The fashion industry has made so many slip-ups, which caused their way to the media that concerned customers, designers, models and the designs themselves.
We all see the newest trends on social media or magazines, and desire what we see on those models. The main problem with that was the owners of the companies only wanted certain people with certain looks and figures to wear their clothing, shoes, and accessories.
There have been many controversies over many owners not wanting certain customers to wear their clothing brand due to looks and figure, but these are a few that have caused many companies to lose customers:
1. Lululemon
"Frankly some women's bodies just actually don't work for [wearing Lululemon pants].. It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how much they use it." Wilson
Not only is it towards body images but also towards Asians.
"The reason the Japanese liked [my former skateboard brand, 'Homeless'] was because it had an L in it and a Japanese marketing firm wouldn't come up with a brand name with an L in it. L is not in their vocabulary. It's a touch pronunciation for them. So i thought, next time I have a company, I'll make a name with three L's and see if I can get three times the money.... I was playing with Ls and I came up with Lululemon. It's funny to watch them try to say it." Wilson
This also happens to be a problem with..
2. Abercrombie & Fitch
"That's why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people and we want to market cool, good- looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that." Jeffries CEO of A&F
There is always going to be the misjudgment, but they are now changing by pursuing diversity and away from stereotypes. This has been an on-going thing for designers also, looking for skinny models because they think curves are not in the dreams, or designers think Americans need to lose weight, which leads to people suffering from eating disorders to try to get to that one certain size.
This will always be a problem in this society, but there have been many ways to solving this like H&M and Forever 21 opening plus size lines.
Works cited
Lutz, Ashley. "Abercrombie & Fitch Refuses To Make Clothes For Large Women." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 3 May 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-wants-thin-customers-2013-5>.
"Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson's 5 Most Controversial Quotes." Financial Post Lululemon Founder Chip Wilsons 5 Most Controversialquotes Comments. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson-controversy>.
"Controversy in Plus Size Fashion." Plus Size Fashionista Guide. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://plussizefashionistaguide.com/controversy-in-plus-size-fashion>.
"Lululemon Athletica." - Old Strathcona. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.oldstrathcona.ca/Directory/327/lululemon-athletica>.
"Abercrombie, Fitch and Racism." Abercrombie, Fitch and Racism. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://abercrombiefitchracism.blogspot.com/>.
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ReplyDeleteI think this is a strong topic for your blog! You did a good job of supporting your claim with examples (Lululemon, A&F). My only suggestion would be maybe try to be more specific.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how the founder of Lululemon was discriminating against body type when he was mocking Asians, even though that is bad as well. Like I said, just try to be more specific and narrow the topic a bit more; Shave off any rabbit trails or unnecessary information.
For the most part though, you stuck to your main point, which I gather is women should be able to shop where they want and stores need to carry all sizes?
Maybe try answering questions like:
- Is it wrong for stores to not carry plus sizes? Don't they have right to market however they want?
- What is a solution that could benefit both the franchise and the customer?
- Is it shallow of any company to want attractive people to wear their clothes?
And just a side note: I have thought about this topic before too. Yes, perfect, skinny, tan, attractive females are the typical subject for advertising, but I think its because different enterprises want their clothes to look as attractive as possible, especially with all of the other stores, it's a lot of competition. I'm not saying it's good, I'm just saying I understand why they do it.
I noticed on the quote for Lululemon it says "it's a touch pronunciation for them" did you mean "tough?" I kind of got confused about that.
DeleteAlso, I agree that you should try to make you evidence more specific because this was a very broad topic, I wasn't sure which item you were critiquing.
Despite companies wanting to make their products as attractive as possible, don't you think that they could reach a broader range of consumers if they used a broader range of models from different body types and difference races?
Oh, and maybe use graphics that really support your stance, like a picture of different Lululemon models instead of just the logo, and maybe a picture of the people who made the quotes you included so the reader can match a face to them.
ReplyDeleteI like how you included different ways that companies try to discriminate against different types of people and you didn't just focus on the one aspect of weight. This is a big deal when it comes to fashion in America, However weight is not the only issue. Just like the clothing line Tommy Hilfiger lost a lot of business because he quoted that he did not want Black people wearing his clothes. These companies are not looking at the bigger picture. They say they are concerned about the money, but if they were then they would cater to the needs of the many and not just the needs of the few. They would loose less money this way.
ReplyDeleteI will agree that you could've used more images to help see where the topic lies, but overall I think that this is a topic that people take oo personally when it isn't even being directed at the,. We need to focus more on health and wellness versus how our boies look and stop comparing them to others.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very strong message and it has become more prevalent in today's society. I have shopped at all of these stores and I could see why they are getting slack for their company and products. It seems as though these stores are only selling their products to specific type of people, which isn't right. I agree with Kameceya when she states how these companies would lose less money if they opened up their products to more people. Companies are so concerned with attracting the perfect costumer that they don't tend to think about the other consumers out there. Additionally, I think that more media could of been a nice touch within your blog post, but overall I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying here and you made your point very strong and appealing. I thought the things said about Lululemon and Abercrombie and Fitch were very interesting because I have never heard those things before. It's crazy because there are probably so many other clothes lines where these things are being said. Everywhere people just want to be accepted because of their size, but when they see things like this where people are saying they don't want overweight people wearing their clothes, that's just a major self esteem drop for someone wanting to by clothes. I cant imagine going into stores and not being able to find my size in anything. This shows how our society is conforming to be "skinny" and how we have this expectation of how we should look.
ReplyDeleteI liekd your take on the fashion industry. It is sad to me that I have never heard these comments before and I think if they were moe publicized people may consider changing where they shop. I agree with most of the comments above and that you did a great job presenting your argument. I thiught this blog was very visually appealing and easy to follow as well. Good job and thank for opening my eyes into what im buying and maybe what I shouldnt buy next time I want some new clothes.
ReplyDeleteI liked your topic because I have actually noticed this in the fashion industry. I thought the things said about Lululemon and Abercrombie and Fitch were very shocking but interesting. I had no clue about the story being Lululemon. It now makes me interested in finding other clothing stores with stories like those. Although I had heard those things about Abercrombie and Abercrombie and Fitch it is still sad to me that those things are true. Everyone should be accepted and feel comfortable when going in to any clothing store, able to find what they want in their size. It is not fair to leave people out based on their size. I know both stores make pants short enough for short people and have longs, extra longs, and some times extra extra long for very tall people, so I see no harm in having extra large, and extra extra large for the people who need those. Every one likes their clothes to fit differently so why leave people out who just want to fit in!
ReplyDeleteI liked your topic because I have actually noticed this in the fashion industry. I thought the things said about Lululemon and Abercrombie and Fitch were very shocking but interesting. I had no clue about the story being Lululemon. It now makes me interested in finding other clothing stores with stories like those. Although I had heard those things about Abercrombie and Abercrombie and Fitch it is still sad to me that those things are true. Everyone should be accepted and feel comfortable when going in to any clothing store, able to find what they want in their size. It is not fair to leave people out based on their size. I know both stores make pants short enough for short people and have longs, extra longs, and some times extra extra long for very tall people, so I see no harm in having extra large, and extra extra large for the people who need those. Every one likes their clothes to fit differently so why leave people out who just want to fit in!
ReplyDeleteI liked your topic a lot. I can truly relate to this. There have been many instances where I've walked into a lulu or A&F store, and it's like they can immediately smell that you don't have money or don't belong. It's so difficult for me to want to buy their products because of that. I definitely would be able to afford their products and clothing items, but the employees give off such a strong attitude towards people that don't "look the part".
ReplyDelete