Hey guys, I thought our discussion in class today was really good and thought provoking. The article talked about different marketing techniques and how (or if) they are affective. There were two questions that we were planning on discussing that we never got around to that I was actually kind of curious about, and both of them pertain to the time the chapter was written, in the '90s. Is this article outdated? Here's a question that we were going to cover in class:
The article considered the brand 'Tommy Hilfiger' to be "ghetto" clothing. Is 'Tommy Hilfiger' still looked at the same way today? Does this date the article, and if so does it make it irrelevant?
Also:
Was what was 'cool' in the '90s still considered to be 'cool' today? Who decides whats 'cool' today?
Thoughts, opinions? These are definitely things that I was still unsure about after reading the article...
I cannot say I have ever considered Hilfiger a "ghetto" brand by any means but considering how fast trends change I may just have not been aware of it at the time it was popular among that group. That brings me to the question about the 90s being "cool". I think there are a lot of things from the 90s that people think are no longer cool, like that "Vanilla Ice" hair cut or the backstreet boys or any of a huge variety of other fashion and music phenomena that existed. Now we have shutter shades, Ke$ha and Soulja boy, but soon enough people will stop liking that stuff as well. Trends just change and it's really up to you what you what you keep up with. As for who decides what's "cool", I feel like it's a collective thing, not just one person.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Jonah that I never considered Tommy Hilfiger to be "ghetto" clothing. I actually always thought the opposite of the brand, especially because of their clothing lines for all ages, from infants to adults and also their line of bedding. But if at one point the brand was considered "ghetto" then it does date the article. I don't think this makes it irrelevant because it is still useful to know the change in views of the brand.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, I also agree with Jonah that no one single person can be pinpointed for who decides what is considered "cool". Some things from the 90s are still obviously considered "cool" but I think the majority of styles in every aspect such as clothing, music, etc have changed. Although these changes exist, I think they all have traces of influences from decades past.
I would not consider Tommy Hilfiger to be a "ghetto" brand today. However, I have seen pictures of my parents' friends in the 1990s, who grew up in a lower income, ghetto neighborhood, and they are wearing Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Guess. I can only assume that they are knock-offs, due to the high prices that these companies charge for their clothing today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jonah and Priyanka that not one person can decide what is cool. Everyone is different and has separate opinions, likes and dislikes. I would like to point out that a lot of the clothing styles worn in the 90s are now being old in American Apparel, Urban Outfitters, and Charlotte Russe. There is some variation, but most of it is the same looking. I may be generalizing but I believe hipsters definitely pay high prices at these stores to look like they are from the 1990s.