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Political fashion

By Meg | September 27, 2007

Here in the U.S., we’re lucky that we can express different political beliefs without being punished by the government. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s always in your best interest to openly declare your beliefs. It’s sad, but true, that some people will go out of their way to punish other who don’t agree with them. At the very least, differing beliefs can cause a whole lot of tension and that’s why discussing politics at work is generally considered bad form.

That’s also why I rarely if ever advertise my political beliefs by what I wear. I don’t mind discussing politics in appropriate venues where I can explain my position, but you can’t explain a shirt to everyone who sees it during the course of your day.

My big gripe, though, is with people who wear political messages, insignias or icons just to look fashionable without taking the time to research the meaning behind what they’re wearing. A prime example is the popularity of Che Guevara’s face on shirts, bags, buttons, etc. Let me state plain and clear that I’m not writing this to debate whether Che was right or wrong. However, when I see his face plastered on teenagers around here I’m a bit sceptical of their intentions, seeing how I know that many don’t have the slightest clue about the politics or history of our own country let alone that of Cuba. The few times that I have asked someone about that or similar designs, the person I asked admitted that they had no clue what it meant. Seeing how those designs do mean a lot to others, I consider it very irresponsible to wear them without knowing the message that they are sending.

Do your research or don’t wear it. And if you wear something that is political, do it knowing that not all people are going to like it. As always, I’m not here to tell you what message to send to others, but rather to help you decide if you are sending the messages that you intend to send.


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