Point of Contact

The Letter I Chose:
Letter to the Editor: Fashion, worth not synonymous
Issue date: 9/22/06 Section: Opinion

I feel a little silly, because who writes a letter to the editor about the fashion column, right? Apparently I do. Anyway, as I read through the column, I was a little dismayed with the ridiculous price-tags that came with much of the clothing recommended.

However, I viewed that as one of those instances in which I am better off just muttering to myself or ranting to my roommate about my opinion on the issue instead of making it publicly known. Even though I personally am shocked at the thought of spending $90 on a pair of pajama pants, I realize that it is really a pretty trivial thing to get upset about. What made me more than a little disgusted was the derogatory comment about -state school girls.'

Although I myself am not a huge fan of velour, I realize that female students do not necessarily have bad fashion sense just because they can%t afford to go to a private school. Duh.

I also think it is important to be aware that just because someone attends DePauw does not mean that they can afford it. I personally would be one of those -state school girls' or even a community college girl scoffed at in the column if it were not for the fact that scholarships allow me to attend DePauw for $64 a year. But that does not mean I would be wearing velour, and if I did, so what? I know a lot of people with what would probably be considered especially by our elitist fashion columnist a bad sense of fashion, who are of much more substance and who I respect much more than some well-dressed people I know.

I understand that fashion is really important to some people and that is fine, but it is also fine to find other things more important, like learning about or fighting world hunger. Besides, it is certainly possible to effectively share your opinions and make recommendations without making fun of people. And shouldn%t a writer with a private-school education be capable of that?



Britani Hollis,

sophomore


I chose this letter because this argument interests me because Fashion Merchandising is my major so it is something that I deal with in my everyday life. I agree with this letter because I do think that just because you are in college and interested in Fashion doesn't mean you should be wearing a real Chanel piece or a wonderful Oscar de la Renta gown. You can still have good style with the pieces you choose, maybe from a thrift store or from a department store that you can afford. Just because you don't have these elaborate pieces doesn't mean that you are poor or not a good person, it means that you are a college student just like everyone else around you and you don't have a lot of money. You can potentially after college get these pieces if you can afford them or still have the desire to have them. Looking at this letter, I think the only thing I would change is this girls sort of aggression towards the subject. She seems to be very upset, which is fine, but you can't expect every retailer to conform to the typical college student's budget. I think it would be better for her if she had a more calm, open-opinion tone. It would not only make her argument more likable, but also seem more intelligent and educated on the subject. She could also elaborate more on how college students can make their statement look with a lower budget.


Appraising the Letter:
Her main claim is that just because you don't wear top of the line clothes doesn't mean that you are an uneducated or poor person. Her main support is that she can still attend college with scholarships and "wear velour if she wants to." The writer doesn't really touch much on opposing claims, which is where I step in and make some. The writer, in my opinion, gets her point across and defines the issue correctly.

Summary:
In the letter, Britani Hollis talks about the topic of fashion in college and being able to afford expensive items as a college student. She argues that just because you aren't in a private school doesn't mean that you have a bad fashion sense or can't afford to buy expensive pieces. I agree with what Britani says, and I think that she can add to her statement by saying that you can still look fabulous in college with lower priced items and spending more money on one statement piece an plan the outfit around that accordingly. Also, as a college student, you aren't expected to have a Chanel bag or an Oscar de la Renta gown. You can still look good and have a sense of style with lower priced clothing and some sort of a fashion sense.