I will begin by discussing the way of Slogan t-shirts and how they can effectively produce a positive or negative change in the world. For years people have used clothing to promote political and social statements to evoke political change, such as the 60s anti-Vietnam tops that would say the words “ Make love not war”. It’s a way for artists to provoke change and vent about angry situations that need more attention and support. This is a great example of shops bringing out clothing with slogans to promote equality of the sexes and shine a light on the situation that is female discrimination. Dior brought out a slogan t-shirt stating the words “ We should all be feminists” which is a quote coming from the iconic feminist, Chimamanda Ngozi, a huge fashion statement that created a wave of retail brands to produce similar products.
Popular brands such as ASOS, Urban Outfitters, and Topshop have brought out feminist induced products to help with the movement, all huge brands with young, influential target markets. The products read slogans such as ‘ YES IM A FEMINIST’, ‘ GRL PWR’, ‘ Feminist’, and much more. All these slogans seem harmless, which in reality they are, but it’s when the slogans become discriminative against men.
The biggest example of this is the “ The Future Is Female” top which originated in 1972, made for Labyris Books which was the first women’s bookstore to open in New York City by Jane Lurie and Marizel Rios. After this, it then gained a viral attraction in 1975 when a photo was taken by Liza Cowan of the musician Alix Dobkin came to light. Since then shops such as Peacocks, Matalan, Missguided, ASOS, and several others have recreated the slogan top using the exact same words, This can be seen in retailers window displays and even on home furnishings such as tapestry. The slogan has received mixed emotions due to its powerful wording which insinuates that women will be the most important thing in the future. The tops are sold by companies which are popular mostly with the younger generation which is influenced by celebrities they look up to, the majority of young girls influencers stating that they are feminists including Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Cara Delevigne, Rihanna, and much more.
Cara Delevigne posted a photo on the internet for her fans to see whilst she advertised the “ The Future is Female’ shirt whilst wearing it which skyrocketed sales.