I realized this year was the year where I finally became comfortable having two art styles because I’m drawing for me. Not as many finished pieces but returning to my natural blues and girly anime AND pencil drawn realism has been delightful.
PROTEST OUTFIT DESIGN: I got tired of bed rotting and feeling helpless/useless with everything happening in the US so I decided to wipe my tears and apply my design experience into practical protest gear that still looks good. I plan to have a manufacturer in LA make the prototype and will decide where to take it from there. During my thesis, I researched a lot of fashion and tech for the futurism setting to make clothes that accommodated my own disability and wanted to apply that kind of design and thinking here. The core idea is to look good while minimizing the concerns of being caught unprepared.
Key Design Elements (Read More):
Reversible - able to quickly change the entire appearance quickly Superman-style. Pretty inexpensive to do as most sportswear already has to do two layers. Especially if the top is a jersey fabric.
Black & Pink for optics, pink to soften the intimidating black colors (may change to a baby blue + white to be more neutral). Optics are super important in activism and it’s still a major weak point in MAGA and ICE in general — no one looks professional or legitimate wearing a red baseball cap and Amazon-bought fast fashion and ill-fitting police vests. By contrast, the Civil Rights movement encouraged protestors and those sitting in and the Little Rock 9 to wear their Sunday Best. Softer, more “feminine” colors do change on how people are perceived significantly. Looking good challenges the false “unemployed and violent criminal” narrative of protests, if for nothing else than the subconscious doubt. I didn’t realize how prominent this was until an incident with the police during No Kings where two officers kept asking me if I had plushies or stickers on my car because I gave that “vibe”.
Memorable words & Brand-like “Adidas” stripes - if I’m photographed without my permission, brand names can’t be published. If something looks like a Supreme logo, they won’t run the risk of spreading that. You see celebrities do it all the time with paparazzi to avoid invasive photography. But also, these things are memorable even in descriptions. Looking for someone in a “black Adidas jacket, white shirt that says “RESIST” and black cargos” will contrast greatly to a “black shirt, pink jacket, and black shirt” description and even if the description is written down, the words “resist” on a white shirt will be the main thing they’ll hone in on like tunnel vision. It’s intuitive design of what is the most memorable.
Large and zippered pockets - women’s pants suuuuck with pockets. Zippers so things don’t fall out accidentally, leave the backpack at home.
Layered outfit & convertible cargos - layers are important in general especially in the case of chemical/tear gas use but the zipper cargos were huge in the early 2000s Y2K fashion and then sort of kept popularity in Emo/goth/punk fashion. This specific design however is inspired by an REI outdoors brand intended for hikers that saved my hide. Being able to quickly shed or gain layers helps and the material prevents stuff from soaking in. The pants are waterproof and those removable pant legs are virtually unnoticeable and adaptable to cold and warmth. There’s an inner drawstring-like band at the waist and zipper for adjusting which has allowed me to use it as face protection, remove layers comfortably, microfiber towel, etc. It’s also affordable. It only retails for $90 and with REI, a good portion of that is the brand name. Protestors who were arrested or detained talk about the harsh cold or heat often, and in the case of the standoff at that farm that just happened, it went on for hours with dehydration and heat exposure being a real danger.
Metal rings for clipping important items. Inspired by protestors who were arrested and lost their glasses. Having a chain or something you can clip your glasses to will keep them close to your body. I also use a small first aid kit with extra masks that I clip to my belt. The problem with normal belt loops is they’re not designed for harsh tugging or weight.
Face covering attached to clothes on body - as things escalate, aiming to demask is a strategy being used on both sides. Once your face mask is gone, that’s it and you may not have time or extras to cover up again. If it’s attached to the clothes on your body, that’s just one less concern (though proper masking will still be ideal). I had this in beige and got compliments for years that I looked like a Star Wars/Dune character. It works even better with a hood and as the weather gets colder, it’s something to keep in mind.
Possible additions:
ID plastic pocket on inner lining - Think of the winter coats we used to have as kids with a little name tag in it. Either for ID/licenses or keeping red “know your rights” cards.
Inner pocket rings. Sometimes pockets rupture so a small inner clip you can use can be helpful and for peace of mind.
Important numbers on the tag - a tag for my logo and washing instructions is customizable so may as well use that space to put down important phone numbers in case those on my arm get smeared, rub off, etc.
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