Posted on August 20, 2012 in Uncategorized | 0 comments
This guest post is written by Brandon Woo, a high school student I met through the Future Science Leaders program.
After seeing the Canadian athletes at the closing ceremony with the jean jackets, the khakis, the Scouts badges, and the gray t-shirts, I thought to myself — Oh, is that all?
The Bay meant to create a uniform that Canadians could relate to, something that Canadians could picture themselves wearing. Making fashion relatable can be a large part of what makes fashion appealing. I watched a TED talk in which Jonathan Klein, co-founder of Getty Images, argued that "we don't take" photos. Klein argued that we make photographs, identifying with images by bringing to each image our own values and beliefs. I find that this personal experience that Klein described is not limited to photography. I've found truths in other forms of art — fashion, literature, whatever — that I can also relate my own experiences to.
The truth that the Bay kept in mind while designing the closing ceremony uniform is that people all over the world know Canadians as a badge-wearing group of people with a countrywide "love of denim." The Bay thinks that Canadians should naturally find themselves in the uniform.
Problem for me — I don't see myself or my city in that uniform. I don't recall the last time I've seen regular, everyday people wearing a jean jacket or badges in Canada. The Bay might have good intentions in wanting to relate to my supposed love of all things jean and the patches on my non-existent traveller's bag, but I think it lacks in execution.
Image courtesy of HBC.
I found myself focusing on the aesthetics of the outfit because I couldn't relate to the Bay's intentions. The uniform isn't very aesthetically pleasing . . . Contrast is limited. The badges cause the jacket to be asymmetrical. There's a nice harmony with the pieces of the outfit, but "nice" is all the uniform is. The uniform's too plain for someone like me — someone who can't relate to the uniform — to appreciate.
I want to determine where the consensus about the uniform's aesthetics lies – whether or not others look at the uniform in a manner similar to mine. You can help me by answering the following survey questions:
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