But plantation doesn't necessary refer to slavery. True, that's what comes to mind to Americans, but that because we're making that connection. Plantation when used in a global sense doesn't anymore mean slavery than does the word cotton.

Since the hat references Ecuador and Panama, I thought of banana plantations. These plantations still exist there, and have nothing to do with slavery, and are actually referred to as plantations. (A quick google of "plantation" and "ecuador" reveals this.)

Just another — very plausible — way of looking at what may not be such an "unambiguous… allusion to slavery" after all.

agree with summer. do some traveling, dear.

and, yes, you are the only ones who didnt know about j. peterman company.

Well done Cord.

"…description of which reads, “Some of us work on the plantation. Some of us own the plantation. Facts are facts. This hat is for those who own the plantation.”"

I think its pretty obvious that they weren't going for the "global definition" by that decription!!

I'm just saying… that straw panama hat doesn't in anyway remind me of slavery. it reminds me of south america. that's why i did the quick google research.

i'm not saying that it's not a bad choice of words, i am simply saying that there is another way to read that. and that the word plantation itself doesn't mean slavery. that's the way you read it; i didn't. that very fact means that you have at least allow it doesn't automatically point to african chattel slavery.

omg… i went to the site and clicked on a few things and they are SOOOO not talking about slavery.

there's a million references to Panama and Ecuador. Since the clothing is based on that style, would you feel better if they had said "plots of land containing crops that are worked by field hands" rather than plantation?

but that's not what they're called. The word itself is not bad. the way they were used in southern u.s. was bad. they're not talking about slavery. awwww, this is so frustrating.

and one last thing, coming back to the US from England and using "fag" in the US is just being pretentious.

using plantation to refer to a field in Ecuador is using the actual correct term.

Your argument is silly, maybe you care about it more than I do b/c you seem a little sensitive about it. I still stand by my original post (and agree with summer), Cord. Bwahahaha.

"fag"- a nickname or slang for a cigarette.