Has the era of designer denim come to an end? Did the recession put the final nail in the coffin for the already struggling denim industry? For many, the answer is clearly yes. The high point of designer denim (not counting the 80’s of course) was 2002-2007. We saw the emergence and rise in popularity of brands like James, Paige, Citizens of Humanity, Joe’s, True Religion, and many more that are still in business to day. There was also the quick rise and fall of brands like Von Dutch and Paper Denim & Cloth. Some brands floundered and fought to stay alive for far too long, like Earl Jeans who was bought out by Nautica, then VF Corporation, and now by Jordache. Others found success by selling out to big corporations and launching their own lower priced lines like, Seven Jeans or Lucky Brand. And others struggled through the rise and fall only to succumb to our tough economic times, as is the case with the recent bankruptcy filing of Rock and Republic.

Now that designer denim has lost some of its luster, and with so many brands over-saturating the market (many offering affordable versions of their own designer lines) customers are turning away. For many fashionistas paying over $200 for a pair of jeans seems a bit absurd these days.  Not to mention most denim divas, who will pay any amount for a good fitting pair of jeans, already have closets full of jeans in every wash and fit a girl could want. Plus, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room, or shall we say, leggings. The rise of leggings and other knit bottoms have significantly cut into the denim business over the last few years.

But the biggest challenge to the denim market is that denim (even designer denim) has become a wardrobe staple. Most fashionistas own at least one splurge pair of high-end denim in their wardrobe and countless other affordable and moderate brands as well. Designer denim has lost its novelty; it is no longer a unique “must have” item. The phrase “Japanese Denim Mill” used to fill any denim guru’s heart with desire and now, it just, “oh another Japanese denim brand, what’s new?” Jeans will likely always stay on trend and they will certainly continue to sell, but anyone who works in denim knows the profits and order numbers have shrunken considerably since the early 2000’s. Despite the resurgence of the jean jacket and the double denim trend, sadly the denim market is just not what it was. Denim manufacturers are going out of business, denim fabric mills are closing up shop and the market is flooded with denim designers looking for work. While the average consumer may not notice a huge difference at their local retailer the impact on the business side is undeniable.

So what do you think, will designer denim make a comeback anytime soon? Will denim brands continue to go belly up? Do you have plans to buy more denim this season? Are there any denim brands that you are particularly excited about?

As many of you remember last fall Anna Wintour and the CFDA made history by launching the global fashion event, Fashion’s Night Out.

Well, this September Fashion’s Night Out is coming back bigger and better then ever.  Not only will it be a borough wide shopping event at all your local retailers, but there will also be some new and exciting elements this year.  One addition will be the hosting of New York’s largest fashion show ever at Lincoln Center.  With over 200 top models and 1500 VIP guests, it’s the place to be this fall. Another brilliant addition to FNO will happen thanks to CBS, they are preparing a documentary and filming all the behind the scenes action.  According to FNO the film will, “Look beyond the glamour to the real-life implications at stake, on the individuals working in all parts of the industry, from sales people to design staff, for whom the vibrancy of the fashion business is a question of economic survival.”

Don’t know about you, but we are beyond giddy to see how this year’s Fashion’s Night Out comes together.  September cannot get here soon enough!

Yep, we’re on vacation! Mmmm vacation, what could be better.

While we are gone we’ve compiled a list of timeless posts and all around favorites for your enjoyment.  Also don’t forget about our forum where you can share your opinions and ideas on the state of the fashion industry.

Be back soon!

Can Zoning Save the Garment Center?

The Importance of the Fashion Industry

Death by Over-Scheduling

Life as a Corporate Fashion Designer

Apparel Designer versus Technical Designer

Incompetent Salespeople

Do I NEED to go to Fashion School?

The Modern Face of NYC Designers

The Evil Fashion Boss

Designing Divisions

Fatty, Porker, Chubby, Heifer

Don’t Tell Me To Go On Project Runway!

Why We Hate Forever 21 & Why You Should Too

Equality for Women in the Fashion World

The Garment Center, We Make You Look Good!

For those of you, who like us, find yourselves inexplicably drawn to the train-wreck that is the Real House Wives of New York City, you may have noticed this season’s repeated mentions of Brooklyn Fashion Week. First Alex brought the ladies together to help chose designers for the show (of course like the vapid middle-school drama queens they are, this got overshadowed by yet another rehashing of an old catfight) and explained a bit about the project. Then later in the season we got to see bits of the show (and of course more RHONYC drama, jealous much Jill?) Brooklyn Fashion Week was presented as the younger, more indie, and perhaps more low-brow cousin of NYFW (and a backdrop for the crazy-eyed Ramona to strut her stuff). This got us thinking, besides the famed New York Fashion Week in the Tents, what other fashion weeks are to be found in our city? Well, quite a few it turns out.

Brooklyn Fashion Week — As mentioned on RHONYC, this fashion week takes place after the big Manhattan shows, and focuses on Brooklyn based designers.  This show is held twice- yearly and it benefits the Brooklyn Style Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping up and coming Brooklyn designers.  For more info please click here.

Queens Fashion Week –  Not to be out done by Brooklyn, this is also a biannual Fashion Week of events. QFW is an upscale series of events that shines a spotlight on the trendy goods and services available in Queens.  As one of the most diverse communities in the nation, Queens offers a wealth of fashionable attractions and events.  For more scoop please click here.

Full Figured Fashion Week – This show takes place this June and is geared towards “The State of the Curvy Community.” They will be addressing a huge segment of the population that often gets overlooked when it comes to fashion.  We are eager to see how it goes! For more info click here.

Eco Fashion Week – The Eco fashion shows take place during the traditional NY Fashion Week but are in separate locations around the city.  Some of the outstanding designers that participated this year are Gary Harvey, Vaute Couture, Sonkja De Elzen, Joann Berman, Keia Bounds, Popomomo, Samantha Pleet, Duex FM, Ekovaruhuset, and C. Marchuksuska.  For more info on Eco Fashion week please click here.

Urban Fashion Week – This week of events has been going on for over a decade now and it has some of the boldest fashion statements in all of fashion.  With a distinct flair for the urban fashionista, it is also one of the few fashion events geared as much to men as women. For all the details click here.

(Fashion Flashback – Originally posted on 7/7/09 –  It was just last summer when this article was originally posted, but it is an all time favorite that we just can’t get enough of.  It seems almost every week something happens that makes us want to re-post this. The sad truth is that if you work in fashion, particularly if you are female and in design, you are often dismissed as shallow and lacking any cerebral qualities. It is appalling stereotype thrust onto to many women in our field whose brains are often overlooked in favor of their creative talents. So please enjoy the below post and if you’ve already read it, pass it on to friend in the business!)

We’ve written before about the ridiculous notion that fashion design is an easy career path.  There’s often this absurd image perpetuated in the media that working in fashion is a simple and mindless task.  How many movies have you seen, be it a drama or romantic comedy, where the fashionable creative lead finds her true calling to be a designer three quarters of the way through the movie?  After realizing her “passion for fashion”, a brief montage ensues of her touching fabrics, wrapping a tape measure around her neck, sketching in her spacious Soho loft, running into Bloomingdale’s with her samples, and then poof, she is magically a famous and successful designer.  There, of course, is no mention of college or any educational training, no clips of raising capital or finding investors, no trips to sample rooms and negotiating price-points, no hunting for sales reps or walking trade shows, and God forbid no tech-packing!  Be it television or movies, becoming a fashion designer is always portrayed as a fun and easy afterthought that can make an adorable girl immediately successful by a simple trip to the fabric store!

Celebrities too, do nothing but exacerbate this stereotype.  These days it seems that every celebutaunte and their brother are launching a fashion line.  To the media these celebrities endlessly promote their latest movie or album and then as an aside casually mention that they are launching a fashion label.  In the same vain as: I’m getting a manicure, picking up the dry cleaning, taking my dog for a walk, and um, oh yeah, launching my own clothing line.  The message is loud and clear, fashion design is such a stupidly easy achievement that anyone with half a brain could do it in their spare time.  Those of us in the fashion industry realize of course that these celebrities are not designing their own lines but actually contractually licensing the rights to their name unto apparel manufactures, who in turn hire teams of designers to get the job done.  The result of the celebutard fashion label is the publicly dumbing down of our profession.

Besides attacking fashion as a career, advertising and entertainment have additionally skewed the fashion lover as a brainless consumer who is easily manipulated.  We recently came across this article regarding the insulting ad campaign for Coach’s new line Poppy.  The line, like many going after younger women on a moderate budget, crosses the line from fun to flighty.  Real women can love fashion yet still be intelligent, educated, well rounded human-beings.  To love a pair of fabulous shoes or find joy in perfectly styling an outfit, does not equate to the lowering of an IQ.  Contrary to pop culture images, from Alicia Silverstone in Clueless to the inane eye-rolling and heavy sighing of The Hills girls, fashionistas are not all one dimensional airheads!  The fashion icon as bimbo, from Marilyn Monroe to Jessica Simpson, is an insult to all of us, whether or not you work in the fashion industry.  We would love to see the media stop promoting this image, but we’d also like to see everyone stop buying into it.  Let’s stop rewarding brands who embrace this image, but more so, lets stop ourselves from subconsciously acting on it.  We are encouraging a whole generation of young women, whose vocabulary is reduced to “amazing”, “hot”, “super cute”,and who don’t think twice about resorting to Paris Hiltonesque baby talk, to emulate this stereotype.  Fashion is many things, from a fun shopping diversion, to a multi-billion dollar manufacturing industry, but it does NOT require you to check your brain at the door to enjoy it!

— Looking for a non-traditional wedding gown but at an affordable price? Well, if you can wait until Valentine’s Day 2011 you’re in luck. The young and quirky apparel company Urban Outfitters is launching a bridal brand! Yes, you heard that right, but have no fear of ironic screen printing on your gown; the brand is likely to be an off-shoot of their romantic vintage brand, Anthropologie.

— Last week Tommy Hilfiger spoke to students at Notre Dame about working in the fashion industry and his success. One interesting quote from Tommy, “If you are considering inventing something that two people and a dog will be interested in, go back to the drawing board,” he said. “I put my vision through a filter. I knew there was great opportunity in making clothes people would wear and be able to afford. You will be successful if you’re doing something you love.”

— The fabulous fashion site, Fashionista asks the questions, do fashion interns need to be paid? For most of us the unpaid internship was a right of passage, and like all things in school you earned credits not dollars, but should that continue? Read their informative post here.

— So, what is more annoying than celebrities launching fashion labels? When celebrities’ children do.  Madonna and her daughter Lordes have launched the junior label, Material Girl for Macy’s based on Lordes style and her design ability (right, not her mother’s fame and name recognition, sure). Particularly grating is Madonna’s comment, “If Lola wasn’t so completely involved in the line, designing, consulting, whatever you want to call it, I wouldn’t do it. Really she does most of the work, honestly.” We know what we’d call it – licensing your name out.

— More fashionistas scumb to the draw of reality TV. In case you haven’t heard Scott Schumann aka The Sartorialist is said to be working on his own show. All we know now is that it also involves his girlfriend and fellow blogger Garance Dore Vague. BTW if you are a fan of The Sartorialist check out the (we think even more entertaining) kitty version, The Catorialist.

And we have a very not holiday spirited video for you all.  We have all seen the madness that is NYC sample sales, or the out of control lines for H&M’s designer diffusion lines, but our shoppers are tame compared to those crazed fashionistas across the pond. American Apparel held a rummage sale in London the other day and the people went absolutely mad. Check out the video of the insane Brits below!

(Fashion Flashback – This post was originally posted on March 4th 2009.  With spring in the air, we have just been reminiscing about all the reasons we love NYC fashion. Plus, we decided to re-post this article for some of our newer readers.  Enjoy!)

We thought we’d put together a top ten list of all the reasons we love working in fashion.  Considering how often we bitch and moan about all the “issues” in our industry, we thought we’d throw in some positive as well.  For many of us, getting a job in fashion was a dream come true, but turning your dream into an actual profession can cause some of the shine to wear off.  But what keeps us all here, day in and day out, is our love for all things fashion.  So in no particular order here is our list.

1. Shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Who wouldn’t love to get paid to shop at all the best stores, all over NYC, the country, and the world.  Not to mention, when you get done using all you sweet shopping goodies they can often end up in your closet!
2. Living in NYC! Arguably the best city in the world and fashion’s playground.  Living here is a unique and inspiring experience. No matter how exhausting of a week you’ve had, the pulse of this great city will keep you going.
3. Getting to express your passion for fashion. No matter what department or category of the business you work in, if you work in the fashion industry you will live, eat, sleep and breathe fashion.
4. It just sounds cool! A random little perk to working in the business is the enjoyment you get whenever somebody asks, “So what do you do for a living?”  Whether you are a pattern maker, graphic designer, buyer, designer, or whatever, saying that you work in fashion is just plain cool (unless you are a reality TV star, then not so much).
5. Seeing people wearing your product is always a thrill. It will often catch you off guard, like the person in front of you in the grocery store, wearing a jacket you produced. Or, as you’re window shopping downtown, a mannequin is sporting that adorable miniskirt you designed a year ago and have long forgotten about.
6. Getting to travel the world on the company’s dime! Whether it’s shop trips to Europe or factory trips to Asia, fashion offers once in a lifetime travel experiences.
7. Money, yes we said money. We often complain about being underpaid but, it is possible to make a decent living in the fashion industry.  While you will most likely never get rich, you are getting paid to do what you love, and compared to the alternative (working in retail or fashion media) the pay can be very rewarding.
8. Working in a profession that values and caters your innate creativity is a rare treat. While the fashion industry is certainly a business, creativity is rewarded, and in a successful workplace it is fostered.
9. We are all affecting the consumer market. No matter how large or small your company, we all have a national if not global impact on the economy.  In some way, what you are working on today will impact the manufacturing and retail marketplace tomorrow.
10. The people. Over the years we have all worked with many coworkers who share our passions and have also had the privilege to learn from many talented industry veterans (divas and crazy beotches aside).  Not to mention, the entertainment value in meeting models and celebrities alike, it’s all the people who make this industry what it is, and that includes all of you, our lovely readers.

**For more insider industry scoop and to share your thoughts on the fashion business please visit our forum**

*** Happy Passover Everyone***

In the fashion world, boundaries are pushed and lines blurred. In an industry based on selling an image, reality often gets skewed. That is certainly the case when it comes to sex and fashion. In case you haven’t heard, famed fashion photographer Terry Richardson has recently come under fire for his inappropriate behavior and alleged sexual misconduct. Apparently the photographer has been taking advantage of underage models during nude photo shoots. Terry Richardson has long been regarded as, a top fashion photographer with clients like Bazaar, Vogue, Tom Ford, Prada, and even H&M. He has also long been regarded as, a man with deviant sexual appetites and a fondness for teen models.

What has really gotten to us about this whole story is not the revelation that yet another man in authority is taking sexual advantage of a young girl, but rather the fashion world’s reaction to it. We have seen and heard things like, “Oh well, that’s just how fashion works” or “That’s just him, he means no harm, he’s eccentric” or “Everyone knows he’s flirty but he does it openly and these girls take it, they get famous and he gets paid, so who cares?” It’s shocking to us that these sorts of “boys will be boys” excuses are still around in 2010.  The notion that artists needs to be given free reign, so as not to inhibit their craft is ridiculous.  Richardson’s photography would be no less beautiful if he were required to behave professionally on set.  Really there is no reason at all, that this type of behavior should be tolerated and the fact that so many fashion insiders think he deserves a pass because it’s part of the “business” is disgusting. There is no reason for anybody to be treated this way and whether or not what he did was technically illegal, it is still wrong. Being talented is not an excuse for being an asshole.

We were happy to see some sanity in this mess thanks to the brilliant team at Jezebel. To read their articles click here, here, and here. They also shared some further Richardson stories from readers, like:

A woman who is friends with a stylist who used to work with Richardson. “She quit because of having to watch him sexually harassing/abusing two (naked) teenage Eastern European models who didn’t speak English — she didn’t speak up, and was so ashamed I don’t think she did anymore styling for quite a while afterwards.”

An anonymous ex-subject, who wrote from an anonymous e-mail address and did not reply to follow-up questions, said she posed for Richardson after she lost her job at a coffee shop and needed money. She claims she thought she would be shooting “artful nudes”:

He first asked me to play with myself, and just made really creepy demands.

He said it wasn’t pornish because he was shooting still shots, and when I said that I felt like he was seeing if I was just dumb, he handed me the camera and said, “Fine you should [shoot] me playing with myself.”

I mean his assistants were like, “Do you think all these celebrities would take pictures with him if it was porn?”

This kind of thing is just reprehensible and it is time to stop making up excuses for illegal and predatory behavior on the basis of talent. And yes, Dov Charney and Roman Polanski we’re looking at you too!

We got the scoop about a design contest courtesy of Macy’s and the prize is a $500 gift card!  Just in time for spring shopping, this contest is awarding prizes everyday for the whole month. This will be a no-brainer contest for all our design professionals and our dear fashion blogger friends will excel in getting the voting numbers needed. So we encourage you all to check it out. Here’s more details from Macy’s:

Macy’s FASHION DIRECTOR DAILY FASHION CHALLENGE is a 30-day contest that lets fashionistas put it all together.  By mixing and matching the right pieces around a daily theme, participants get the chance to win a $500 gift card every day. The interactive outfit maker at lets you combine the season’s hottest fashions and accessories to style, shop, and share the perfect look. From putting together an outfit for a blind date to selecting the perfect look for a big work presentation, the challenges will mirror everyday situations, as well as special occasions.

Using the mix and match tool, participants can virtually select pieces to create unique outfits ideal for the challenge of the day.  Suggested pieces from Macy’s Spring 2010 collections will help those in need of guidance.

Are you up for the fashion challenge? Here is how it works –

• Build the perfect outfit by dragging pieces to the virtual canvas until you are satisfied with the look
• Once completed, click submit to enter your outfit into the voting gallery
• Share your look on Facebook and Twitter and invite your friends and family to vote for your outfit
• The outfit that gets the most votes each day will win that day’s challenge and a $500 Macy’s gift card

Do you get spring fever? Oh man… the itch to run around outside in flowery prints and frilly laces gets greater and greater each passing day. To heck with chunky sweaters! This week we have a load of great spring style posts, Holier Than Now checks out cape coats, if you’re strapped for cash Out of Order gives the perfect 45min spring skirt tutorial, so cute! And girly clothes not your thing? The Demoiselles have a great homage to gender-bending unisex looks. So on this rainy weekend, sit back and enjoy the best fashion blog posts from around the web, better known as, Links à la Mode.

We suspect many fashion designers and industry professionals, got sucked into the allure of the fashion industry while watching the Academy Awards as children. The Oscars is the night that high fashion shines and these gowns are often responsible for inspiring (inspiring = good, knocking-off = bad) other designers and brands. The colors, textures, draping, and jewelry that are shown tonight will greatly influences what will be in stores shortly. If Jessica Alba walks the red carpet in a one-shoulder pink bubble dress tonight, you can be sure every department store will have a one-shoulder pink bubble dress in their Prom department this spring.

To get you in the mood for the big show, we found this excellent slide-show from LIFE magazine of classic 1950’s Oscar moments. Click here to see the full set and see our favs below.

Lately the Red Carpet has lost a bit of the “wow” factor as celebrities have exchanged their unique styles in favor of wearing a stylist’s picks. While ensuring a level of taste and preventing some disasters (Demi Moore & her biker shorts) stylists have also reduced individuality (Cher, Bjork & her swan dress) and of course, they have also subjected us all to the Rachel Zoe Project.

We are hoping tonight to be inspired and fall in love with fashion all over again. Will you be watching? Who are you looking forward to seeing?

Don’t forget to check back, right here in this post for our Oscar updates, plus photos of our best and worst dressed!

*Update 6:55 – Love Elizabeth Bank’s Versace gown, the whole look is stunning. Giuliana Rancic, eat something! Vera Farmiga, love the color, love the technique, hate the dress, totally overpowers her. Sigourney Weaver looks lovely but a bit Christmas gifty.

*Update 7:12 – Sandra Bullock looks gorgeous(hair, make-up) but not loving the dress, it looks a bit showy and not flattering. Poor Sandy can barely walk! Diane Kruger looks so modern and fresh, definitely a favorite look for us. Amanda Seyfried looks like a beautiful ice queen, adore the funky bangles. Faith Hill, oy, the goth look with a spider web bag? Not feeling it. Miley Cyrus looks horrific, a bustier top? And why must she always slouch and chomp gum?

*Update 7:23 – Sarah Jessica Parker, WOW, over the top, fashion forward, Chanel of course, and we adore it! Charlize Theron, what is she thinking? It’s like scary taffeta breast plates attacked her.

*Update 7:38 – Matt Damon, George Clooney, Jason Bateman all yummy! Queen Latifah not a flattering fit, but a beautiful color, although her hair seems orangish, right? Looks like Meryl Streep brought it this year, no more frumpy Meryl, she went glam and old Hollywood.  JLO what happened? The Ice Capades have come to the Oscars.

*Update 7:55 – Demi Moore, gorgeous. Gabby Sidibe not so much. Does anybody else want to know why Jay Manuel and his frosted tips are giving fashion advice? Ugh!

*Update 8:13 – Cameron D looks stunning, the gold is just perfection. Penelope Cruz, how can we look like you? Jake Gyllenhaal, grrrr.

Enjoy the Show!

This image is what the factory will receive in order to create a print for t-shirts, or really any apparel item that needs artwork printed. We found this image here, with the title, Create A Complete Apparel TechPack. The article has tons of valuable advice, especially for a newbie to apparel graphic design. Although, the title is odd since this is not an apparel techpack at all (no fabrications, no specs, no sizing, no trims, no construction details, etc) this is simply the artwork page for a complete techpack.

Now, this particular designer covered many bases and even laid out separate screens for each color, which thankfully we have almost never had to do. However, we did see some oversights. First and most obvious, the artwork has no title, no number, and no colorway number, labeling your work is crucial especially if the item goes to production. Second, there is no image of just the artwork with dimensions and measurements. The author gives great advice by saying that you should proceed as if your printer is a six year old and be fully detailed, yet the placement info was lacking. The only measurement was from collar down and that was marked as, “approximately 2 inches” in fashion a measurement can never, never, never, be approximate.

There is mention that the artwork will be used for a variety of sizes. If so, on a XS this print will be more a full coverage print but on a XXL it will be a smaller placement print and placing it 2 inches down for the larger size will look bizarre. The artwork should be adjusted for size or the placement should be varied. Another concern is the use of a foil print. Which is a fun accent for a junior’s tee but because of it, the artwork should be applied after the factory wash, or at the very least, inside out during wash, and again there is no info for this detail. Finally, we don’t see what the actual print is except for the foil color mention. Is it water based, rubber, heat transfer, pigment, what? If it is a standard water based screen print, than the light off-white color is going to be distorted since the pink ground color is darker. Is that the intent of the designer or should there be a flash under it to improve the lighter color? Again, there is no mention of these issues in the details.

Oh yeah, one last random comment. Did anybody notice that the garment is labeled American Apparel, yet the company is clearly Vanilla Star? Since when can Vanilla Star afford domestically made product? And since when do they not produce their own pieces? Hmmm we’re hoping this was just the graphic designer’s guess. But really, by the time you get to the point of developing the artwork the actual garment shouldn’t be a mystery.

Overall we thought they gave a ton of great advice, and a very thorough tutorial on how to create graphics for apparel. What did you think? Anything you would do differently? Any advice we gave you disagree with?

Here’s the question, is fashion important? Well, in short, YES.  Now, of course, we would say that since this is a fashion blog after all, and we do work in the fashion industry, and we are particularly supportive of NYC’s Garment Center, but is it really important to the rest of the world? And should it be?  Again, we have to say the answer is a resounding yes.  The fashion industry’s importance comes from its ability to consume your spending dollar in massive quantities, it comes from a lasting tradition of bringing women into the workplace, it comes from encouraging self expression for all individuals, it comes from its impact on the US economy as one of the nation’s largest manufacturing sectors, it comes from a long history in the Garment Center of promoting the immigrant’s American dream, and of course, it comes from the couture talent in creating wearable art.

As fashion industry professionals we have often heard comments dismissing fashion as a career, as a rather less than serious job, akin to a paid hobby. This attitude comes from the misrepresentation by mainstream media that fashion design is just fun sketching and then, poof, the product appears in stores. (For our full rant on that issue read this, Amazingly Stupid Fashionistas?)

Beyond the dismissal of fashion as a serious career, there is also the common notion that caring about fashion is rather shallow and vapid. In a recent post where we uncovered the ugly truth about Forever 21, we received a surprising amount a feedback mentioning, “well, I don’t really care about fashion” or “fashion doesn’t effect me.” The truth is, if you wear clothes (which we hope you all do) you should care, especially during this time of economic uncertainty.  We should all care where our money goes. People think long and hard before buying a house, they research when buying a car, but somehow clothes shopping just happens. As we mentioned before in our Label of Origin post, the least people should do when shopping is think about where their products are made. How you spend your consumer dollar directly affects our economy and sends a message to retailers, designers, and manufacturers alike. By not patronizing companies and brands that support sweatshop labor or unethical labor practices, you are impacting the greater world.

The angle most often overlooked is fashion’s impact on our national economy. While fashion evokes images of supermodels and runway shows, many people forget it is also an industry of great economic importance. In New York alone the industry supplies over 10 billion dollars worth of wages to its residents. The apparel and textile industry is one of the largest domestic manufacturers in the US, (and unlike the auto industry we did not get a bailout) it supplies over 700,000 jobs in manufacturing alone. When people question the importance or relevance of fashion, they often forget its significant role in our economy.  Fashion employs everyone from retail store clerks, to seamstresses, to designers, not to mention the majority of these jobs have historically been held by women and minority groups when other industries were not so welcoming. For anyone who has ever worked in a union, the fashion industry should matter. We set the standards in protecting workers’ rights and ensuring safe working conditions beginning with the ILG union in the 1920’s. Those pioneering women garment workers set the standard for today’s unions.

No matter who or where you are, the fashion industry affects you. Every morning when you look into your closet and choose to wear an item you purchased, you have affected your budget, our environment, somebody’s job, the national economy, and a company’s bottom line. Obviously we care about fashion for many reasons, including that it is our livelihood, but we get particularly frustrated when people claim that caring about fashion is unimportant. Besides styles and trends (which of course, we adore too) fashion and apparel have a long and storied  history of importance. So, we dedicate this post to anyone who has ever questioned the value of the fashion industry. And if you still feel fashion is irrelevant, why are you reading and complaining to a fashion blog?