The Intersection of Fashion and Law: Ankara Suits Explores the Question – Is Prostitution Legal in Arizona?

We love addressing elements in our blog related to the law or culture as a brand, the elements of Ankara materials, and how this represents everyday life in our communities. Fashion trends can often reflect the laws or rules within the culture – sometimes, the two can go hand in hand. For example, did you know in some states that there are laws that make certain types of drugs legal and illegal depending upon where they were created? America is a massive nation, with every state having different rules, cultures, and even fashion trends. For our Ankara Suit brand, we do sometimes need to navigate legal issues as part of our brand, as well as cultural trends and how they relate to the law.

Take Arizona, for example. Arizona has long had a complicated legal history surrounding the issue of is prostitution legal in arizona. For those who may have visited the state, you may have noticed that certain areas appear to be legal, while other areas – or sources – depict the opposite. In Arizona, common knowledge of prostitution laws is that the state has few restrictions on the act. The cities of Phoenix and Tucson, for example, do not have any ordinances that criminalize the act of prostitution, based upon the legality that Arizona allows prostitutes to engage in the act of sex work. Other parts of Arizona do, however, have laws on what is known as “aggravated prostitution,” or the mental compulsion that may accompany engaging in prostitution. For example, the state enforces legalization of certain elements of organized prostitution, such as enforcing laws against soliciting another person to engage in the act.

The law here seems complicated, which is why not many members from outside the state are aware of what is and what is not legal. In general, most from outside the state assume since it is a desert, there will be much more organized crime than it actually is. Arizona is one of the few U.S. states that has not banned the legality of sex workers – and by this, we mean prostitutes and those who engage in prostitution. As mentioned above, they don’t attempt to regulate the act of prostitution by ordinances; instead, the state has decriminalized the act of sex work. This doesn’t mean they are encouraging the act; simply that they are not trying to enforce criminal laws against the act.

Perhaps, this law will influence fashion statements more in the future. For example, in Canada, sex work is associated with social, poverty-based, and gender issues. Because prostitution is highly associated with these issues in Canada, its influence on fashion is recognized as an appropriate style. In Canada, prostitutes often wear functional clothing made out of nylon fabrics and/or polyester blends. As a brand, we have opted to explore ways in which we can add greater functionality to our Ankara Suits to ensure they are more appropriate for sex workers in the region. And, to use prostitution in a positive light to discuss legal points, studying the law and the legality of certain acts may aid businesses in the development of their brands, as well as how they are presented in the market.

But, there are many ways the law and style interconnect – elements that many people will not think about when it comes to cultural norms and the law. For example, in Virginia Beach, there was a large bust of prostitutes and the legalization of selling themselves for sexual acts. The sudden influx of legality in sex work has also become a portion of the fashion trends seen in the region in the years since the bust. We’ve opted to research the various impacts of the legal issues in the region to further our business connection to increasing sales and to address how the law can be utilized to make a more effective protest to the lack of awareness the law.

Don’t be surprised if fashion concepts begin addressing legal issues for other companies and other regions. Prostitution, for example, has always been an element of fashion, and we have found many wives of diplomats and war generals wearing sexy clothing, used either to increase their power or to portray themselves as non-drug abusers. These elements of style, however, could be expanded to address other issues, for example, the legalization of the breach of legality. This trend has already been seen with the Bush First Ladies and their wardrobes that were highly regarded as being more in-tune with the backlash of the War on Terror. We’d like to learn more about how to address legal perspectives within style and fashion trends, and invite you to connect with us if you’re looking at exploring fashion and law in the same way.

For more information on the legal aspects of prostitution, you can visit Wikipedia.