Pound of Flesh

There are somethings about the fashion industry that bother me deeply.  One is the issue of worker safety.  It has been over 100 years since the Triangle Shirtwaist Company disaster--seamstresses burned to death in their NYC factory with no escape route.  The sad part is that it still happens.  We like to think that whoever made our clothes got to go home from work and hug their kids.  Reality says likely not.

Just because you bought something with a "Made in Italy" stamp does not mean that whoever made it was exempt from exploitation.  Reuters reports that on Dec 1, 2013, 7 workers burned to death during a nightime fire in their factory/dorm.  They slept in an area made of cardboard walls.  No wonder they never had a chance.  The factory had illegal building occurring that was not up to standards.  The article hints at that fact that the workers were working in near "slave-like" conditions and were probably illegal.  Too bad it doesn't elaborate on what life was like for those workers or what company they were producing garments for.  No dress is worth such suffering.

The worst fact is that this is not an isolated incident.  Tragedies of this nature seem to be regular occurances world-wide, like in Bangladesh, by WalMart suppliers, in Pakistan, and even factories in the US burn down.  Workplace safety is important, no worker should burn to death in a garment fatory.  What should you and I as consumers do about this?  Quite farnkly, I don't know.  Post comments of any ideas!

Geek Chic--Because Dressing Like a Librarian is Awesome!

The Milan AW 2010 shows are in full swing!  These are probably some of the most exciting shows because a lot of the design houses there are still independent, so the designers get to actually create their own visions instead of what corporate wants them to do.

Hands-down my favorite designer there is Marni.  Sure, some of the looks get really abstract and they actually produce the pieces that you look at on the runway and think "um, are we sure about this?"  But, the line always follows its own drum and I happen to like its beat.  This season featured lots of art-deco inspired flouce-things at the waist of blazers.  I can't see that really catching on with most women, or maybe just in a very toned down cut.  Nothing wrong with a high-fashion dream.

The best looks of the season were the geeky looks.  The classic sweaters with the fun necklace, nerdy glasses and unusual skirts.  Lovely!  The look in the photo is great--wearable, fun and practical with just that twist of interest to keep it from being the boring outfit every woman wears to work.  If you look closely, you see that the skirt has small box pleats near the bottom which completely changes its shape and vibe.  This outfit might not be a show-stopper but its something that Marni's fans will buy and actually wear, which in this economy is certainly a success!

picture from style.com