First Lecture: Notes and Clothing Task

​On Thursday the 19th of September, after a tutorial with Tony, he noticed a carrier bag that I was holding and asked, “What’s in the magic bag?”. Inside that ‘magic’ bag was a dark red corduroy jacket that I had just picked up from Primark, (go-to clothes shop for a student budget in my opinion). While I hadn’t intended to buy a new jacket when I walked into the store, it was conveniently placed near the front entrance, and got me thinking about the up and coming cold Cumbria weather. Another selling factor in making me impulsively buy this new jacket was the fact that I particularly like the corduroy material.  Corduroy has a distinct pattern, known as a ‘cord’ or a ‘wale, and modern corduroy is most commonly composed of tufted cords. The origins of corduroy are among items worn by townspeople in industrial areas. Corduroy has existed for a long time and was used in Europe since the 18th century, however only in the 20th century did it become a global material, most notably expanding in popularity in the 1970’s. My Primark corduroy jacket cost £23, which is a lot cheaper compared to similar jackets from brands such as H&M (£35) and M&S (£50). Looking inside the jacket, the label states “MADE IN CHINA”. Notably, Primark’s supplier’s are based across 5 continents, with the vast majority of 550 being located in China, and many products are known for being made in china due to cheaper labour costs, therefore it is likely that this is the reason why Primark can offer such low prices for their garments.