do we really need another t-shirt?

i am into fashion. to me, clothes are far more than just garments, they are extensions of the self. i’d even argue that our identity doesn’t stop at our skin but continues into the fabric we choose to wear. over the years, i’ve immersed myself in fashion, spending time in new york, paris, and d.c. for their fashion weeks, attending countless shoots, shows, and studying the works of many designers. it’s safe to say i’m invested in the culture of fashion. so when i think about the role social media now plays in this space, i find myself increasingly conflicted.

social media has ushered in a relentless tide of fast fashion, driven by overconsumption and fueled by unethical labor practices (a topic that could fill an entirely separate essay). every day, hundreds of new brands are launched, saturating the market with more and more products. once defined by its artistry and craftsmanship, the fashion industry has increasingly become profit-driven rather than product-driven.

when you sit at a runway show, each look tells a story. you can discern the countless hours spent perfecting the drape of a seam, the placement of a button, or the details of an earring. i feel the art. but when i scroll ig and see my friend [redacted] just dropped a new t-shirt, i am left conflicted. i am all for entrepreneurship- in fanct i conduct programs teaching k-12 students that exact topic- but on the other hand, i find myself asking: do we really need another t-shirt?

let me be clear. i don’t say this to offend anyone. yet, when i see shien products with a 5x markup sold as “authentic streetwear” (ok maybe that is a little dramatic), the artistry feels lost to me. the process seems devoid of the care, intention, and creativity that make fashion so powerful. this isn’t to say i’m above it; i once dreamed of starting my own streetwear brand. i wanted to create something that embodied me, or rather, who i wanted people to think i was. i wanted a brand that could serve as an ideological identity, digestible yet elusive, for anyone who resonated with it. something that could let people momentarily step into a version of themselves that they weren’t without the clothing.

it may sound haughty, but i’m not alone in this. many brand owners have adopted a similar strategy because it works. for consumers, purchasing and wearing these brands becomes a form of self-expression and a way to align with a desired identity. streetwear, with its roots in urban culture, music, and art, is a particularly potent vehicle for this kind of identity construction. by wearing a certain brand or style, you can signal your affiliation with specific subcultures, values, or ideals, even if you don’t fully embody those identities in your daily life.

this aspirational branding taps into a broader cultural phenomenon, one amplified by social media. on platforms like instagram, we exist in a social panopticon, a space where we are both prisoners and guards. we watch others while being watched, curating our identities in real time to fit the narratives we want others to believe. social media thrives on this dual role: we scroll through the lives of others, aspiring to their carefully crafted personas, while simultaneously presenting our own edited, idealized selves. it’s a constant performance of identity construction, with clothing often acting as the most visible marker of who we are. or who we want to be.

but here’s where the panopticon reveals its insidious nature. in crafting and selling these ideological identities, i have to ask myself: am i telling people they can’t be [insert aspirational trait here] without buying from me? and even when they do make the purchase, the cycle doesn’t end, they’ll soon find themselves looking for the next thing. the social media landscape, with its endless stream of new products and images, ensures that no purchase ever feels like enough.

this is where i am conflicted. by creating another t-shirt, am i not contributing to the larger issue of the false reality perpetuated by social media? when i design a product that offers an ideological identity, am i telling people, “you can’t be this without buying from me”? and even when they do make the purchase, the cycle continues, because they’ll inevitably start looking for the next piece to purchase.

this isn’t to say that all clothing brands are inherently bad or that fashion can’t be a meaningful form of art and expression. i still believe in the transformative power of a well-designed garment. a thoughtful piece of clothing can make you feel seen, understood, and empowered. but as a culture, we need to be more intentional about what we create and consume. do we need another t-shirt just because we can make one? or should we prioritize pieces that truly add value?

fashion has the power to inspire, to challenge norms, and to reflect the world around us. but it also has the power to harm, to exclude, and to perpetuate cycles of insecurity and overconsumption. as someone who loves this industry and believes in its potential, i think it’s time we take a step back and reconsider our approach. what are we creating? why are we creating it? and most importantly, what message are we sending with every piece we put out into the world?