[essay] going for the look

Hiring people to “create an environment that’s enticing to the community” is how some of our stores sell their clothes today. I believe a brand enhancer is acceptable, and that it is the stores choice of how they want to be portrayed. Many times today we base our decisions on where we shop off of the models that are selling the clothes. It’s not discriminatory because it’s not a judgment on who it is, but what it is.  Stores all have their own look that they want and if they can display this off of certain models then they have the right to do so. I agree with Cohen’s argument that it is acceptable to “find a brand enhancer” to help the sales at a store.

Each store wants to be portrayed in a certain way and has its own vibe to it. As we walk through a mall, we try and figure out which stores we would want to stop and look at. But what pulls our attention to each particular store? Every store has a different feel to it, like a personality. Some stores are bright and seem more spacious like Forever 21, compared to a place darker and enclosed like Hollister. Also, stores play different types of music that attract different types of people. Just like how people categorize music, people categorize shops. Some are just meant for some people, and other ones are meant for different people. We don’t point out these minor details to each other, but each one of us judge off of the first glance at the store. If each one of the stores was the same then they wouldn’t attract different types of people.

This is where advertising comes in. As people begin to realize the vibe of each store, they figure out what store fits them. Just like how stores have their own vibe and style, so do we. We all know what clothing look good on us, and when we see something that catches our eye, we want to shop at that certain store. As we become more and more familiar with our styles, we look for places that match us. So when stores want to advertise a piece of new clothing, they choose someone that will show off the clothing. It is not discriminatory because not everyone looks good in everything. And as more and more people start to apply for jobs, some will not get the job because it just doesn’t fit their personal style. It’s not against their work ethic or who they are as a person, they just don’t fit the vibe. 

But as stores begin to grow, they need more employees. Since many apply to work, many different people can get the job. Just because they don’t fit the needs of model advertising, doesn’t mean that they cannot still work there. They can sort out the clothes in the back, or make up the advertisement that someone else is going to do. There are many other opportunities for different types of people to get hired. Once they start working they will realize if that place is a good fit for them, and if not, they can always apply at a different location that may work out better for them. In this way stores aren’t going to be discriminatory, because they will still have a chance at the job, just not as the “walking billboard”.

The walking billboard is what lures costumers in. they see the new style out from the advertisements in magazines or right outside the store door, and go in. if it didn’t look good on the person advertising it, then the stores would lose business. Stores just want customers to keep returning and wearing their clothes so that it gets advertised by them also. This meaning that more people will be brought to their store because others saw their clothing and thought it was cute. Many times we see what others are wearing and go for that same look. Even though we have our own styles, we catch onto different trends that come and go. We advertise off of each other, especially with the new popular trends that come out. So without a brand enhancer, new trends would not be recognized, and people would not look at new stores. We “show off” different stores by wearing clothing from different places. Without each other, and models, we would never realize the new styles out. 

In conclusion, hiring a walking billboard is what starts a store. If no one advertised that stores clothes, people wouldn’t be interested and wouldn’t even look into shopping there. Having someone essentially show off what clothing is being sold there brings in customers and sets the tone. Without having a model luring people in, a store would not make very good business and have a hard time staying open. It is not discriminatory because the stores aren’t going off of the looks of the person, but what the person looks good in. If they don’t fit the style that the store is trying to portray then it would be a struggle for them to work there. They wouldn’t know anything about the clothing and wouldn’t know what looks good with what. This would not be helpful to the customers asking questions to them, and they wouldn’t enjoy it because they don’t fit in. Since everyone has their own style, it’s easier for them to work at a store that is similar to them. Whether they are working the cash box, sorting or folding clothes, or being a model and advertising is up to the employees to decide. But there goal is not to discriminate against anyone, it is to make business. And without anyone advertising the clothes they are selling, no one would know about them. All they want to do is “create an environment that is enticing to the community”.