You Call This ‘Beautiful’?

I understand that Felipe Dupouy’s piece was a photo essay and not an expose of the garment industry (“The Sewing Rooms,” Men’s Fashion Issue, April 9). However, the callous nature of the captions was unbelievable. In a photo, I saw paint coming off the ceiling, holes in the floor and rags covering the windows. The caption mentioned that “it’s beautiful--the way the light bounces around.” Thousands of workers in downtown L.A. work in substandard conditions and don’t find it “beautiful.”

Mark Elinson

Los Angeles

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Dupouy’s photos brought back some long-buried memories. The rooms looked very similar to the ladies’ blouse factory my late father owned in El Monte in the 1960s. I remember spending wonderful hours there, watching the seamstresses and helping button buttons and tie tags. The workstations, hanging racks and bins seem to be identical to those in my 9-year-old child’s memory.

Breena Prater

Santa Clarita