Ladies Clap Back: A Roundup of the Raddest, Baddest Feminist Merch
Every day can be International Women’s Day.
Image credit: Glamour Mag
While feminism is far from a new phenomenon, interest around it is at an all-time high. And we are here for it. When Dior’s Paris show last fall featured “We Should All Be Feminists” T-shirts as part of its Spring 2017 collection, the (political) statement took on a whole new meaning. And to give the T even more gravitas, Dior announced that it’s donating a portion of the proceeds to Rihanna’s non-profit organization, the Clara Lionel Foundation (which supports and funds effective education and health programs around the world).
Some background about that T-shirt: Dior collaborated with writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who penned an essay of the same name as an adaptation of Adichie’s 2013 TEDx talk. And if you haven’t yet had the chance to hear the TEDx talk, you might recognize this line: “Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes,” as it appears in Beyonce’s “Flawless.”
Natalie Portman was seen rocking the “We Should All Be Feminists” T-shirt at the Women’s March in L.A., while RiRi stepped out at NYC’s March with a pink THIS P**SY GRABS BACK hoodie, designed by Victoria’s Secret model Leomie Anderson and created by LAPP The Brand.
Even Karl Lagerfeld had a huge feminist-inspired moment in September 2014, when he staged a feminist rally starring the likes of Gisele and Cara, megaphones, and posters of the “He for She,” “Ladies First” and “History is Her Story” variety.
But while Chanel’s “women’s protest” back in 2014 felt like a throwback to a bygone era (and almost felt theatrical in its grandeur), the groundbreaking Women’s March this past January was all too real. And all too necessary in an era where we need to make our voices heard as much as possible. Because this year, shit’s getting REAL.
Consider feminist-inspired gear our way of clapping back to 2017; a way of flexing our feminist muscles and using our voices -- so even if you aren’t heard (and shame on the world if you aren’t), you will be seen. After all, fashion has always been a form of self-expression.
"Consider feminist-inspired gear our way of clapping back to 2017; a way of flexing our feminist muscles."
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In honor of International Women’s Day, we rounded up some of our favorite feminist-inspired goods: best enjoyed the other 364 days of the year.
THE FUTURE IS FEMALE
photo credit: Otherwild
Those “The Future is Female” sweatshirts spotted on Cara Delevingne and girlfriend St. Vincent in October 2015 have become an Insta phenomenon (and spawned similar merch like pins and baby onesies). While they might seem like a recent political statement, there is feminist history behind them. According to a New York Times article, the OG “The Future Is Female” T-shirt design was worn by Alix Dobkin in 1975, when photographer Liza Cowan took a picture of Dobkin (her girlfriend at the time) for a slideshow she was working on.
Thirty years later, Rachel Berks, the owner of LA-based shop / graphic design studio Otherwild spotted the photo on the Instagram account, h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y. Berks made 24 T-shirts, which sold out in two days. She made another batch and decided to donate a portion of the proceeds to Planned Parenthood. Soon she introduced the sweatshirt design, and the rest is literally, her-story, as the T has taken on a life of its own.
NASTY WOMAN
Photo credit: @AlfieFriday
Get yourself a “Nasty Woman” T-shirt or reusable bag, made by Amanda and Cameron of Google Ghost (50% of the T-shirt’s proceeds go to Planned Parenthood; 20% of the bag’s proceeds go to the ACLU).
NEVERTHELESS, SHE PERSISTED
photo credit: Casetify
Studio15 is a socially responsible fashion brand geared towards millennial women and founded by total boss lady, Jia Wertz. The company supports female entrepreneurs in developing countries by donating a percentage of proceeds to fund women-led businesses in Uganda. The brand launched “The Future Is Female Collection” on Presidents' Day to make a statement against the current administration's comments about women, immigrants and refugees.
For International Women's Day, Casetify released an ENTIRE "Nevertheless, She Persisted" Collection. Protect your rights. Protect your phone. All in a day's work. CAN YOU HEAR OUR FEMINIST VOICES NOW??
STRONG FEMALE LEAD
photo credit: bando
One of our favorite “girl gangs” ban.do created this “Strong Female Lead” sweatshirt, among its wide array of other femme-perfect swag.
Stay warm when taking down the patriarchy.
LET'S CALL THEM, ACCES-HERIES
Check your self-ie. Protect your phone with these “Nasty” cases by Casetify.
We’re having our cake and eating it too. Feminist blogger slash baker Lyndsay of CocoCakeLand.com whipped up these delicious messages on her sweet creations and was featured in the resistance-leading mag, Teen Vogue, as a result.
Wear your feminist flair with enamel pins, buttons and patches from the likes of jewelry brand Bing Bang NYC (50% of “girl power” swag’s proceeds are donated to women’s organizations) and our favorite “Girls’ Only Club,” The Wing. We love the Bang Bang Bad Bitch Circle Patch or the Girl Power Button Starter Pack.
Speaking of NYC-based The Wing, its feminist merch is a call to arms, especially “The Self Supporting Tote.” The tote's text comes from a call to action written by Anna Cardogen Etz in the early 20th Century. The letter, "Self Supporting Women of Hornell" argued for the creation of a women's club and was printed in the local newspaper in Hornell, New York. (A tote that literally carries the weight of women’s issues.) Or wear your feminism on your keychain.
So let’s make sure feminism is more than simply “a mainstream trend,” and actually becomes the norm. Instead of proclaiming to “Wake up like this,” let's stay woke. Happy International Women’s Day, ladies.
Karin Eldor is a writer specializing in career, fashion and lifestyle. After several years in the corporate world as the Social Media Manager and Copywriter at ALDO, she took her side hustle full-time and is now living out her dream as a contributor for COVETEUR, Levo, Shopify, 818 Agency, and of course Create & Cultivate. Her mission is to offer guidance and mentorship to women by aligning with brands that value self-expression, integrity and impact. Follow her on Insta @alwayskarin.
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
Do We Still Need Female-Only Spaces?
Yes, yes we do.
The Wing, the women-only space that opened in NYC this past October from co-founders Audrey Gelman and Lauren Kassan, had some women asking, do we still need female-only spaces?
Of the space's intention Gelman told Forbes, “The space is food by women, wine by women, designed by women, our lawyer is a woman. Basically, every inch of the space is the product of the minds of self-identifying women. You feel that."
Similarly, The WW Club (The Working Women's Club) founded by Phoebe Lovatt, is a space for working women worldwide. They host global events and have a strong online community, hosting group chat mentor sessions with boss women like Viceland's Executive Creative Director, Amel Monsur. And yet, in an very forthright Instagram post yesterday, Lovatt wrote, "I'll be 100% honest. Just last Saturday, I was speaking with friends about the future of The WW Club...about whether a gendered 'space' could still be considered a relevant need in the west in 2016 (and beyond), given the rapid strides that women seemed to be making in all spheres."
There was a pause in the text. "How naive," she wrote. Lovatt went on to say, "I just didn't realise how much of it [work] was still left to be done."
Lovatt is, of course, referring to the upset heard 'round the world on Tuesday night. #Election2016. What was presumed by all media and pollsters would be a night celebrating the breaking of ceilings and the ushering in of the country's first female President, became for many, a breaking of hearts.
As a female founder, Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate, which has a predominantly female demographic (though men do attend and occasionally speak on panel), has many times experienced the pendulum swing of the gender issue. Moments where it feels like everything is going to work out great and others that call for stiff drink, a recharge siesta, and a game plan. For many, this moment in history feels like the latter and has women championing the need of female identifying-only spaces as spaces for positive collective action.
"I’ve seen the clouds parting," says Jaclyn, "with more women at the helm of large budgets and leading prominent companies. Which is why it’s important for more women to excel in the financial aspects of running a business, especially funding, investing and raising money so we can help balance the gender inequality."
"It’s important for more women to excel in the financial aspects of running a business."
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It's why spaces like The Wing, The WW Club, Create & Cultivate, and countless others remain vital. They give female founders and entrepreneurs the space to flourish, to dole out advice to those just starting out, and to network with new like-minded contacts.
"While the women-in-business movement is strong," Jaclyn says, "a 'girls’ club' has also formed, and the responsibility is now on female CEOs and others in powerful positions to give opportunities to deserving female entrepreneurs."
"But this girls’ club won’t usher in the gender inequalities that I've faced in the past," she notes. "Instead, it will be an opportunity to mentor young women looking for guidance and empower women-owned businesses."
It's not about keeping the boys about. It's about lifting other women up with both emotional and intellectual support.
So, will the girls’ club be the new boys’ club?
It’s on us to make it happen.