At press time, netizens are still abuzz over the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, and the reels condemning the latter have been flooding our feed, alongside nostalgic videos of Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow or any of his other iconic characters. The internet, it seems, has definitely taken a side.
A nail-biting moment in the trial was when model Kate Moss, one of Depp’s ex-girlfriends, took the stand virtually and testified that he did not push her down the stairs, nor did he harm her in any way.
While Moss’ testimony was a turning point in the trial, people have begun to notice how the fashion icon made a powerful statement with her choice of clothing. In the video, she is wearing a white spotted pussybow blouse with a black satin-lapelled jacket. This particular outfit is considered more than just courtroom chic.
The pussybow is a historically significant sartorial choice, so named as it reminded people of bows tied high around a cat’s neck — often worn by young girls at one time. The pussybow blouse was popularised by Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. Wearing these bow-adorned tops was the perfect way for women to add a touch of femininity with masculine silhouettes, like trousers and pant suits.
Dr Kate Strasdin of Falmouth University tells The Guardian, “Historically, it’s associated with women who are starting to invade male spaces — the golf course, the workplace — and challenging traditional dress codes.”
In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent created the Le Smoking tuxedo trouser suit for women, and styled it with a silk pussybow blouse. In a time when women were fighting their way into more “untraditional” spaces and occupations, this androgynous outfit was a loud feminist statement.
So, what might Moss be signalling with her pussybow blouse? Fashion historian Dr Bethan Bide suggests, “It evokes defiance. The bow is almost coming undone. It says she’s trying less hard, it feels more rebellious. It’s like she’s saying, ‘I’m not going to perform for you here’. It’s a refusal to deliver for the media circus. Kate’s brilliant at skirting that line. At first glance, her look is eminently respectable, but it has that real vibe that provides that pushback.”
This is certainly not the first time that fashion is being used as a political tool. If the events of 2020 have taught us anything, it is that everything is political and saying you don’t have an opinion is no longer an acceptable answer. Even the choices of fashion labels, from how sustainable their fabrics are to how they treat labour, are scrutinised.
“Every choice you make as a company will influence the world. What you make, how you make it, how you speak about what you’ve made — for me, everything is politics,” says designer Marine Serre.
See also: Photo synthesis
Her moon print design from 2020 featured in Beyoncé’s Black Is King music video and, as a result, became the most popular print of the year. Global searches for the crescent-moon print rose by 426% after the video was released. Serre chose it because it symbolises women, a strong statement about femininity. “It’s an ancient symbol — it crosses East and West; you see it in Arabic culture and in Greek. Anyone can recognise themselves in this logo — and you can appropriate it like I have, because it’s totally free,” she adds.
Political dressers are at home on the red carpet. The 2022 Met Gala saw former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in a red Joseph Altuzarra gown embroidered with the names of female leaders such as Abigail Adams and Harriet Tubman. Actor Riz Ahmed defied the gilded glamour theme by dressing in a simple outfit as a “love letter” to immigrant workers in America while Sarah Jessica Parker’s ensemble paid homage to the first black female fashion designer in the White House, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley. Past red carpet looks that are most notable for making political statements include Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2021 Met Gala white gown with “Tax the rich” in red across the back and Lena Waithe’s rainbow Carolina Herrera cape at the 2018 event.
Whether it is in a courtroom, on the red carpet or even the street, what you wear is a form of self-expression and often a political statement. With the connectivity that the internet affords us and the many heinous events and wrongdoings out there, everything is political. It is impossible to avoid.
The late designer Virgil Abloh put it succinctly, “I think people are getting it now: Politics isn’t binary. It’s this system we’re in and all the ways it manifests. There’s the politics on your phone and the politics on your street. And, yeah, there’s the politics of your clothes.”
