The Powerful Messages Clothes, Colors, and Safety Pins Can Carry

The fashion statements that lead to change have come in many forms over the years. However, in this post, we’ll (mostly) focus on two: the colored ribbon and the safety pin. Although they might seem innocuous at first glance, these humble little accessories have had a massive impact on raising awareness around important issues like breast cancer, physical abuse, HIV/AIDS, and more.

As you can see from the image above, suffragettes dressed all in white to raise awareness about women’s inability to vote. In a similar vein, some feminists in the 1970s burned their bras to challenge social norms of how they should dress and behave.

Rabinovitch-Fox traces this back to the 1850s when women would wear Bloomers – light airy trousers – as they pursued their social and political goals. The name itself comes from the women’s rights activist Amelia Bloomer. 

Kara McLeod, a fashion historian at California’s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), explained the significance of the suffragettes’ color scheme to The Zoe Report. She said that the colors meant “white for purity, purple for dignity and loyalty, and green for hope.”

During that time, a co-editor for the British publication Votes for Women suggested the unique color scheme. Soon, the design was accepted, adopted, and popularized – other magazines took it up as well, and the suffragette movement became associated with a distinct style. 

As that fashion spread and more women joined the cause, the issue of women’s voting rights gained more attention. As it spread across the Atlantic, the color schemes changed a bit. Whereas most British women liked green, most American women went for golden yellow.

For this reason, many modern-day feminists show continuity with the early suffragettes by wearing white. For example, in 2017, women of the House Democratic Women’s Working Group wore white “as a group gesture signifying support for women’s rights,” writes Kara McLeod.  

This was partly a practical choice and partly a way to show solidarity with black laborers and blue-collar workers all over the country. That solidarity grew into trust and, eventually, real social change. 

As their influence spread, so did their look. Members of the Black Panthers were well known for wearing black berets, black leather jackets, blue shirts, black pants, and black shoes. A lot of members also wore sunglasses and black gloves. This look made them stand out and helped in spreading their message.

Although the original design had eight colors, later designs narrowed it down to six. In both designs, however, the colors stood for specific qualities. Red was for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, blue for harmony, and purple for spirit. 

For example, accessories. Everything from wristbands to ribbons to badges can be a way to express your beliefs. As you can see from the picture above, the variety of statements that can be shown on badges is incredible. This can help spread the word on important issues.

Fastening one of these pink ribbons to a shirt, jacket, or dress can help spread awareness about the problem of breast cancer. Alongside that, the pink ribbon can show that you have emotional solidarity with those suffering from breast cancer.

The point of the brown ribbon was to spread awareness about the plight of Latino people in the film industry. All too often, Latin American actors and actresses get pigeonholed into stereotyped roles that don’t allow them to truly shine. Longoria wanted to expand those possibilities.

Even though it’s nearly 30 years old, it still has a powerful resonance to this day. This simple design has been instrumental in raising awareness about HIV/AIDS. Red was chosen because it was an easy color to find.

The red ribbon has been essential in spreading HIV/AIDS awareness, the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness, and the brown ribbon for the struggle of Latinos in the entertainment industry. Alongside those three is the green ribbon, which has stood for many different causes over the course of its life. 

The original meaning, however, can be traced back to England in the 17th century. The country was enduring a Civil War fought over issues of governance and religious freedom. One group of fighters wanted to give power back to the people. That group wore green.

These two symbols became important to the movement as a whole. It became a way to notify other members who shared the same ideals. When one of the most important leaders of the Levellers died, those at the funeral filled his grave with green ribbons and rosemary sprigs.

One of the first changes centered around the kidneys. In particular, medical issues with the kidneys like kidney cancer and other kidney diseases. When March comes around, many people in the UK wear green ribbons to raise awareness of the issue.

Church members dispersed cards with the message “We care through prayer.” Soon it caught on and spread to other churches. When The National Catholic Rural Life Conference convened later that year, they decided to use the green ribbon and promote it in other religious centers as well.

At the same time, many people were aware that plenty of their Muslim neighbors would be unfairly targeted because of their religion. So, local community members started wearing green ribbons to show solidarity with their Muslim neighbors and quell the spread of hate.

The Body Positive North West wanted to spread the word that quick HIV tests were available, so they used the green ribbon. At the time, over 30% of the UK population had HIV and didn’t know it.

Although it extends for the entire month, the 10th of October is an important day to mark off on the calendar because it’s recognized as World Mental Health Day. This day is gaining importance. The World Federation for Mental Health organizes it, and the World Health Organization observes it. 

Their initial broadcasts on this issue came from a Florida studio and were primarily meant for an American audience. However, as the program went out, the WFMH found that the program was being heard and enjoyed by people outside the USA.

The audience response was astounding, and it really floored the WFMH members. According to their website, “We realized that we were indeed reaching far afield, because there was an unanticipated and unscheduled telephone call-in from Swaziland.”

Each year, the organizers try to center awareness on a particular topic or theme. For example, the 1994 theme was “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World.” The 2021 theme was “Mental Health in an unequal world.”

The unique clasp and spring design was meant to avoid fingers from getting poked – hence the name “safety pin.” After Hunt perfected the design, he sold the patent for $400, paid back the $15 debt, and pocketed the rest.

That being said, the use and significance of the safety pin grew far beyond this. Eventually, it became a potent cultural symbol that took on meanings far beyond that of practical use. Although Hunt was inventive, he could have never thought of punk rock.

Alongside this, one of the more iconic uses of safety pins came with the punk rock scene that emerged in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia in the mid-1970s. Fans and musicians wore safety pins all over their jackets as a fashion statement.

Likewise, the meaning of the safety pin shifted from the anti-establishment ethos of punk rock to something else. That being said, the new meaning (which we will look at below) is also against the status quo, especially in terms of social and political issues.

The humble safety pin, easy to find and easy to use, has recently gained in popularity. Its use as a symbol relates to the fact that it’s so easy to find, easy to attach to any piece of clothing, and inexpensive to purchase.

For example, pregnant women in Mexico have been known to wear a pin near their stomachs to ward off any sickness. Similarly, Ukrainian parents affix safety pins to their kids’ clothes to ward off negative supernatural forces.

Alongside being easy to find and affordable, safety pins allowed a great deal of creativity. Punk fans and musicians could attach them directly onto their leather jackets, or use them to attach badges that showcased their favorite bands. In this way, their clothes became easily customizable.

It’s a difficult subject to talk about openly. Many people who suffer from these forms of abuse don’t want to talk about them, but they also don’t want to pretend like they aren’t there. The safety pin symbol can be worn by allies to show support for those undergoing abuse.

The safety pin itself doesn’t have to be in any particular spot. Some prefer it on the upper body, others on the lower body. Pins have been placed on hats, collars, shirts, belts, pants, dresses, and more. The important part is showing that you are willing to support those who might need it.

This wide group of marginalized people includes people of color, those in the LGBTQ community, women of all kinds, and people with disabilities. People who wear safety pins are showing the fact that they are allies who hope to create a “safe” space.

When people are marginalized by society, it can make life very difficult on a day-to-day basis because they’re often dealing with sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, and more. Although it doesn’t fix the problem, allies wearing safety pins can signal that they’re there for support.

She continued, “When I saw it on Facebook, it was so simple. It resonated with me.” Kagaoan’s feelings resonate with plenty of other people as well, from regular folks to influential celebrities.

Stewart posted the photo on Twitter, and it quickly gained an audience. Alongside all the positive comments left below were more than 9,500 retweets and 25,700 likes. That number continues to grow. 

After a hostage crisis at a Sydney cafe in 2014, there was a growing anti-Muslim sentiment. However, many Australians didn’t want that to happen, so they created the #illridewithyou to express their solidarity with Muslims in Australia. That hashtag eventually grew into the wearing of safety pins in public.

For example, some people saw it as a way to show their opposition to right-wing politics. Some international students, like Sabrina Krebs from Guatemala, saw it as something simpler. Krebs told The New York Times, “More than anything, it’s pro-kindness… It’s a form of resistance to hate and to negativity.”

That’s why this simple symbol has grown to take on so much meaning. Even people who aren’t prone to expressing themselves through fashion can get on board with a little safety pin. They can display it in any way they feel to show solidarity with these larger issues. 

Wearing the safety pin allowed ordinary people to show that they cared about larger social and political issues without having to spend hours at a protest or years working on legislation.

On Twitter, it was lambasted as another example of “slacktivism.” This mix of the words “slacker” and “activism” is meant to be negative. It’s meant to be about people who want to look like they’re doing something without actually doing anything.

Keelty argued that the safety pin movement wasn’t about showing solidarity with marginalized groups, it was about making non-marginalized people feel better about themselves.

Keelty went on to express how skeptical he was about the effectiveness of this sort of fashion activism. “We don’t get to make ourselves feel better by putting on safety pins and self-designating ourselves as allies,” he wrote. 

For example, one person tweeted, “By all means, wear a safety pin if you think it’s somehow helping someone. But do not make it the only thing you do to be an ally.” This tweet recognizes ally feelings but also points out that a lot more needs to be done than simply showing solidarity. 

This person suggested that people in the safety pin community, “Donate time. Donate money. Support people in your community with action. If you still wear the pin, be sure to be ready to back it up.”

For example, in a 2016 Medium post, author Anoosh Jorjorian wrote, “I’ve heard from plenty of POCs [people of color] and Muslims as well as some LGBTQIAs that they feel surrounded by enemies. The safety pin helps them feel that they are not isolated and alone.” So for some, it has worked. 

Jorjorian’s support for the safety pin movement was echoed by the journalist Michelle Goldberg. In a 2016 article for Slate magazine, she wrote, “We need an outward sign of sympathy – a way for the majority of us who voted against fascism to recognize one another.” The safety pin can do this.

A reminder to show up when he’s needed. “A big part of wearing it is the mental preparation on my part. If I do see something, I’ve thought it through, and I’ll stand up and say something and not be a silent witness,” he said.