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The resistance is wearable.
The New American Apparel
Protest
Wear:
see the tees
Protest WEAR
Protest tees have become the analog protest of choice. They allow people to declare allegiance without opening their mouths or taking a single step. It’s the physical equivalent of a re-tweet, the fashion version of sharing a friend's fiery Facebook post. “Wearing a graphic t-shirt is an effortless protest,” says fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen. Moreover, it’s ubiquitous, “These shirts are everywhere. You can’t walk past them and not acknowledge them, you can’t tune them out.”
“Nasty woman.” “Basket of deplorables.” “Grab her by the pussy.” Those are not phrases plucked from a Comedy Central roast or overheard in a middle school locker room, but the weaponized language of contemporary politics. Last year’s Presidential election yielded more polarizing slogans and slights than any in recent memory. They all seem to have ended up on a t-shirt.
Protest Wear
There have been 18 school shootings since the start of 2018 (which averages out to around three per week). The first annual March For Our Lives takes place on March 24, 2018, where children and families fighting to make school's safe from gun violence will protest nationwide.
March For Our Lives
When Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell motioned to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren during Jeff Sessions' confirmation hearing for Attorney General, a rallying cry was born. He claimed that despite repeated requests for Warren to stop questioning Sessions, “nevertheless, she persisted.” A version of these shirts is now sold at Walmart.
Nevertheless, She Persisted
Make America Gay Again
A play on Trump’s most persistent campaign slogan and a nod to Vice-President Pence's history of anti-gay sentiments.
Known as Auntie Maxine, Maxine Waters (D-California) emerged as a political force in 2017, providing an endless supply of sass on the Hill, from interrupting Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin in a hearing, to repeatedly flaming Trump on Twitter.
Maxine Waters
The Future is Female
A recreation of a shirt captured in a photograph taken by lesbian historian Liza Cowan in 1975.
These tees come with a hefty price tag: a $100 donation to Planned Parenthood. The shirts are the brainchild of conceptual artist Jenny Holzer and Off-White founder Virgil Abloh.
Abuse of Power
Immigrants Are Us
Two pillars of the Trump presidency have been radical immigration reform and sweeping travel bans.
The death of Carrie Fisher, who played Star Wars’ rebel Princess Leia, became a galvanizing force of resistance.
A Woman’s Place
Still Nasty
During a debate in 2016, candidate Donald Trump referred to his opponent Hillary Clinton as, “that nasty woman.”
A riff on Shepard Fairey’s iconic 2008 Barack-Obama poster “Hope”.
Nope
Don't Tread On Me
In early December, the FCC voted to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations, prompting an uproar. This shirt is a play on the Gadsden flag, an image most recently assocaited with Tea Party politics.
Produced by the Ilegal Mezcal company, this shirt raised $25,000 for Ninōs de Guatemala, an education non-profit. The phrase was reportedly used in a conversation with CEO John Rexler by a waiter at a restaurant, and it roughly translates to “Donald is a dumbass.”
“Pendejo”
100% Human
Everlane donates $5 from the purchase of each 100% human design to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Frank Ocean catapulted this shirt to internet fame while performing at the Panorama Music Festival in July. It was designed by Green Box Shop, an independent clothing line founded by 18-year-old Kayla Robinson.
Why Be…
In 2016, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick knelt during a pre-game National Anthem to protest against racial injustice. In 2017, he became a touchstone in President Trump’s stand-off with the NFL, and inspired widespread protests at games all over the country.
Colin Kaepernick
Austin-based artist Mike Mitchell designed this when he noticed Trump’s presidential number (45) resembles a swastika when styled in thick, sans serif font. He uploaded a free hi-res version of it for anyone who wants to use it, but you can buy the shirt here.
No. 45
Grabs Back
In 2016, an audio tape of Donald Trump surfaced in which he boasts to Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush that because of his fame, women let him “grab them by the pussy.”
AGAIN?
