Using Fashion As Your Armour For A Rebellion

It’s getting to that time again when we’re avoiding news headlines, because we know they’re never going to be positive. And if you’re anything like me, various recent events have made you feel furious at the decisions of those in political power: the ones who speak for us but never seem to get the words right.

The worst part? Our utter lack of power as individuals. It’s easy to feel lost in a sea of opinions, when yours isn’t being valued above the rest, and that’s the fate we must endure as citizens. But when all feels hopeless, when we feel like we’re fighting an uphill battle with our bare hands, we can’t forget the things we can do to empower ourselves. It might seem small, or even stupid, but sometimes the clothes we wear can be our only form of activism. Even when they only function to reassure us, they can at least remind us of who we are when we’re living in an oppressive society. Our clothes can say the words that we can’t.

When we have little power as normal citizens, how do we dress to cause the uproar that we can’t action? Because, as we have recently seen, the citizens’ control and role in the democratic process isn’t necessarily promised in the future.

Activism and Fashion 

There is a rich history of using fashion as a mouthpiece for activism. Fashion played a significant role in Women’s Suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, and has always been an unsung but so inspiring way to speak up without having to move your lips. Movements like these, and the great things that resulted from them, wouldn’t be possible without the brave people actioning these changes. They spoke out and worked tirelessly to bring about the change that they could only imagine.

When we don’t agree with the decisions of those in power, we have little choice but to protest and cause a scene in the hopes of recognition. Fashion acts as a wearable form of protest: we can wear slogan t-shirts, symbols or emblems to represent our political beliefs, or the history that got us to where we are now. It’s a form of expression that is small and practical but massively powerful.

Musicals in Mourning 

Fashion activism is as relevant today as it was back then, and recent events have showcased this. At the Tony Awards earlier this month, the original Broadway cast of Hamilton came back to perform at the ceremony. And though their choice to wear all black may be regarded as solely functional, some have theorised that this style decision was a political statement. The choice to wear all black attire has been speculated to represent funeral mourners – to show a cast who is grieving the state of their country, whilst retelling its history.

Daveed Diggs, who played Thomas Jefferson, even took it a step further, wearing a black beret. This may be just an accessory, but it’s not far-fetched to assume that this was a nod to the uniform of those in the Black Panther Party during the Civil Rights Movement. A powerful statement given the current state of the country in which the show was performed. The only member of the cast who broke the sea of black was Jonathan Groff, who adorned a crimson blazer whilst playing the role of the king (an unjust leader – how fitting!).

Even if a political statement wasn’t intended by the cast’s outfits, the important thing is that they’ve got us wondering about a hidden meaning. And is that not the point? Are we not supposed to question what it is that they’re protesting and why this might be wrong?

Using Fashion for Protest 

There are smaller ways to protest as well (for those of us who don’t have access to the Tony Award’s stage). We can wear things like badges and use our views to accessorise our outfits (just to be clear, I’m not recommending a red baseball cap). It’s the little things that we can incorporate to make our voices heard. Even if they don’t action a change, they’re representing who you are, and working towards the creation of a safe place for those who share your views. Our beliefs will always be central to our person; why not also make them central to our outfits? Advocating for something important, like human rights, will always be the best way to complete an outfit.

Catwalk to Action 

In times like these, we need to utilise what we can control to protest the things that we can’t. We must be brave in our fashion choices, to pave the way for bravery in other aspects of our lives. We should find ways to represent our culture, our sexuality, our gender, our rights in the things that we wear. When the world gets to this state, being complacent isn’t okay; you need to be courageous. And if nothing else, we have autonomy over what we wear, and we can use this to empower us, and amplify our voices. Because if we don’t have a voice, what do we have?