Advertising Propaganda in Fashion

Advertising Propaganda:  Appeal to Tradition in the Fashion Industry
By: Bailee McGinnis

   Ambiguous Tradition

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   The common “we’ve always done it this way” antiquity occurs when it is assumed that something is better or correct simply because it is older, traditional, or "always has been done." This sort of "reasoning" is fallacious because something is aged does not necessarily make it better than the new. In today’s fashion industry you will find the common appeal to tradition fallacy which claims that because something is older rather than new, therefore it must be better, because it’s been around longer. It should not be assumed that new things must be better than old things any more than it should be assumed that old things are better than new things.

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  A psychological characteristic of most people is that they prefer to stick with what is older or traditional, because it feels more comfortable being that it’s been around longer. One issue that must be considered is the "test of time." If a person assumes that something must be correct or true simply because it has persisted a long time, then he/she has committed an Appeal to Tradition. After all, as history has shown people can persist in accepting false claims for centuries. Take for example, Abercrombie & Fitch which is claimed as the “original apparel and lifestyle” brand with a history rooted in the great outdoors. Abercrombie and Fitch history dates back to 1892 when David Abercrombie opened a small waterfront shop and factory under the name David T. Abercrombie Co. in New York City. Limited Brands acquired the ailing company and placed strong emphasis on apparel that would redefine Abercrombie and Fitch history and give it a new brand. Modern day Abercrombie and Fitch is a story of success rooted its rich history. We know the A&F of today as the prominent retailer popular amongst new age teenagers and twenty-something’s for its pricey vintage replications and pulsating, perfumed stores. Many people are familiar with A&F’s past, yet few truly understand the breadth of the brand’s heritage. The history of the brand reveals a heritage as rich as that of any Brooks Brothers or J.Press that the company would be wise to take advantage of.  Get to know the A&F that our great-grandfathers knew and trusted after the jump. The brand attracted the elitist of the elite of the times including presidents, actors, and writers all of whom flocked to the brand for its well-respected reputation. Theodore D. Roosevelt was known to use Abercrombie & Fitch as his outfitter for excursions to Africa and the Amazon. The power of a heritage collection is that the pieces themselves create authenticity and the need for an intricate image strategy becomes unnecessary. The old A&F took a jump on the American authenticity bandwagon and has successfully stood up to the challenges and tests for a long period of time committing a fallacy. Tradition over custom is a reliable means for assessing the truth of a belief.

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  Wrangler is enduring American freedom; it’s in the spirit of people who work hard, have fun and recognize courageous individuality. Tradition, once established, becomes a cultural thing, where society does it without thinking and defends it simply because it now is a part of the woodwork. It’s the same as ever, even before the first pair of Wrangler jeans were made in 1943.  Their history runs parallel to the rise of the country, their jeans worn by the same people who built it.  This philosophy is the clear definition of the appeal to tradition fallacy in which appeals to the old, old ways are best, fallacious appeal to the past, appeal to age.  Wrangler believes that integrity never goes out of style. In fact, they see it as a direct result of the values we as humans embrace – as a company and as people. Values like honesty, consideration and respect. For us, these are more than words. They are embedded in our work and form an integral part of our daily operations. Validations such as these hold a strong impact on us as individuals, and easily influence our decisions about the clothing we wear. Most hardworking souls look for durability in their clothing, how much tear and wear will I get out of this? Well it’s easy to choose Wrangler over the leading Hollister brand in which has only been established since the late 1900s. Wrangler is a well trusted man made garment that offers a warranty. That information alone states their jeans are built on comfort, quality, and value. Their most advertised slogan “you can count on Wrangler” goes hand in hand with the worn traditional appeal. On the road across the United States, one pair of jeans, four stops: clean, worn, wasted, and destroyed. Denim you can depend on, in hardship and in happiness.

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  A fallacy is a kind of error in reasoning, they should not be persuasive, but they often are. When someone adopts a position, or tries to persuade someone else to adopt a position, based on a bad piece of reasoning, they commit a fallacy. Fallacies may be created unintentionally, or they may be created intentionally in order to deceive other people. There is a number of competing and overlapping ways to classify fallacies, the term itself is vague and can be misleading in that there is so many. Appeal to tradition argues people should do something or believe something because that’s the way something has been done for a long time, it’s traditional. Familiarity breeds both ignorance of the true value of something and a reluctance to give up the 'tried and true' traditional appeal. 

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Theodore D. Roosevelt was known to use Abercrombie & Fitch as his outfitter for excursions to Africa and the Amazon. Teddy is shown here riding a moose in a river, probably wearing an A&F coat, hat, and/or pants.
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Gannon, Joe. “The Heritage of Abercrombie & Fitch.” The  Components of  Enthusiasm.  24 February 2009.  Web. www.saintmarys.edu/~berdayes/vincehome/.../history.html