If Our Clothes Could Talk

Fashion has always been a tool for self-expression. Going back thousands of years, ancient cultures around the world used fashion to denote a person’s wealth, profession, and rank in society. The toga, for instance, was a prominent indicator of citizenship during the Roman Empire. Even farther back, in ancient Egypt, certain gold or silver amulets were worn to indicate status and position in society. And if we go even farther back, say 200,000 years ago, wearing any clothing at all was probably a statement in itself!

While fashion has obviously changed dramatically over the centuries, many of its functions have stayed the same. People choose clothing to reflect their wealth – designer sweaters and branded shoes to indicate just how much they spent. They wear clothing that reflects their profession – white collar suits and ties for Wall Street bankers or corporate lawyers. But people can also wear clothing in more subversive ways to advocate for causes quite a bit larger than their own sense of wealth and status.

Welcome to fashion activism, where sustainability meets personal style and what you wear can reflect your values as much as your taste.

Simply put, fashion activism is the conscious use of clothing to support social, environmental, or political change. This can look like a multitude of things, from wearing shirts with slogans printed in bold fonts to upcycled pieces that tell their own story in a subtle manner. Due to the diversity of fashion as a visual medium, there are a myriad of methods one can employ to get their message across through their clothing.

Those engaged in fashion activism often share their messages on social media sites such as X and Tik Tok due to the large audiences available on those platforms. There are a number of fashion influencers that leverage their sizable followings to promote sustainability and social justice initiatives – Leah Musch, AJA Barber, and Nolan White, just to name a few, all promote sustainable fashion techniques like sewing and upcycling to their followers across Instagram, X, and Tik Tok. While it can be tricky to walk the path of sustainability as an influencer – as a product influencer, your occupation is still inherently tied to consistent (over)consumption – there are a number of people doing it with gusto!

Outside the realm of social media, there are organizations that have pushed fashion activism into the mainstream. One of these is Fashion Revolution, a not-for-profit global movement with teams in over 75 countries around the world. Fashion Revolution was founded in 2013 in response to the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed over 1,100 garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. They’ve since grown to become, in their own words, “the world’s largest fashion activism movement, mobilising citizens, brands and policymakers through research, education and advocacy.” Fashion Revolution has done their advocacy partially through the medium of fashion itself, partnering with artists and designers to reframe powerful narratives embedded in the culture of fashion.

There’s also Slow Factory, an environmental and social justice non-profit based in New York that stresses the importance of sustainability literacy and education in clothing design. Not only does Slow Factory provide extensive educational materials through their platforms on everything from regenerative design practices to social inequities, they’ve also worked with major fashion brands – Adidas, PVH, Natura, etc. – to change the way the industry operates.

While it’s easy to focus on large movements and famous individuals, the power of fashion activism comes from its universality – you don’t need to be an influencer with a major following or a supermodel on a Parisian runway to make your fashion choices count. Everyday people like you and I can engage in fashion activism simply by sporting sustainable brands. Wearing brands that have ethical production and environmentally responsible practices helps start conversations about sustainability wherever we go.

You can also engage in a more subtle form of fashion activism through many of the practices we’ve talked about in previous blog posts – buying secondhand clothing, shopping at thrift stores, repairing the clothes we already have, upcycling materials, etc. It may not seem like “activism,” and it may sometimes go unnoticed, but these practices inherently support ethical production and environmentally responsible practices. Using these techniques helps to normalize them in the common culture, which is a vital part of creating a more sustainable world.

Fashion activism doesn’t require a perfect wardrobe. It starts with asking questions: “Do I need this? Who made it? What’s it made of?” Building a more sustainable closet means buying less, rewearing more, and embracing imperfection. Whether you’re mending a worn-out pair of jeans or sharing a thrifted outfit on social media, these choices matter. In the end, what you wear can be more than just an outfit. It can be a quiet form of resistance – or a bold call for change.

So, the next time you get dressed, ask yourselves: “What story are my clothes telling?” They can speak louder than you think.

Alec Matulka
Doo Dah Apparel