FeATURES 5
Friday 13th November 2009 travisty.co.uk
Primark: Cheap Thrill or Hefty Toll? What’s Not Jason Ehrhart
Putting the ‘K’ in fashion
Anyone who saw the pathetic looking Primark boards around Cambridge this week may not be surprised to know that a brand spanking new ‘superstore’ has opened itself up in Chavtown, with gleaming fixtures, clothes neatly stacked on tables in size order (well at least for the first five seconds as you just know the first customer will be someone sized 32, determined to cram into the size 16 at the bottom of the pile), and staff delighted to be picking up your discarded Cherry Lambrini (or LaHMbers as it is know by Townies, or those from Girton). Behind this glittering facade, Primark, the clothing equivalent of Greggs the Bakers, has become one of the nation’s favourite clothing stores, with 179 stores in the UK and Ireland alone. On the one hand, I look at Primark as something which is beneficial to the masses. As much as vast quantities of women long for that Chloë handbag, or indeed those ridiculously overpriced Topshop sequinned leggings, why pay more, when a visit to Primark can assure that you have both for under £20? And what’s more, you can accessorise or create a whole new outfit without even leaving the store. And ultimately the really great thing is that you can wear it all to Cindies, have your blazer fag burnt by another trollop (also wearing the same pair of Primarni shoe boots as you), the under wiring of your bra mysteriously disappear (that or you have one saggy breast) and your leggings split across your backside when you attempt to get the glass out of your foot (those VKs really are calorific, you know) and just chuck the entire outfit away in the morning. Most girls
would admit that this mentality enters their thought process when it comes to buying clothes from Primark, and herein lies my problem with the company and, equally, their consumers.
Putting on my geography hat (before you ask, it is a bobble beanie... possibly with a globe printed on it) affords me insight into the workings of large scale retail companies and their manufacturing sources in the third world. China’s poor human rights record is well documented, and widely decried by most educated individuals, but their manufacturing industry is the catalyst and indeed greatest component of the juggernaught that is their economic growth. One of the reasons that your clothes are so cheap is the disgustingly long hours that young girls undertake in often dangerous conditions for a pitiful wage. Moreover, the whole concept of disposable fashion has majorly derisive effects on the environment. Investment in quality, long lasting pieces that one is more likely to look after may seem to be a bit of an outdated practice in this era of fast-fashion, and is certainly more expensive, but it doesn’t result in the exploitation of marginalized people or continually draw on the earth’s resources. That being said, I’d be very surprised to see anyone wearing Louboutins out next Wednesday. Someone please surprise me, it will give me back my faith in humanity...
The Travisty Committee
This Issue’s Contributors
Editor.......................Ellie Reeds Deputy Editor........Jase Taylor Webmaster............Pete Calvert Treasurer............Nathan Kettle
Alexandra Sault Natasha Pesaran Chris Deacon Jason Ehrhart Georgia Hart Bo Tian
Rob Young Michael Braun Sonum Sumaria Soumaya Keynes BA Murmurer TCSU Insider
>> Taking Advantage of drunk Girls We all like to go out and have a few drinks with our friends. The problem is once ‘a few’ drinks turns into ‘one too many’. Unfortunately for the female sex, there are some rather pathetic guys out there who’ll stoop low enough to try and take advantage of a girl when she’s clearly wasted. Definitely not on. It’s such a shame that I can’t say all Trinity boys are of gentlemanly good manners and wouldn’t do such a thing. Maybe TCSU should look into giving them some classes on human behaviour? >> Sixth Week Blues We all know it’s coming, but how to shake them? My advice: get yourself a DVD, a few friends, a bottle of wine and have a chilled night in. And just think, well over half way through! Not long until we get a break from the stress and non-stop work. >> super formal After all the excitement about the last one and the craziness that surrounded getting tickets, I’m not sure if I’m going to bother this time around. For a start, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the menu just steak and chips? And seriously, why don’t we just wear black tie to normal formal!? It’s practically the same thing. >> people who cough in lectures It’s 9am and you’re desperately trying not to fall asleep and actually listen to the lecturer for once, but someone keeps COUGHING! There is honestly nothing more annoying. Fine, you’re ill, I get it, you need to cough. But for goodness sake, couldn’t you drink some water, get a cough sweet or just GO HOME so I can concentrate?!