One jacket that I recently brought back to campus is a wine colored, vegan leather, motorcycle jacket that I bought from ASOS last year. I knew I wanted an edgy addition to my wardrobe and after shopping around for a few weeks, I decided on this jacket because of its textiles.
I personally do not believe in wearing clothes made from animals. Therefore, I was excited to find a moto jacket that was vegan. A quick search online showed me that vegan leather is praised by PETA for being animal friendly and indeed made of alternative materials. I read many news articles pushing vegan leather as the new fashion wave that every animal lover should buy.
At the time, I had no clue what vegan leather really meant; what standards a company had to follow, what substitute materials were used and which organization regulated this process were all lost to me. I was simply lured in by the “vegan” label and idea of being a conscientious consumer. I later learned that this was not completely true.
Instead of animal hides, vegan leather is usually made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU) and other textile-polymers. Chemicals — goody. Vegan leather, or faux leather, is manufactured through a process in which plastic-based synthetics are mixed, burned and pressed before being attached to a fabric backing.
This process releases dioxins, which are extremely dangerous to not only the workers creating these garments but to the environment as well.
Dioxins are chemical compounds classified as persistent organic pollutants. These chemicals are not biodegradable. Because synthetic and mixed fabrics are much more difficult and expensive to recycle, these garments are often being thrown out with the rest of our waste — which further allows these dioxins to enter our environment.
While some designers are using more natural materials to make their vegan leather, many are not.
[pullquote speaker="" photo="" align="center" background="on" border="all" shadow="on"]One win for animal protection comes at the expense of human and environmental safety. [/pullquote]
Since I was young, I have noticed the debate around animal use in cosmetics and fashion. But I find it concerning that even though this has been a long-term battle, we still haven’t found a solution. It seems that everything is a compromise and in this case, one win for animal protection comes at the expense of human and environmental safety.
I believe this is another deviation between marketing and consumer knowledge. I am constantly seeing topics such as animal cruelty, social justice and environmentalism incorporated into marketing campaigns. I feel that in today’s society where being “woke” is the cool and honorable thing to do, consumers are more likely to buy whatever labels will help them do so.
I am guilty of this.
I saw “vegan leather” in the product description and instantly got a warm, tingly feeling as I added my the jacket to my online shopping cart. I thought I had done my job as a good human being. It was only after I had explored several articles and gotten past the PETA homepage that I realized there was a serious problem with what the textiles companies were marketing to us.
Over the course of writing The Lookbook, and my shopping addiction, I think I’ve learned a lot about the fashion industry and consumerism. But I’m always surprised at how much I’m still learning.
Being a conscientious consumer is difficult and time-consuming. It is also a process that is not yet perfect. However, what I learned from this purchase was to do your research extensively and not to be lured in by a product description you don’t fully understand.
(12/06/18 10:58am)
This week I am featuring my black high waisted, distressed denim black pants. A few months ago, I went to Target to buy toothpaste, quickly got distracted and consequently bought these pants. Typical — I know. But, I was really excited about these pants because they’re comfortable and not restricting like most denim. One feature that I really appreciate is that they are partially made of recycled materials. In past editions of the Lookbook, I’ve mentioned the economic effects of mass consumerism. Now, I want to shift focus to the environmental consequences. Consumers are buying and disposing of clothes as frequent as every new fashion trend. So, what happens to the clothes that don’t get sold or the clothing donations that never make it to their intended receivers? Answer: they become environmental pollutants.
First, let’s consider the resources that go into producing clothes. Given that many clothes sold in the United States are produced and imported internationally, there is a lot of energy and resources consumed in creating fabrics, sewing them together and transporting finished goods to stores. There are a lot of steps that go into turning a ball of cotton into a wearable garment. That is why it is so unfortunate that these garments are discarded after the passing of fashion trends. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that in 2015, of the 16 million tons of textiles that were produced, only 2.5 million tons were recycled. Of the textiles that are not recycled, 3.1 million tons were incinerated and converted into heat and electricity. The other 10.5 million tons ended up in landfills.
The millions of tons of textile waste that continue to end up in landfills are lost opportunities to recycle and reuse garments. This is horrible for the environment. To avoid discarding used clothes and minimize negative externalities, you can recycle your clothes. I recommend DIY projects to repurpose old t-shirts or pants. Another option is to give clothes to consignment shops in order to earn back extra cash. I am a huge fan of shopping at thrift stores to minimize consumption. Another option to recycle clothes is to participate in give-back programs at retailers or to give to charities such as the American Textile Recycling Service. These are all great options to help minimize the amount of personal waste you produce.
(11/15/18 10:58am)
This week I am featuring one of my favorite coats. I have had it for a few years now, but I love wearing it every winter. The GUESS coat is all black on the outside with a faux fur lapel and glossy snake print sleeves. The inside of the coat is lined with leopard print. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that it doesn’t keep me very warm during the dead of winter, but it’s stylish and I like it so I wear it anyway. Despite being mostly black, this coat has a lot of textures and patterns that stand out. Faux fur, leopard and snake prints are common trends we see pop in fashion again and again, but it wasn’t until recently that I started to wonder why.
When I went abroad last spring in Cameroon, something my friends and I enjoyed doing was going to the markets and see the different pagnes we could buy. Pagnes are fabrics that are typically vibrant or intricate in design, but there’s more to them than just their aesthetics. I learned that many patterns have significant historical and cultural meanings. Learning this made me curious about the possible historical or cultural significance behind the designs and patterns we have in the United States. So, looking at my black coat, I wanted to explore some of the history behind animal-inspired prints and features.
Leopard print, which is the bold feature hidden inside the coat, has a long history of being incorporated into fashion. Often associated with flashy, promiscuous and/or tacky personalities, leopard print has been a popular and recurring trend. When I was in Cameroon, we learned that people didn’t just wear these sacred prints for fashion, but because the animals and patterns themselves are sacred. While visiting a chefferie (village or kingdom) in Bangoulap, Cameroon, we learned the process by which kings and animals found each other and exchanged powers. Each king would find their own totem that would represent them in life, beginning with a sacred ceremony marking the transition from prince to king. These animals ranged from elephants and cheetahs to snakes and leopards. It was believed that the kings could transform into these animals when necessary and that the animals represented the powers that kings had. Therefore, to wear the hide of an animal was not only a sign of wealth and prestige, it was a sign of great power that only the nobles had. I remember sitting in the throne room with other Middlebury students surrounded by leopard print and leopard items everywhere, since that was the totem of Bapa’s king. Keeping the animal close signifies the animal’s importance to the person and the power it possesses.
So, how did it end up the inside lining of my coat? I find that prints, like many trends in fashion, travel. African cultures aren’t the only ones to associate animal features with nobles or spiritual figures. Greek, Egyptian and Chinese religions and mythologies have all historically used animals when depicting important figures. Fashion trends travel across time and place and change the more they move.
So I am not surprised that what in one place and time of the world was considered sacred is in another simply a polyester material for the inside of my coat. Or the outside of my sleeves. Fashion borrows, steals and appropriates from itself all the time and I find that along the way many things lose their meaning. While animal prints in the United States have had a long life as a fashion staple, the connotations we assign to them are interesting. The animal print that the Bangoulap community saw as a representation of their king, westerners see and think about the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Everytime I put on my coat, I think about what the animal prints on it mean stylistically here at Midd but also what they would have meant had I been wearing them back in Cameroon. One thing I learned from going abroad is that prints can be vibrant ways to express yourself and stand out, but they can also have tremendous significance and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
(11/08/18 10:58am)
This week, I am featuring one of my new favorite coats.
This cranberry red, wool peacoat is a great addition to my closet because it is perfect for the fall weather. The coat is made by London Fog and I only paid eight dollars for it at a Goodwill in Boston this past summer. If you’ve read a few editions of my column, then you would know I love bargain deals and saving money on clothes. Naturally, I was super excited when I came across this peacoat because it was so cheap and something that I knew would be super useful this season.
Thrifting is grossly underrated and something I wish more consumers took advantage of. Shopping at your local thrift store can help support local businesses or philanthropic organizations. Growing up, my mom always donated our family’s old clothes. I think we’ve always felt good knowing our slightly used items were being reused and repurposed to help people in our community. But I never realized how complicated the donation process actually was until recently.
Fast fashion is a popular retail practice in America. Fast fashion is clothing which is made cheaply and quickly in order to capture and sell the latest fashion trend. Ever notice how stores like Forever 21 are constantly turning over their inventory and unveiling new marketing campaigns? This is because they want to incentivize people to buy frequently in order stay on top of constantly changing fashion trends. The problem with this practice is that it leads to a lot of clothing waste. According to HuffPost, in 2013 alone, Americans produced 15.1 million tons of textile waste. This number has only grown over the past few years. Consumers spend so much money buying new clothes that in order to make themselves feel better about their purchases and make room in their closets, most consumers purge their clothes and donate to the local thrift store. The problem with this, however, is that there are not nearly enough people shopping at thrift stores to offset the influx of inventory they recieve. Thrift stores are receiving more donations and inventory than they can sell. So, often thrift stores donate clothes to developing countries.
I think people feel good about donating their clothes and knowing they are going to help the “less fortunate.” But what if I told you that’s not always the case? According to an investigation by the CBC/Radio-Canada, the United States is the world’s largest exporter of second-hand clothing. Surplus clothing donations often find their way to developing countries which then incorporate them into their retail industries. Besides the negative environmental impact this brings, this discarded clothing ends up in markets such as Mokolo in Yaoundé. I spent this past semester in Yaoundé, Cameroon and I noticed that many people seek fashionable Western/American clothing. I can remember going to the market with my host sisters or walking down the street and being amazed by the clothes people chose to wear. Confederate flag t-shirts, Justin Bieber concert shirts and big, puffy winter coats were everywhere. When I asked the people around me why they were wearing winter coats during the dry season in Cameroon or t-shirts with meanings they didn’t understand, they said “because it’s American.”
I found out, through many long conversations with my host sister, that people believed American clothing was of “good quality” and “more chic” than the other trends available. This is ironic given that our clothes are often made cheaply and are not durable. I found that it was more desirable to wear clothes “donated” or imported from America and therefore, local retailers often struggle to maintain their businesses. Thus, retail industries in developing countries often suffer because the market is flooded with retail leftovers from do-good American consumers who have donated their clothes.
We cannot donate our problem of unsustainable consumerism. Fast fashion creates textile waste that can have rippling effects around the world. Thrift stores can be a great way to recycle old and unwanted clothing but only if it is actually sold. I challenge myself to buy responsibly by only buying clothes from brands I respect, made of materials I know are more sustainable and in versatile styles I know I will wear even after the fashion trend has died. This is a hard task but it has saved me from spending frivolously and helps reduce the already enormous textile waste produced every year. I recommend the same for others. Visit your local thrift shops, buy recycled textiles and, above all else, shop responsibly.
(11/01/18 9:49am)
This past week I bought a pair of “University Red” Nike Huaraches. I was excited about this athleisure purchase because the color of the shoes is super vibrant and a great statement piece to my outfits. I wanted to stand out and even though Nike Huaraches are a very typical shoe, the color is not. In addition, I also saved about $40 on my purchase by ordering the shoes in a kids size instead of adult. Shop smarter.
Anyone who knows me, or has seen me around, knows that I can often be spotted marching up and down the hills of campus in heels or booties. So, how did a pair of sneakers end up in my online shopping cart? Something that I always admired about Nike was their branding. Beyond the quality of shoes, I was always interested in the image the company has historically perpetuated.
As a Black American woman, I have been drawn to Nike’s commitment to advertise and market to a diverse consumer base. Nike has been in the news recently for its campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick and Serena Williams. Companies that stand up for social justice and inclusivity are ones that I have always tried to support as a consumer. I love when I scroll on Instagram or read online about the latest company to clap-back at injustice or feature a model with whom I can actually identify.
However, a conversation I recently had with a friend challenged my thinking and made me want to investigate further. Capitalizing on individuals’ desires to feel included and respected in society has manifested itself into very clever marketing. I find that the latest trend in fashion is that of social justice.
Advertisements featuring physical diversity in models, sponsorships with social activists and wittily worded social media posts are everywhere. As movements focused on immigration, gay rights, black lives, sexual violence and beauty norms have come to the forefronts of conversation, they’ve also come to that of retail stores. After recognizing that minority groups have sufficient purchasing power, companies specifically target these communities to market their products and incorporate them into their customer base.
As a result, I have begun to wonder what, other than marketing, these companies do to contribute to the communities they are appealing to. Nike has recently come under scrutiny for advertising support for the black community while historically contributing to conservative political campaigns. Whenever a social or political event in our nation makes the news headlines, many companies will demonstrate public support. However, this support often fades away with the next news cycle. I worry that inclusivity is often not driven by the morality of companies but by capitalistic incentives to sell to untapped but lucrative demographics instead. I find that many companies will jump on the bandwagon of fighting the good fight publicly but don’t always contribute beyond the marketing campaigns.
Many individuals, like myself, will become loyal to brands that speak to them stylistically and personally. The brand has become a huge part of the decision making process when purchasing a new item.
Recognizing that it’s rare to find a company that actually puts its money where its campaigns are, I’ve started to challenge myself to think beyond the advertising and do more research about where I spend my money.
(10/11/18 9:56am)
This past summer, I purchased a new pair of prescription glasses from Vision Works. I got a pair of dark brown Kate Spade glasses which were square-shaped and tortoise-patterned. This was the first pair of glasses I bought since switching to contacts in high school, so I was excited to get something new and more mature.
I paid for the glasses using the money I had earned interning in Boston this summer. This was the first time I, and not my parents, paid the couple hundred dollars for the frames and prescription lenses. It wasn’t until it was time to pay and I heard the price, that I began to wonder why prescription glasses are so expensive.
The first time I failed a vision test and realized I would need to get glasses, I was in the third grade. I felt ashamed and weirded out by the idea of needing help to see, something that all the other kids seemed to have no problem doing. Over the years, my glasses became a part of my identity and I haven’t thought much about my vision since.
However, I have thought about how expensive and time consuming having a visual aid can be. Nowadays, glasses are deemed a fashion accessory and you can find a stylish but fake pair at almost any clothing store. I find it comical walking into these stores and seeing “fashion glasses” for people who do not need glasses but want to try out the look. It is unfortunate that for individuals who actually need visual aid, real glasses are so expensive.
Many people all around the world wear prescription glasses, but it turns out that only one company has been behind most of the production. Luxottica is an Italian eyewear company that, one could argue, has a monopoly over the eyewear industry. Given so little competition from other eyewear companies, Luxottica is able to dominate the industry and set steep prices for their eyewear frames. The company is considered “vertically integrated,” meaning that they are in charge of the design, manufacture and sales of all their frames. They even own the vision insurance company EyeMed. Though the company’s representatives have argued that they do not have a monopoly on the industry, it is interesting to note that Luxottica possesses the largest market share within it. They have their hand in retail stores such as LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, SunGlass Hut International, Sears and Target. They are also responsible for brands such as Chanel, Burberry, Ray-Ban, Oakley, Coach and Ralph Lauren. Needless to say, Luxottica is omnipresent and able to control a reported 14 percent of the eyewear industry.
The company with the next largest market share is Essilor — a French-based lens manufacturer. In contrast to Luxottica’s specialty in frames, Essilor credits its 13 percent market share to being the biggest manufacturer of lenses. Given that the two companies provide the only real source of competition in the market for each other, it is concerning that in 2017, Essilor and Luxottica announced plans for a merger. While they are still seeking approval from governments around the world for their plan, many are concerned that this would lead to complete domination over the eyeglass industry and an uncontrollable monopoly. What will happen if the world’s biggest manufacturer of frames merges with that of lens?
If there is one thing I remember from Professor Sommers’ 100-level microeconomics class, it’s that monopolies are not good for the consumer. Being the largest or only supplier in an industry allows the company to set whatever prices they want for their products. This means high cost for customers and little to no competition to give customers other options.
Given that many people depend on prescription glasses to see and live their daily lives, I have personally found it difficult to accept that something I need to survive costs so much. Paying for yearly eye exams, frames, lenses and then waiting five to ten business days for my glasses to arrive seems unfair considering the accessibility of fashion glasses at the local Forever 21.
I am very happy with the way my new Kate Spade glasses look and I think they are a nice item to complement my preppy aesthetic. But every time I put them on, I remember the hours of work I spent interning to pay for them. Visual aid has become like any other accessory, inspiring new styles and fashion trends, I just wish I didn’t have to pay so much to be able to see.
(09/20/18 9:59am)
This column will showcase one piece from my wardrobe and discuss its historical, cultural or industry significance.
This week, I bought a pair of gold Calvin Klein fashion sneakers. Featuring a one and a half inch platform, complementary white shoelaces and a $15 price tag, these shoes were a gem I found at the T.J.Maxx in town.
I, like many people, love a good bargain and constantly find myself in discount stores on a fashion treasure hunt. In an age of technology and the rise of mega online retailers, many conventional retailers have struggled to maintain a consistent customer base.
Online retailers like Amazon have begun dominating the retail industry with their abundance of clothing options, cheap prices and fast shipping. Consequently, American staples such as Macy’s, J.C.Penney and Sears are struggling as their customers are moving to online options. The time for walking into brick and mortar stores is evolving to one-click shopping and “omnichannel” e-commerce. This is why one might be confused as to why discount retail stores, like T.J.Maxx, seem to remain unaffected.
Well, the answer is this: People like myself. Or should I say, people who love searching through the racks at discount retail stores for that designer bargain. The treasure hunt is T.J.Maxx’s selling point; it’s their niche that makes them resistant to the plague of online fashion. While it is very convenient to shop online and wait for your clothes to ship to your mailbox in McCullough, T.J.Maxx’s consistent sales prove that people are still willing to trek out to stores to hunt for that brand-name item at a discounted price. Many discount stores are allowed to sell “premium” items at cheaper prices with the contingency that they do not advertise such prices to the public. Ever wonder why you see T.J.Maxx advertisements but no specifics about what is going on sale? The ambiguity of knowing there are deals to be found but not knowing where or when they’ll be available is how discount stores have been able to stay relevant in an era of e-commerce. The fun is not in the shopping but the surprise bargain, or treasure, at the end.
However, many bargain shoppers are often ignorant of the actual process that outlets and discount stores go through to get their inventory. I think many of us assume that all items found at discount retailers were either surplus or flawed items from the designer’s original inventory.
In recent years, many articles and class action lawsuits have arisen, shedding light on the marketing practices and supply chain management behind discount retailers. Angry shoppers have found that many items for sale at discount and outlet stores are often designed and produced separately from the named designer. In 2017, Gap Inc. was accused in a California case action lawsuit of labeling price tags with the “original price” scratched out and a new “discounted price” placed beneath in order to mislead customers into thinking they were buying items on sale. According to the lawsuit, these items were produced specifically for their Banana Republic outlet stores and were never intended to be sold at a higher price.
Another method of stocking store shelves with “bargain” items has been to allow discount retailers licensing deals. In such deals, discount retailers are responsible for the production and sale of the items that ultimately get slapped with the designer label post production. The initial designer is then paid royalties for allowing their name to be put on an article of clothing that they had no hand in producing. Take, for example, my new $15 Calvin Klein sneakers. It is very possible that these shoes were made completely separate from Calvin Klein Inc. Licensing deals allow discount retailers to sell more cheaply made designer items. This relieves designers of the responsibility of production and sales and gives them a little extra cash.
There is an evident push from consumers for companies to be more transparent in the production of items they are selling. I am someone who loves my clothes and going shopping. So, while you will see me around campus in my new metallic gold sneakers, I find it important to be knowledgeable about where and how these shoes came to be. I believe there is room for our consumer society to hold retailers more accountable in their business practices.
Clark Lewis is a member of the Middlebury College class of 2019.