Fashion: It Stops Being Fun When It’s Divisive

Why are some clothes labeled as “offensive” anyway?

Has this crossed your mind as well? Recently, I reflected on my visit to President Trump’s rally that took place right here in Rochester. It happened back in October, and the event quite literally took over the whole city. I’d never seen anything like it. Politics aside, this was an event that you had to see for yourself. It’s history when a President visits your city! At least, that’s what I told myself.

When I got to the rally, I actually had a pleasant experience. What I noticed, however, was the criticism some citizens received for wearing their MAGA hats at the rally. I shouldn’t have been shocked by this, because we know now that anyone gets criticized for wearing one anywhere anymore – and I seriously doubt that “every” supporter of our President is actually a racist.

Again, politics aside, it broke my heart to see these people treated unfairly (and cruelly) simply because of what they were wearing. If you think about it, it’s no better than treating someone differently because of the color of their skin (which I also don’t believe in).

I mentioned my thoughts on what I’ll call “divisive fashion” to my friends, and they had a variety of opinions on this. Some said “Nope! Whatever those clothes represent totally matters.” Some said, “I could care less what someone else is wearing.” Some said, “I agree with you, Val. You should wear what you want!”

I couldn’t help but ask myself, how can an article of clothing cause such an uproar in a matter of minutes? Why did it “have” to be that way? Especially when you’re not sure if that hat actually represents what that person believes. What if they just like the color or how it looks? You’re going to hold a preference against them?

I’ve always viewed fashion and styling clothes as a form of art. You should be able to mix patterns and colors and create a vibe that makes you happy. To me, fashion was always fun. It’s especially fun as you get more creative.

I want to get back to that. I kind of wish that the Bill of Rights included a clause on the freedom to wear what you want.

If fashion is art, then it’s something that is also completely up to personal interpretation – just like music or movies. Let’s think about that?

Let’s live that.