Introduction
Maya Singer’s Vogue article “Power Dressing: Charting the Influence of Politics on Fashion” argues that fashion is, and has always been, political. Singer, an Amherst graduate and fashion writer for Vogue, gives a rundown of the major topics at the intersection of politics and fashion throughout modern history. I became interested in this reading because I have observed many of the same issues firsthand, particularly those regarding sustainability and overconsumption.
Summary
Singer’s core claim is that fashion, by its nature, is inseparable from politics. She expands on this by incorporating the views of major figures in the fashion industry on the topic and by giving an overview of its most prominent examples in recent times. There’s the obvious (political slogans; BLM shirts; “We Should All Be Feminists” tees), the more subtle (Serre’s moon’s universality as a symbol; the Black Panthers’ leather jackets and berets signifying counter-police resistance), and the behind-the-scenes production of the clothing itself (labor rights; environmental impact; the diversity of its influences). In recent years, people have become increasingly aware of these connections between fashion and politics, with movements calling for more accountability from brands, celebrities, and influencers alike.
Response
In my own life, I’ve come across many of the same controversies on sustainability and accountability. For one, the perceived conflict between accessibility and sustainability: as Singer notes, the “right to consume” and garment workers’ rights have been set in opposition to each other, “as though insisting on the latter is tantamount to saying low-income Americans don’t deserve stylish clothes”. I’ve seen this opinion expressed with regards to Shein, a notorious fast-fashion brand with highly controversial labor practices but highly affordable prices. Because they can’t afford more expensive, higher-quality “cute” clothes, some misinterpret the statement “fast fashion is bad” as “you are a bad person if you buy fast fashion.” I completely agree with Singer on this: it’s not that poor people should not buy cheap, low-quality clothing, but that they shouldn’t have to in the first place. Buying cheap clothing because you need clothing is not the fault of the consumer; the problem only arises when people are buying more than they need.
I’ve also encountered “performative” support of sustainability and accountability. The normalization of this type of language is in part good, as Singer mentioned, but has often led to its meaning being twisted or watered down. For instance, “de-influencing” posts that boil down to “buy this, not that” have become popular in recent months. This defeats the point of “de-influencing” in the first place, which is to cut down on unnecessary consumption. People wrap consumerism in the language of sustainability without ever changing their approach to fashion at its core. Brands are guilty of this as well–perhaps more so as the ones in control of clothing production–and push their “sustainable!”-labeled lines to the forefront while continuing to take advantage of cheap labor for the rest of their products. Environmental friendliness can’t just be another fashion trend; it has to be the end goal of reform for the entire garment production industry going forward.
Concluding Remarks
This reading reminded me of a few of Trufelman’s remarks early on in the Articles of Interest series regarding clothing as a form of communication. The fashion trends mentioned throughout the podcast series often had clear ties to politics, such as the militaristic uniforms of post-Meiji Restoration Japan that reflected their society’s shift to more Western philosophies.
A few questions I’m left with are: How can we go about reforming the garment supply chain? And how can we prevent sustainability activism from fading out like another fashion trend?
Works Cited
Singer, Maya. “Power Dressing: Charting the Influence of Politics on Fashion.” Vogue, 17 Sept. 2020, https://www.vogue.com/article/charting-the-influence-of-politics-on-fashion.
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