Week 7: BOC

Product Line Pitch

She believes in world peace, he believes in taking a stand for what is right. She wears flowers in her hair and he wears fire in his eyes, they await a revolution. They are strong, passionate and united. They refuse to be tied to labels or religion, they seek acceptance for all mankind and freedom from within. They can speak, but no one will listen, so they wear their message to the world. I’m designing a line of t-shirts and accessories for both men and women ages 18-30. The t-shirts will portray world events from the past and present, that young women and young men around the world have taken a stand for. We are a generation who see things more clearly than any generation in the past and we are more open minded and accepting yet our voices are the faintest. I want to give these men and woman a chance to express their stance without making a joke out of it which is what most “message” t’s do. There is a sort of “hippy” out look which exists in this line which signifies word peace and unity.

In this line I will be taking the “message T” and making it a high quality, fashionable t-shirt. The accessories in this line will be very eclectic styles and inspiration will come from all over the world. Earrings, necklaces, bracelets and hair wear will all be included as accessories.

Week 6 BOC: Why jeans Cost $300

How can Jeans cost $300? Designer jeans can sell for as low as $150 and as high as over $600. So why is it that consumers are willing to pay the “big bucks” for premium denim? Well for starters it’s the quality that you can’t get anywhere else, the fit of a designer jean is not going to be the same as one made in China. In order to get that quality, efficiency and control over the design, premium denim is manufactured in the U.S. and Europe. “To be produced domestically, jeans have to be priced at‘$200-plus,’ says Shelda Hartwell-Hale, a vice president at Directives West, an L.A.-based division of fashion consulting firm Doneger Group.” - How Jeans Cost $300 by Christina Binkley

 You can’t be paying manufacturers in the U.S. the same price you can if you have factories in China and this alone will raise price tags. “It costs about $50 to make a pair of Super T jeans, True Religion's best-selling style with oversized white stitching, estimates founder, chairman and chief executive, Jeff Lubell. The wholesale price is $152, he, and the average retail price is $335.” – How Jeans Cost $300 by Christina Binkley

 So why is that we are willing to pay so much? Well luxury fashion as we know sets a certain perception in the mind of the consumer, we simply feel better. “As with all fashion, a big part of the price of luxury denim is in the multiple profit margins taken at each level of production. Most any piece of clothing contains parts and services from potentially dozens of providers: from fabric and button makers, to designers and seamstresses, and wholesalers and sales agents. After all this, designers and retailers say the typical retail markup on all fashion items, including jeans, ranges from 2.2 to 2.6 times cost.” -How Jeans Cost $300 by Christina Binkley

EOC: Week 3 Apple Juice Scandal

Apple Juice Arsenic Scandal: In 2011 Dr. Oz went on his television show in front of a national and a live audience and informed views that the apple juice they were giving to their children, contained arsenic. “Dr. Oz pinpointed which brands contained the most amounts of the chemical, and displayed his efforts to get in contact with the FDA.” – The Apple Juice Arsenic Scandal by Emma Koonse. The FDA stood behind the fact that there was nothing dangerous about apple juice, with this statement posted on their website “There is no evidence of any public health risk from drinking these juices, and FDA has been testing them for years.” They continued to argue that Dr. Oz did not differentiate between harmful and organic arsenic. Tim Sullivan a spokesperson for the show said “We did the tests. We stand by the results and we think the standards should be different.” The overall stance seemed to be that organic or not, certain levels of arsenic can be dangerous, especially in children. The spokesperson for the FDA Stephanie Yao said “We’re concerned that people are going to start thinking their juice is unsafe when that’s not the case.” Pediatrician Dr. Gordon then stated that children should only be drinking a certain amount of juice per day anyways due to its empty calories. He sided with the FDA over Dr. Oz on this one. I for one can say that as a child I could never drink apple juice without getting awful stomach aches, to the point where I was hunched over, on the ground and unable to have fun however apples never bothered me at all. Perhaps the doctor is right and people should in fact be concerned with what the FDA allows in our food.

Week 3 BOC: Women's Professional Swim Suit

As a professional women invited to a company pool party, you may be asking yourself, "what do I wear?" First thing to remember, you are going to a company function, not lounging out with your girl friends so first and foremost remember to keep it appropriate and professional. This is a "pool party" so you do want to show up appearing ready to jump in, without actually having the intent to do so. I would suggest an age appropriate bathing suite either a one piece or a two piece that covers your mid section, those tankini style tops are ok for this occasion as they cover you up. Once you have picked the appropriate suit you should pair it with a sarong wrap around your waist or other cover up. A wedged heel or flat sandal would be ideal for this look and you can top it off with a summer hat and tote bag. It is crucial that you still appear successful and classy even though you are outside of the office.