What Are You Wearing and What is it Saying?

I didn’t talk much as a kid. Not due to a lack of words to say or some sort of speech impediment, but out of an overwhelming anxiety at the idea of speaking up. I include this detail not to make you pity me, but so you know I understand how to communicate without using words. This unfortunate circumstance is where my love for art and fashion stems from. Growing up in small-town Indiana, I constantly made an effort to immerse myself in the world of fashion; from the thrift store, to my magazine collection, to endless Pinterest boards. Fashion was an escape from the world around me and my own personal way of communicating. 

In today’s society it is more important than ever that we, as a community, communicate not only with our voices, but through our clothing. In a world of fad trends and mass media, it is crucial not only to find one’s personal style, but overall stance on pressing political topics. The question is no longer: how can I dress to look fashionable today? Rather, what message am I trying to convey through my appearance? As fashion becomes increasingly political, consumers are forced to make conscious decisions about their purchases beyond the surface of appearance. A woman wearing a cute tee from the popular ecommerce website and largely-known fast fashion brand, SHEIN, is no longer simply a woman in a tee shirt. She is now openly supporting child labor and actively making non-sustainable purchasing choices. Some may claim that boycotting these large corporations will not make a large enough impact to change the company’s operations. However, many have chosen to look beyond the grand scheme of things and think about their personal moral grounds when it comes to these social matters. 

Tensions continue to rise as major brands like Gap and Levi’s face multi-billion dollar impacts and are forced to completely restructure their supply chains due to tariffs set in place by the current U.S. administration. Luxury brands, including Hermes and Burberry, raise their prices to offset the tariffs; increasing the gap between upper and lower classes even further as many consumers will no longer be able to afford these brands. Meanwhile, household names like Billie Eillish and Justin Bieber attend this year’s Grammy’s wearing pins with the statement “ICE OUT,” many taking the opportunity to make political statements in place of acceptance speeches. 

Whether we like it or not, fashion is becoming inherently political. Those who prefer not to voice their opinions and avoid politics will simply have to stop wearing clothes altogether. Clothing is no longer a method of comfort or style, it is an entire political language in and of itself. Before you roll out of bed and throw on the first outfit you find, ask yourself where your morals lay and what kind of political statement you wish to make to those around you.