Is feminism just a fashion trend?

It has become a buzzword in pop culture. With the likes of Taylor swift, Kim Kardashain and Lena Dunham throwing the word about in Instagram posts and interviews, more and more people have become aware of the newest wave of feminism. The F word has poured into our high streets with Topshop and Zara and H&M “celebrating” women empowerment and feminism. But is having it across your chest really the best thing for feminism?

I wholly support being proud of what you support and voicing it as it can create a healthy dialogue. However, seeing the mass amount of these t-shirts produced in a fast high street fashion environment, I believe is proving to be problematic and have seen other people discuss the same matters.

Think about this: Do the companies who produce it really believe in feminism if they source their feminist tops from underpaid, overworked women in developing countries?

Perhaps, you’re just paying into consumerism and enhancing their capitalism for fashion rather than feminism.

I am not saying that by wearing a top from Topshop you are any less of a feminist. But, by wearing it-does not automatically make you a feminist. While I believe that if you believe in equality, you are a feminist, I fear that young people are not educating themselves or being educated on feminism as a cause before handing over their cash. Basically, the high streets are exploiting the cause and the fact that feminism has become a mainstream conversation. Could this be devaluing the work that has to be done in terms of gender equality? Are we slipping into a post-feminist movement where feminism is no longer needed because girls are walking about with “female empowerment” t-shirts? I worry that young people are buying into this trend, just like we bought into the unicorn trend this year. Like Taylor Swift will one day fizzle out-do will this mainstream feminism. It is being sold by H&M as a fashion statement. If you wear a t shirt saying “who runs the world?” You're basically Beyoncé right?

But who doesn't love a slogan-T? I have one which has been featured in a post before-but our high street stores could be doing something else to add moral value, rather than capital gain to their corporations. I would like to see these ‘feminist tees’ be linked to women who need the capital more. The profits could be given to women's aid charity. They could go to charities who provide education to women or to women refugee organisation.

There is so much more that these stores could be doing if they insist on grabbing to this trend.

Because feminism is not a fashion statement. It is a cause for a brighter future for women all over the world. It is a fight.

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