ily, menswear guy
Clothing has denoted social class since... oh wait since forever. Like literally. Sumptuary laws, which often designate WHO is allowed to wear WHAT (styles, fabrics, colors, accessories) have been around since ancient times. Certain clothing has denoted whether you are in the royal court and what specific rank you have (like the colors of wonsam in Korea - which also has this fascinating history with enormous wigs and whether they're legal). Prostitutes in many medieval European cities had a particular "uniform" to make them immediately visually identifiable from "virtuous" women, and Jewish people in medieval Europe likewise have been forced to wear certain kinds of clothing and accessories so everybody knew they were Jewish (yes, like the Jewish star during the Holocaust). Women in England and France during the French Revolution cut their hair hella short to indicate their sympathy with the French aristocracy, who had all their hair cut off in preparation for execution at the guillotine. Women wearing trousers in various situations from the 19th century to the late 20th century could be a revolutionary political act. Black women in the 1960s wore their hair in an afro as an expression of pride in their heritage and culture. I wear t-shirts with trans-inclusive Pride flags - and lots of other US Americans wear Confederate flags - to advertise adherence to particular causes, political parties, and identities. Dress is inherently, universally, eternally, deeply intertwined with politics.
