Maybe to stay in informed on what manufacturers need to sell to keep the game going.
When I was young, I was making my way up in the suit and tie world. We would read the ads for the department stores to keep track of what the “latest” was and act and spend accordingly, to make sure everyone knew we were ready and playing “our part.” Nearly every week we were in the stores spending a chunk of our paychecks on items that would be out of style in 6 months. Just shopping the racks trying to keep up.
Of course, the men all get to wear the same suits they graduated college in. Maybe a new 30.00 tie on occasion. The gals were changing out whole closets every season. We were lucky when there were years when styles didn’t swing and we could blend pieces over a couple of years, but then they were made so crummy they would wear out. Even the “good stuff.”
There are dissertations written on how the fashion industry helps subordinate women in the workplace, pressuring them to spend a big part of their paycheck on “disposable” clothes, to keep “looking right” instead of protecting their financial health. The guys don’t invest nearly as much of their pay on presentation with their cookie cutter attire. Sure suits are expensive, but a well made, classic tailored one can last for years.
I was clueless about what a constant undercurrent of fomo anxiety tied to my position those ads were brewing in all our psyches until I stepped off the elevator. I went an entirely different direction that didn’t require any kind corporate fashion uniform to look “right.” My wallet was instantly thicker, and my Sunday morning paper reading suddenly was done is minutes not an hour.
Decades later, sitting at my desk in my jeans, running my company, looking back on that time, I can clearly see exactly how the advertising/fashion sector brazenly keeps women hooked, chewing up wealth and resources, keeping us anxious and convinced we need to buy something to “win.”
e.groves over 2 years ago
This strip is from 1934. The depression was still going strong.
HappyDog/ᵀʳʸ ᴮᵒᶻᵒ ⁴ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵘⁿ ᵒᶠ ᶦᵗ Premium Member over 2 years ago
Reading the ads is one way to stay informed.
prairiedogdance Premium Member over 2 years ago
Maybe to stay in informed on what manufacturers need to sell to keep the game going.
When I was young, I was making my way up in the suit and tie world. We would read the ads for the department stores to keep track of what the “latest” was and act and spend accordingly, to make sure everyone knew we were ready and playing “our part.” Nearly every week we were in the stores spending a chunk of our paychecks on items that would be out of style in 6 months. Just shopping the racks trying to keep up.
Of course, the men all get to wear the same suits they graduated college in. Maybe a new 30.00 tie on occasion. The gals were changing out whole closets every season. We were lucky when there were years when styles didn’t swing and we could blend pieces over a couple of years, but then they were made so crummy they would wear out. Even the “good stuff.”
There are dissertations written on how the fashion industry helps subordinate women in the workplace, pressuring them to spend a big part of their paycheck on “disposable” clothes, to keep “looking right” instead of protecting their financial health. The guys don’t invest nearly as much of their pay on presentation with their cookie cutter attire. Sure suits are expensive, but a well made, classic tailored one can last for years.
I was clueless about what a constant undercurrent of fomo anxiety tied to my position those ads were brewing in all our psyches until I stepped off the elevator. I went an entirely different direction that didn’t require any kind corporate fashion uniform to look “right.” My wallet was instantly thicker, and my Sunday morning paper reading suddenly was done is minutes not an hour.
Decades later, sitting at my desk in my jeans, running my company, looking back on that time, I can clearly see exactly how the advertising/fashion sector brazenly keeps women hooked, chewing up wealth and resources, keeping us anxious and convinced we need to buy something to “win.”
braindead Premium Member over 2 years ago
This comic touches on the reason that the Republican* base fights like hell to prevent millionaires and billionaires from paying any taxes.
They believe it’s gonna be them. Someday.