Fashion Is Political.

These days when you’re perusing through the likes of InStyle, Vogue, ELLE, etc., you’ll find a good chunk of the content being reported on is politically related. When you’re perusing the comment sections, you will see people go on diatribes saying something along the lines of, “Stay out of politics and stick to fashion.” This matches a cluster of other angry boomers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter telling entertainers to stick to sports, music and acting.

People lift these individuals up to become celebrities and give them the platform to speak because we value them and their work and then when they give an opinion, they’re told to shut up. Nobody tells the parents criticizing these celebrities to stick to parenting and stop vocalizing their beliefs on social media. Everything gets politicized in some way or another — these people and these publications have a first-amendment-right to speak on it.

Fashion is political — whether or not it’s your intention. Over a century ago, it was a scandal for women to show their ankles. Suffrage was led by suffragettes and flappers to garner support for  women’s rights and the ability for women to speak their minds and dress how they want. Even to this day we battle for human rights because they are considered a political controversy. Politics is weaved into everything right down to the colors that we wear. We have days where we wear different colors to bring awareness to different movements and support different groups of people. Wear purple to support LGBT+ youth. Wear orange to take a stand against gun violence. Wear green to bring awareness to mental health. Wear pink to stand in solidarity for women’s rights. Wear teal to show support to survivors of sexual abuse. Simply by wearing black to a funeral, you are showing respect to the loved ones of the dearly departed. Colors are fucking political.

In the more literal sense, politics can impact personal fashion choices. If you watch the presidential debate, you’ll see the Republican candidate wearing a red tie and the Democratic candidate wearing a blue tie. Beyond the colors, Republicans in politics will typically dress more conservatively and traditionally, while Democrats can be seen in professional garb on the trendier side.

Whether or not you believe it or intend to do it, your clothing is self expression and expressions make statements. Fashion is all about making statements. Since their inception, fashion shows have been used as a platform to make political statements. Nordstrom has recently made a statement saying that they no longer will be selling fur and exotic animal skin products — that’s a BIG deal. Nike’s collaboration with Colin Kaepernick became a statement that the brand supports athletes speaking out against police brutality, which somehow became a controversial moment for the athletic brand. Prabal Gurung organized a fashion show highlighting a diverse set of models sporting garments with American influences such as denim, cowboy boots and  as a commentary on American immigration policy. Every time you see celebrities like Jaden Smith and Harry Styles embrace traditionally effeminate attire, such as a blouse, skirt, or pearls, that is a political statement.

Whether or not they deliberately intend it to be political, these are people with opinions using their platforms to support basic rights and equality for all living things. Whether you like it or not, what you are wearing is a reflection of you, your values and your beliefs. Feel free to exercise your right to freedom of speech and expression like everyone else, but do not police others on what they can and cannot speak.