by Rhemy Crawford
Initially created simply to protect our bodies, and later to generate a system of identifying one’s position in society, clothing has become a tool for expressing our unique identity while encompassing the thoughtful secrets behind why we wear what we do. Clothes are intricately woven into our histories and cultures which stand as the pillars for our wardrobes, and how we style what’s inside of them. However, to begin acknowledging this, we must understand that fashion is a form of art that is meaningless without thought or opinion. So let’s inspire a new curiosity behind fashion and how it is used to reflect ourselves and how we want to be seen.
Fashion has everything to do with the influences and issues seen within society; it has historically been used to declare political control and create social hierarchies and can send messages without saying a word. Take the Black Panthers, for example, who utilized their clothing in displaying their efforts to take back their power against police forces. The all-black uniforms and large afros signified not only their dismantlement of society’s ideology that Black is ugly but it was also used as a political statement to liberate Black lives and fight resistance in the United States. We also see less subtle executions of this, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” dress that she wore in attendance at the 2021 Met Gala. Part of her reasoning for deciding to wear this dress was her claim that “fashion is changing, America is changing,” forcing us to place this form of art in a different light and recognize that clothes are now being designed to inspire change throughout all levels of production, in collaboration with the utilization of diversity, advocacy and a large platform, this one of the greatest outlets to bring light to social justice. Not to be muddled with performative activism, many brands have begun to challenge industry norms and cultivate a fresh culture in fashion brands – placing reflective and analytical actions behind their values. In realizing that fashion can literally let our complex individuality be seen, companies have begun to give us more freedom to further connect our personalized ethics with what we show through our outfits.
Bringing the conversation back to the true meanings folded into the garments we skillfully style, the reasons we choose what we wear can be found in so many aspects of our actual clothes between the fabric, layering and brands we choose to buy from themselves. A quote from the late Founder of Off-White and Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, articulates the many intricate features behind an individual’s style to be acknowledged and celebrated – like purchasing clothes because of the brand’s dedication to sustainability or maybe the proceeds go toward a meaningful charity or simply wearing a color that signifies awareness toward issues of minority groups; it all contains so much symbolism. He states, “Politics isn’t binary, it’s this system we’re in and all the ways it manifests. There’s the politics on your phone and the politics on your street. And, yeah, there’s the politics of your clothes.” These politics of fashion aid in creating space for breakthroughs that abolish stereotypes so prevalent in our society that simultaneously judges individuals for how far they fall from societal fashion norms, and the ones who dismantle the norms obtain a political meaning. Ultimately, clothing reflects what’s culturally acceptable in certain societies. The art intersects with our personal values and signifies how we want others to see us, so let’s celebrate just that – let’s rejoice in the wide diversity, fresh perspectives and fulfilling conversations that fashion brings to our world.
Image courtesy of NPR: https://www.npr.org/2015/09/23/442801731/director-chronicles-the-black-panthers-rise-new-tactics-were-needed