George Washington University The Devil Wears Prada Philosophy Discussion Question

• First, explain 2 of the points that Veblen makes about fashion.
• Second, give your own argument either for or against 1 of the points that you have explained

2 entries:

entry 1: Yasmin Maleki

One
point that Veblen makes about fashion is the idea that fashion must be
expensive in order for us to appreciate it. He says this is ingrained in
our habits, implying that people are materialistic. He also makes the
claim that we feel that “what is inexpensive is unworthy.” He goes on to
say people believe a cheap article of clothing is regarded as “cheap
and nasty”. Another point that Veblen makes about fashion is that it is
ever changing. Therefore, new styles are constantly developing to meet
our “aesthetic needs”.

I
agree with Veblen’s points regarding the changing nature of clothing,
but I also find it problematic in a sense. Although new styles are
constantly arising, many of them are simply new twists on past trends.
An example of this could be highwaisted jeans, which have come back in
style in the past decade. We are also seeing many influences from 90’s
fashion such as a rise in women’s suits as fashion staples.
Additionally, I would argue that there are a series of trends that
remain stable through time. An example of this is leather. This is a
timeless fabric that has been used in a variety of ways. I don’t believe
it will be going out of style anytime soon because it fits our
“aesthetic needs” throughout time.

entry 2: Matthew Cote

The Devil Wears Prada follows Veblen’s idea of expensive clothes
projects a more respectable person. I think the whole fashion industry
is kind of scene as this. The more expensive an item is the more
valuable it is. As well as it shows that person wearing the clothing is
of high class. Specifically, Andy is seen as inferior by her colleagues
just because she isn’t flaunting the most expensive and new clothes. One
person even asks Miranda if they are doing a before and after because
Andy looks so awful. I think the movie goes against this idea that
expensive clothes correlate with exceptional character. Andy is a great
person and she doesn’t wear the most expensive clothes. We are first
drawn to Miranda because of this fact. Once you get to know someone, the
style doesn’t matter.