Brands and Trends

In the article, “Wearing Beliefs on Their Chests,” Ruth Ferla discusses how religion has become a brand. Religious slogans can be found on t-shirts, tote bags, bracelets, belts, and much more. The spiritual images give teenagers something to demonstrate that they belong to. This article was written in 2005, and although it was written five years ago this fashion is still here today. After reading this article, I wondered, “How could I connect fashion trends and brands to a compelling experience in the classroom?” One idea that I came up with was to have students observe various trends in brands and create a video documentary demonstrating the brands observed. For example, one fashion trend that I have noticed lately is teenagers wearing shirts displaying Sesame Street characters. It would be interesting to see a students view point of the fashion trends and brands.