Your style conveys your attitudes, tastes and preferences in music, food and lifestyle to everyone around you. But as the 2004 election grows near, fashion has become a way to express political views--something that has not been seen to such an extent since the war in Vietnam polarized the population.
In the 1970s, political fashions were some of the most popular around. Just think about all those hippie costumes people wear on Halloween, complete with peace signs draped around their necks. But what's interesting about the politically-themed apparel emerging today is how versatile it is. It can be found in both the expensive high-brow clothing brands and the do-it-yourself T-shirt sites scattering the Internet.
For instance, Juicy Couture sells long-sleeved T-shirts in a variety of colors with the word "vote" displayed prominently on the front. These shirts are sold in high-end department stores such as Nordstrom's and Bendel's.
Urban Outfitters recently marketed a T-shirt with the slogan "Voting is for Old People," but after being blasted on the news as a negative influence on young voters, the shirts were pulled from shelves.
Online T-shirt vendor John Park Industries (www.johnparkindustries.com) has also been selling a baseball tee that says "foosball wars" with former President George H. W. Bush and President George W. Bush on one team and Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein on the other. Due to high demand, the shirt is sold out on the website and is currently available only on EBay.
Although political slogans seem to be most popular on T-shirts, other areas of fashion have also been affected by the upcoming election. OPI nail polish features a color called "Rock the Vote Red," and camisole and underwear sets are featured at Triple 5 Soul stores with the slogan "The Only Bush I Trust Is My Own" (available online at www.bodyasbillboard.com).
The politically-inspired fashions from the turbulent '70s leaned to the left. The same is true of the political clothing that now dominates store shelves and Internet websites.
For example, an EBay search for the word "vote" yields over 40 results, including T-shirts featuring such Bush-bashing slogans as "Blood for Oil," "Weapon of Mass Destruction" and "Vote for Satan," with pictures of the president prominently displayed above them.
Only one search result featured a pro-Bush shirt that read simply "Vote Bush." So it seems that if style is a way to showcase one's political views, today's fashions are screaming at us to vote, just not for George W.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.