I. Introduction and Central Arguments
In this paper I want to explore the relationship of fashion and political
protest. That there is a relationship is not obvious. At most demonstrations
no one mentions dress. How demonstrators dress is not a typical part of the
historian’s, political scientist’s, or journalist’s inquiry. Any discussion of
how protestors look usually comes from condescending observers.
vague memories from the 1960s of derisive stories about anti-war protestors
that point to long hair on men, scraggly beards, women’s unshaven legs and
armpits, and gauzy clothes. In our culture, to speak in sweeping generalities,
to take people seriously requires attending to their ideas rather than to their
appearance. But I believe that there is a connection between clothes and
protest, and in this paper I will try to articulate that relationship. In brief, I
suggest that fashion or appearance has been used both as a vehicle of protest,
sometimes consciously and often unconsciously, and as a psychological
support for protest.
I will argue that fashion promotes meaningful change 1) by affecting
or shaping values; 2) by encouraging community among protestors; 3) by
provoking thought sometimes and at other times allegiance; 4) fashion’s
change and playfulness foments rebellious creativity. The great danger of
using appearance as protest is that it quickly becomes co-opted and
incorporated into mainstream culture, although there are limits to how much
Convention