Aung Lin-Be Green Challenge Week #4-Blog #4

Aung Lin

ASA141-Valverde

Be Green Challenge

Blog #4

Week#4

            This is the fourth and final week of the Be Green challenge and my classmates seems happy that they’re about to run to the mall to shop until they drop. I think they don’t really care if products they buy are made with cheap child labor or made by abused sweatshop workers but I do. I told every girl I know about forever 21 and how they bullied their Mexican garment workers. I was shocked after what I learned in class and watched “Made in LA.” I’m the kind of person that would never support retailers that took advantage of poor workers from developing countries; especially children. This class and Be Green Challenge made me be more careful when I shop for clothes or anything. I felt very sad to learn about how my clothes are made and would never forget about it. I also hope my classmates would never support companies that use sweatshops that bullied their employees. This challenge made me think twice before I buy anything, read labels, and do research about where products came from.  

            After I read chapter 6 of our class book Fashion-ology, I learned that king Louis XIV from France is known for fashion and his spending on fashion and decorations at the Versailles Palace. I never once heard of a guy that cares so much about fashion until I read about King Louis XIV. I did further research about him online and Wikipedia and learned that he was the king of France for 72 years and it was one of the longest reigns in Europe. Also I learned that he spends a lot more money than other rulers to decorate his palace.

King Louis XIV in his stylish couture 

            I learned something I’ve never heard of after I read Bhachu’s article under week 9 reading. I had no clue Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles love Indian food and even served Indian food on Prince Charles’s 48^th birthday in 1996. I had no clue that there are millions of Indian people in Britain and British love Indian cloth and clothing. I also learned that many British fashion icons like Princess Diana likes to wear Indian women’s saris and it became a fashion trend. Even famous French fashion designer like Yves Saint Laurent was inspired by saris and had collections of it on his runway. I had no clue how popular saris was until I read this article. I wish my country’s women national costume was popular like saris.

Princes Diana wearing sari inspired gown

            I was shocked after I looked up images of these Kogal Japanese teenage girls wearing “mountain witch fashion trend” in Kawamura’s article under week 9 reading. I have no clue what these girls wear thinking and don’t know what kind of parents would let their daughters go out in public like that. I think these girls are making fool of themselves by wearing all these heavy make-up and insane hair. These Kogal girls went too far with these fake sun tans. I think they’re not creating Japanese street fashion, instead they’re ruining Japanese culture by dressing like prostitutes. Somebody needs to help these girls.

Japanese Kogal Girls

References

“Adoption and Consumption of Fashion” from the book Fashion-ology. Chapter 6.

Ashley, Maurice. “Louis XIV of France.” Wikipedia. 2014.

Bhachu, Parminder. “It’s Hip to be Asian.” Class reader.

Kawamura, Yuniya. “Japanese Teens as Producers of Street Fashion.” Class reader.