In order to compensate for my "everyman" appearance (because who likes being like everyone else?), I've found several creative ways to show people just how intellectually volatile an "average looking guy" like me can actually be. The easiest way to do this is just to talk to people and let them know how I feel about the world, but sometimes talking isn't always an option. Maybe I want people to know what kind of person I am from a hundred feet away, in a crowded room where one-on-one conversation is not ideal. Or maybe I just don't want to talk to certain people, either because they're ignorant or they have an axe grind or whatever. In cases like these I need a way to show people my mind without them actively asking to be shown, and for this, I turn to one of humanity's oldest inventions: clothing.
They say, "you are what you wear," but I like to switch things up a little bit. I say you wear what you are. If I want to define myself to others, I want to make sure I'm sending the right visual messages, and clothes are an excellent way to assure that there are no kinks in the transmission, so to speak. You too probably want others to see you as you are, so I'm going to show you what works for me and hopefully some of it will work for you as well.
A t-shirt is such a great thing because it really is canvas on which nearly any message can be printed. It's amazing how you can show your support for a favorite organization or musical artist just by wearing a piece of clothing on your chest. Of course, on top of all that, you're also keeping yourself warm! I think that some of the best t-shirt designs are made of just words. After all, the pen is mightier than the sword.
Take this favorite of mine:
My aunt bought me one of these for my sixteenth birthday, and since then I've gone through three reiterations, settling, at least for now, on this white edition (nice for those hot days!). I don't know who originally said "You laugh at me because I'm different, I laugh at you because you're all the same," but whoever it was had to have read Karl Marx. It's such a genuinely empowering message that really goes against the grain of typical capitalist ideals (where everyone is in fact, considered the same and individuality is stifled rather than encouraged). When I wear this shirt (as I often do), I think of it as proclaiming to the world, "Yeah, I'm different. Deal with it. You can be different too, but until then, I shall grant you no sympathy." Is that being too harsh? I really don't think so. After all, these are the same people who labeled me as a "troublemaker" and a "radical" in school. These are the same people who buy into consumerism so blindly, who refuse to read something of actual substance (Harry Potter doesn't count, thanks), and who will most likely remain slaves to the corporate machine for as long as their McDonalds-saturated lives will last (and believe me, with the way America's health is going, that ain't long at all).
Still, for people who still care about the world and might face flack for it, I think that this is a very liberating shirt for them to wear. It's really worked wonders for me; I've actually had people stop dead in their tracks, read what my shirt had to say, and then give me a genuine smile because they had finally found someone who thought like them. Once I even bumped into someone with the exact same shirt - it was even the same size! We shared a hearty laugh and talked a bit about how important things like individuality and expression are now more than ever before. I didn't get a chance to get the guy's name, but I'll always remember him for what he was wearing.
I really like shopping online at Zazzle because they offer a lot of really great shirts at affordable prices. You can buy the "I Laugh at You" shirt from them starting at only $15.95.
Sometimes I like to be a little more overt about my political leanings, and that's when I love to bust out my assortment of Che Guevara shirts. No doubt you've seen people wearing something like this before:
Che Guevara was a famous Marxist revolutionary who fought against the Argentinian government. His death serves as a reminder to us all that with great change comes great sacrifice. He is a true hero among the Communist community and because he is still very much considered a "subversive figure," it is only respectful to bear his likeness on your chest. I absolutely love Che shirts - I'll admit they're a bit of a fetish of mine. I have multiple shirts in red, black, olive, white, navy, sky blue, and my personal favorite, the colors of America:
I like to think that when I wear this one in particular, I'm using patriotism in a very subversive manner. Not a lot of people like to associate the colors of our flag with a so-called "radical revolutionary"; this gives me license to wear the shirt even more. Under Che's face are the Spanish words "VIVA LA REVOLUCION!", which in English, translates roughly to "Live the Revolution." I think these are paramount words to live by, especially as a Communist. You really can't create change without living it.
I've been very happy with The Che Store for all my Che Guevara apparel needs. I'd recommend for starts that you pick up a portrait-only shirt, like this lovely red one for only $17.99 USD (also available in women's and kids sizes!). They don't just sell t-shirts, either. You can get the ORIGINAL beret that Che wore for only $29.99 USD. I used to have one but alas, it was stolen from me and I have yet to replace it.
Sometimes I want to be loud about my views but at the same time non-confrontational. That's when this little beauty comes in:
(BTW, by beauty, I don't mean the shirt model, although she's pretty cute!) This is a wonderfully clever t-shirt that gets laughs every time. It's a great way to show that you have strong political beliefs but aren't afraid to have a little fun with them either. Coincidentally, I can think of no better place to introduce the wonders of Communism to someone than at a party! You can buy the shirt from Threadless for only 12 bucks, although it looks like the shirt is so popular that they're actually having trouble keeping it in stock! By the way, the people on the shirt are, from left to right, Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Mao Zedong, and, of course, Karl Marx.
Here are a few other basic clothing tips:
I hope that these tips have enabled you to start fighting the fight in style. After all, no one said revolution ever had to be plain and boring.
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2 comments:
MY clothes communicate my politics as well.
Mostly in that, I may look like a scarecrow, but I reuse. Indeed, I reuse.
Amen to that, man. Recycling is super important, especially today. I like to give my old clothes away to thrift stores, and occasionally I'll actually find something there I like. Then, after washing it at least five times I pull, rather successfully, the "faded vintage look" to show that hey, I'm an anachronistic kind of guy. Deal with it!
You know once I think I actually rebought something that I had sold to them. The shirt was still in great condition and I don't think I had actually wanted to sell it in the first place - I just needed some money for a new set of speakers or something.
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