Our clothes inform other people many things about us. Our careers, education, wealth, and social class. When a person sees a stranger for the first time they make choices about the best way to communicate with them, or even if they should try at all.

Of course this can be taken further with talismans, emblems, logos, and slogans. All designed to communicate more specific information about ourselves. All this information can be woven into an intricate language, like in any military or street gang. The coordinated effort to use our apparel as a language is known as fashion.

Fashion, at its most civilized and constructive form, makes a social structure more efficient and effective by aiding in the flow of information. If we are in a strange city and find ourselves lost, a police uniform tells us the person wearing it might be able to help. The police uniform also tells us the best way to approach and engage the person. This is also true in hospitals, where the people’s uniform lets patients and guests know what kind of information they can expect from a person as well as how to engage with them. In fact, this is how fashion works for everyone in a community, whether they know it or not. Unfortunately, most people do not appreciate this truth in their own lives. Thus, the visual language of fashion has been hijacked; first by the vanity of consumerism, and now by the vitriol of politics. 

Recently, we have witnessed our society descend into a very primitive form of personal expression as a result of political marketing. Much like street gangs, clothing is being used to define territory and assert dominance. Many symbols are being used, whether it is a red hat or a rainbow flag, to divide the public and disrupt the flow of communication by creating fear, anger, and distrust. Just like how a rattlesnake will make a noise to evoke fear, many political symbols are now being used to provoke anger. This breaks down the flow of information and shreds the structure of society.

A healthy democratic society begins with individuals making informed choices about their appearances. If a person believes in a society with open and honest debate, then their fashion should display this by not marking territory or making presumptive statements.