Flippant Friday: My undies

[sabotabby]

If global warming keeps turning Toronto winters into Vancouver springs, I may not need long underwear for those cold, cold demos and vigils. But I'm not betting on this good weather lasting all winter. So I need to buy long underwear, or leggings, or something.

Now, I'm not into consumer activism*, but I never miss an opportunity for a poll. I would like to only own union- or co-op-made clothing, but it's often prohibitively expensive. And since you almost always need to order that stuff online, it's a pain to get sizing right. I buy union-made clothes where possible, but quite often it isn't.

My longjohn/legging options generally come down to two places: Chocky's, which is cheap as hell and stocks kneesocks with skulls on them and other sweatshop gems, and American Apparel**, which is mostly affordable and brags about how they pay their sewers living wages. Kinda. The owner also gropes his workers and models, apparently. On the one hand, we have atrocious economic exploitation, on the other, somewhat better labour standards, but atrocious sexual exploitation.

I leave it up to you, LJ friends, to cast your vote on my unethical clothing choices.***

[Poll #901179]

* I take part in boycotts, but only when they're part of a campaign and thus have the potential to be somewhat effective.

** Not these leggings, though:



What were they thinking? How does someone think that looks good?

*** And under capitalism, pretty much any consumer choice you make is unethical. I'm curious about which is the greater of the two evils. I suppose the greatest evil of all is the gold lamé leggings, but let's not go there.

Comments

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

I'd BUY you those gold lamé leggings, but you'd have to post photos of you rockin' 'em.

[sabotabby]

Do you see how thin that model is? And yet those pants look awful on her. I would look frightening in them.

[corvus.livejournal.com]

No army/navy surplus stores near you? The one I go to in Philly has a good selection of surplus longjohns. In fact, I'm wearing a pair - Swedish, bright blue, light, awesome - right now!

[sabotabby]

I hadn't thought of that—great idea. Do you think they come in wee girly sizes? They must. They're probably warm, too.

I still want to know which is worse: The Chocky's Workers Paradise, or Dov's House of Love.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

I think we can be assured that all of Chocky's workers sweat too much, but I wouldn't be assured that all of AA's workers are sexually harassed. I mean, how many hands does the guy have?

I saw a hairdresser wear those leggings in Québec City.

[sabotabby]

I saw a hairdresser wear those leggings in Québec City.

I am so, so sorry. I saw them on the back of NOW today (prompting the question), but I didn't think that anyone had actually bought them.

[gabski.livejournal.com]

those leggings are scary... but not as scary as global warming... oh wait, i mean, "climate change"

it is 65 degrees here today and HUMID! WTF?!?!

and... there was an article on the new york times website today that quotes someone denying global warming. ugh. UGH!

[sabotabby]

Seventeen degrees and raining. Evidence prevails over pseudoscience! I have to say that it's hard for me to work up a hate-on for climate change right now, though, given that I normally don't get to walk home in January.

[strawberryrock.livejournal.com]

all that weird boogie nights ish crap on american apparel is so hideous. They probably have to pay their sewers extra wages for those, or something, because they're so blindingly ugly (insert: off colour joke about people going blind in factories)

they still make great t shirts though.

I really miss winter already.

[strawberryrock.livejournal.com]

that should have read 'they probably have to pay their sewers extra wages for making those'

meh

[monster-grrrl.livejournal.com]

I stumbled here through culpster and had to put in my two cents. Feel free to ignore me! ;)

Sweatshops suck, no doubt about it. Building a clothing empire on the fact that you don't use sweatshops, but making all your models women you've slept with and the ad campaign a series of shots that look like your underage girlfriend trying to be sexy for your home camera...soooo icky.

Why isn't DIY an option? Come on, you've got plenty of time before it actually gets cold to knit yourself a pair of leggings! *wonders if that could actually be done and how long it would ultimately take*

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Maybe you wish to knit her a pair for a low-low fee? :D

[r1vethead.livejournal.com]

"id tap that ass"

haha.

the "ethical consumer" idea is all orientated around liberalism. it all comes from the false premise that political or economic change derives from your personal choices as a consumer, it buys into the myth this entire culture is predicated upon. It ignores and even implicitly rejects the role of social groups, such as sections of classes, effecting influence over the affairs of society.

It's like the "activists" who harass poor people who shop at wal-mart, because they think it's somehow worse. The reality is that most of those adbusters-inspired "activists" can afford to not shop at wal-mart, can afford a healthy vegan diet from health food stores, and so on.

[sabotabby]

Which is why I'm not into consumer activism, other than boycotts, because the purpose of a boycott is to pressure a company to make a tangible change. Boycotts are reformist by nature, but I have no problem with reforms as long as one's honest about their limitations.

This said, there's a level at which some companies are so despicable that I can't, personally, walk through the doors. Since I do have the privilege to make those sorts of decisions, I use it. It's entirely wrongheaded to not stand in solidarity with workers at those companies or people who lack other options, though.

[lovableatheist.livejournal.com]

Someone I hung out with about 6 years ago works at American Apparel and I heard through someone who still talks to her that, during the interview, they asked if she wore a bra. I was shocked to hear about that, but given the company's reputation and its borderlin-porn ads, it doesn't surprise so much anymore.

[sabotabby]

They hired one of my friends, along with a group of other people—way more staff than they needed. They had everyone work for a day and then fired the ones they liked least.

[sadie-sabot.livejournal.com]

ooooh, shiny!!

[sabotabby]

But would you want it on your bum?

[goodlookinout.livejournal.com]

Dear lord I hate Dov Charney/AA... I chose ticky box so I didnt have to say that AA is worse than sweat shops though ;)

[sabotabby]

I think it makes it more obnoxious that he puts on a progressive veneer. At least sweatshops don't pretend to be anything other than sweatshops unless the final product is fairly expensive and there's media attention.

[violachic.livejournal.com]

My poll answer brought to you by Official Burnt-Out-Activist Apathy.

Buy both, and then you can come over here and drink the Minute Maid orange juice one of my housemates keeps buying even though we're supposed to be a Coke-free household.

[sabotabby]

*high fives*

I do boycott Coke, actually. This caused problems in St. Petersburg, which was under a boiled water advisory when I was there, because the only bottled water was either Coke or Nestle. I was all, "dead babies or dead Colombian unionists? I'm thirsty!"

[seaya.livejournal.com]

Solid Gold dancer fashion is back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEOxxnuWQX4

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

That dancer who does an overhead flip and lands perfectly on her high heels gets my admiration...

[andreazenith.livejournal.com]

Q: What's worse than a woman in gold pants?

A: A man in gold pants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTAUeY3vDjk

*blinks*

[sabotabby]

...why?

I fear for humanity.

Bleah.

[andreazenith.livejournal.com]

I can't choose either. *twitches*

I buy just about ALL of my clothes from second-hand stores, or goodwill. (Minus the undies and socks and such). Come to think of it, I receive a lot of clothes by default too. =*^.^*=

And hey! I'm only 5'1"! =*^.^*= I could actually see into your face! *grins*

I'll keep my peepers out for some second hand longjohns here abouts, if you're interested. =^.^=

*huge hugglies*
Anj

Re: Bleah.

[sabotabby]

People give me a lot of clothes. And there are a fair bit of artist-run places that I go to when I want something nice. It's mostly just underwear that's hard.

I think I'm going to visit the surplus place tomorrow and see what they have.

[ygg13.livejournal.com]

That picture of metallic gold leggings made me pause and think, "Wow, that looks amazing in the tackiest of ways!" I thought I should comment and say that I actually do think they would look good, but would never admit to it in public.

[sabotabby]

You just did. ;)

[pluvka.livejournal.com]

AA is anti union though & dov charney said not too long ago that he's no longer marketing it as non-sweatshop because that's no longer trendy, or necessary to make big sales. the sexual stuff is totally fucking insane, too. even if he doesn't necessarily sexually harass every single employee, does that really make it ok? i mean, the threat is still there, not to mention the horrific hiring practices & creepy childporn-like advertising (and his really fucked up views about women and fat people).

[threeliesforone.livejournal.com]

i was gonna say that too!

that & american apparel is horribly, horribly sizist. i tend not to buy clothing where the maker doesn't think it fit for fat girl wearin'. mostly because i can't wear it...but anyhow. this is why i still shop at the old slavey.

AA is on the same hate list as PETA.

[ironed_orchid]

I think you should be knitting your own underwear.

[sabotabby]

That would get itchy.

[retinal-strain.livejournal.com]

I got drunk with a friend who's a union organizer last night, and basically, even though the factories in LA are unionized they still don't meet the International Labour Organization's standards.

So fuck it, they're both sweatshops, go with the one that's more affordable and find some long-johns that you like.

Though I must say I find the AA ad campaigns disturbing and if the women in them are as young as they look Dov Charney is a fucking goof.

I also hate AA for threatening legal action against Clamor magazine when the latter ran an expose on their slimeball progressive posing (you can download it in pdf format too).

So yeah, actually, I guess I'm less disturbed by the everyday exploitation of international capital in China than I am by also exploitative, sexually harassing, progressive poser slimeballs who take action against struggling independent media. Fuck American Apparel.

[sabotabby]

Oooh, thanks for the info.

The surplus option seems like the best. Admittedly, I mostly posted this whole thing because I wanted to mock the gold lamé leggings, but it's good to learn something too. ;)

P.S. Do you still have N.'s gloves?

[jenlight.livejournal.com]

I am absolutely amazed that there is a tie between the two options. On the one hand we have the exploitation of people who are in no place to defend their interests, on the other we have women DECIDING to wear tight pants and complaining that it sexually arouses men.

[jenlight.livejournal.com]

Er, I may have misunderstood the post.

Underwear

[pghwob.livejournal.com]

What is a ticky box? Dare I ask?

Yes, AA is a union-buster. Still better conditions than some other places. I'd see what I could get with mail order. Found this link which doesn't seem to have longjohns, but does have some good prices on closeout items. http://www.justiceclothing.com/thereis/justice/index.html

I know the guy involved, as he used to shop where I worked. He's decent for a business union type.

How about...underwear with the "One Big Union" on the front? Perfect for hook-ups at conferences and the like ;) Get it? Much, much worse would be "Direct Action Gets the Goods."

Re: Underwear

[sabotabby]

I have a pair of silkscreened undies with a black cat that say "Pussy Power" on them. I like "Direct Action Gets the Goods," though. Heh.

A ticky box is a box that you can tick. That's actually a circle, but whatever. It allows me to click it and see the results of my own poll without having to answer either option.

[lopukhov.livejournal.com]

In our beautiful crème-de-la-crème city, home to only the crème-de-la-crème students of Ahmurrcah, there are TWO American Apparel shops across the street from one another.

But only because the residents of this city and students of this university are extra-righteous.

[sabotabby]

Holy crap.

There's one by my work and one by my house, but across the street is a bit much. That's like that episode of The Simpsons (which I don't watch) where every store in the mall gets turned into a Starbucks.

[princessrugger.livejournal.com]

i also read in mother jones that AA is coming under fire for union-busting. grr. but i'm a big fan of buying amaerican whenever possible, although as a canadian you aren't required to give a crap about that.