Reflection 36 of 52: Does your T-shirt speak for you?
September 08, 2014
When Justice Minister Peter MacKay recently wore a pro-gun t-shirt, he quickly became a target (pun intended) for the anti-gun commentators and an advocate for the pro-side on social media. He said he wore it at the request of an Afghanistan veteran. He also said "I've always been clear about the fact that I support safe and sensible policies regarding firearms." The T-Shirt said “no compromise” and comes from Canada’s National Firearms Association.
That T-shirt said a lot and created a
lot of discussion.
The symbols and words on our clothing
brazenly speak to our politics, religion, charitable causes, angst and sense of
humour. I remember the first time I saw the popular 90’s fcuk brand and
wondered what statement that was trying to communicate. From what I gather it
was just a marketing gimmick designed by an ad guy to sell more clothes for
French Connection.
Coming through many era’s of T-shirt
messaging, I must admit to being a fan of the subtle or “in” language that
adorns most hipster attire now. I like to ask what the symbols or visuals mean
as it reveals so much about the person. Same goes for tattoos, but that is
another blog post.
Creative versions of themes such as
the Keep Calm series or peace signs are fun for a while but quickly jump the
shark. Vintage T’s from rock bands go for a pretty penny on eBay. A ratty
Woodstock piece of memorabilia or Michael Jackson Thriller baseball shirt go
for thousands. I expect vintage will always be cool. Keep those Kayne West
plain white $120 T-shirts (or say you did) and sell them for big bucks 20 years
from now.
I predict an “I did the ice bucket
challenge” version will appear any day now.
And, let’s not forget about the “I
heart NY” promotion that spawned more proclamations of love for everything from
dobermans to nerds.
We are bombarded by messages in every
aspect of our lives, from mobile ads to washroom posters. Next time you are
tossing on your casual gear, think about the message you are sending. It is a
powerful statement when someone is standing in front of you. Here is a story from the Toronto Star about the ethics of hate messages on clothing that will make us all think twice about what we choose to ignore.
Some people never give a second thought to their logo bearing apparel but rest assured your T-shirt is speaking volumes.
Some people never give a second thought to their logo bearing apparel but rest assured your T-shirt is speaking volumes.
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