The Power of Cloth

I’ve always examined history through looks. The gowns and glass-enclosed fabric at museums spoke to me more than the guides themselves. Style throughout life, says who we are in that time. But with micro-trends commandeering social media, fashion is being supplanted.

Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There’s no how-to roadmap to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude.”

Iris Apfel

Despite some ideals of the Victorian era—like a woman’s future being determined by a man’s choice—I’m jealous of their admiration for fashion. Disregarding the social divide of the 1800s, I can’t help but romanticize their Grands Magasins—department stores as architecturally mesmerizing as the dresses they housed. Through my Gen-Z eyes: it was a time when fashion influenced innovation, not TikTok trends. 

With the fast pace of trends, 92 million tons of clothing end up in landfills each year, according to Greenpeace. A study in Forbes also shows that, as outlets like TikTok Shop grow, shoppers are more likely to buy fast fashion. Influencers on social media are dictating consumerism, leaving less room for designers who use fashion as artistry.

But there are two sides to every coin, and the upside of fashion is its role as art—a creative connection in times of political divisiveness, not just purchasing dupes from Amazon.

I think the world is not becoming a better place. So it’s time to show them what we can do, and to show beauty from our perspective.”

Edward Crutchlet, in an interview with Claudia Scott Williams

‘The red carpet’ does just that—reminding us of not only the beauty of art but also its power. Since its start in 1948, the Met Gala has preserved its influence in the fashion world. Like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Gala’s pieces unite history, art, and culture.

Once a year, Anna Wintour allows fashion to shine in its most authentic light. It doesn’t matter if your closet screams gym bro or Carrie Bradshaw—the messages from the Met are as political as they are stylistic. These moments spark conversations that, no matter your interests, are bound to be on everyone’s lips.

Powerful Pieces at The Met: A Walk Down Memory Lane

In 2021, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wore a white gown with shiny, festive red text reading “Tax the Rich.” Her innocent smile complemented the piece, adding a passive-aggressive “duh.” 

That same year, actor and producer Dan Levy used his platform to honour the LGBTQ+ community through a piece created by Jonathan Anderson and Cartier. The large, puffed sleeves on his pastel outfit emphasized the magnitude of his message—the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. His chest featured an embroidered outline of a queer couple kissing, set against a world map, intending to shift America’s focus from hate to love.

Based on street style, bureaucracy isn’t confined to the red carpet. I’ve seen scarves worn in solidarity with those suffering in Gaza. I’ve noticed dainty gold necklaces that spell out vote if you look closely enough. And every time I catch a pop of hot pink, I think about the millions of women battling breast cancer—and how desperately I want my sister to get hers checked.

It’s the power of cloth, reminding me not to get swept away by the manipulative lure of fast fashion. It nudges me to slow down and consume fashion with intention—giving a new generation of designers an outlet untarnished by fast trends.

Bracelets made by Taylor Swift fans, inspired by her song You’re on Your Own, Kid from the album Midnights, have become a movement. In the song, Swift sings, ‘So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You’ve got no reason to be afraid.’ These lyrics encouraged ‘Swifties’ to create their own friendship bracelets, which they trade with other fans at the Eras tour—a modern-day example of ‘the power of cloth.’

Hundreds of people dressed in pink for the premiere of the Barbie movie in 2023. Wearing pink represented more than Barbie’s favorite color; it symbolized Barbie herself—viewers standing in solidarity for equality and female empowerment through ‘cloth’.