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Topic 10. Culture and Subcultures

Fashion and Political Consumerism

Rescue team stood at the site of Rana Plaza collapse.
Rana Plaza Collapse that Killed more than 1100 apparel manufacturing workers

Political consumerism refers to consumer choices influenced by political or ethical considerations, with the aim to challenge objectionable institutional or market practices (Micheletti, 2003; Stolle et al., 2005). This can take the form of boycotting—avoiding certain products, brands, or stores—or buycotting, which involves deliberately purchasing from brands or stores, that align with a specific cause. As social media has grown, so has political consumerism. Today, networks of like-minded individuals use social platforms to share information and promote alternative consumption choices that reflect their values (Bossy, 2014).

Political consumerism is often described as “individualized collective action” because it is driven by personal values while contributing to broader societal goals. For instance, a consumer might individually adopt a plastic-free lifestyle, refusing to purchase plastic products as a personal contribution to the fight against climate change. Others may join organized movements that collectively make ethical consumption choices and advocate for systemic change. Political consumerism is closely linked to civic engagement, which addresses public concerns, compared to traditional political participation, and its goals can vary widely. These may include supporting local businesses, reducing food waste, or advocating for human rights.

Protesters with a sign that reads: I don't want to die for fashion
Protesters at the Rana Plaza site

Fashion serves as a powerful arena for political consumerism in two key ways. First, consumers can influence fashion industry practices by demanding change through their consumption choices. A striking example is the Fashion Revolution movement, which emerged after the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where over 1,100 garment workers lost their lives while producing clothing for brands like Dior and Saint Laurent. In response, consumers took to social media to demand greater transparency and ethical accountability and boycotted fast fashion brands that failed to meet ethical standards.

A woman wearing a colorful outfit on the right. on the left text reads: 24.04.15, Fashion Revolution, Who Made my Clothes, #FashRev
Fashion Revolution #FashRev is a consumer movement in response to the Rana Plaza collapse.

Second, fashion itself can be used as a tool for advocacy. Clothing choices can send powerful messages about identity, values, and causes. For example, during the women’s suffrage movement, women make fashion and even anti-fashion consumption choices by rejecting restrictive clothing as an act of defiance against gender norms. Similarly, wearing the six-stripe rainbow flag has become a widely recognized symbol of LGBTQ rights. Through both consumption and self-expression, political consumerism continues to shape the fashion industry and its role in social change.

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References

Bossy, S. (2014). The utopias of political consumerism: The search of alternatives to mass consumption. Journal of Consumer Culture, 14(2), 179-198.

Micheletti, M. (2003). Shopping with and for Virtues. In Political virtue and shopping (pp.149-168). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Stolle, D., Hooghe, M., & Micheletti, M. (2005). Politics in the supermarket: Political consumerism as a form of political participation. International Political Science Review, 26(3), 245-269.

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Fashion and Apparel Consumer Behavior Copyright © 2025 by Andrea Niosi and Doreen Chung is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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