Everyone knows that Trots and fashion don’t mix. I used to think it was just because the Trotskyists I knew were so often English, male, middle class and/or students that they dressed so badly. But then I attended a May Day demonstration a few years ago in Milan and discovered that even Italian lefties believe that looking like a scruff is some kind of radical statement. So it must be the ideology.
But all that is about to change now that Respect – The Unity Coalition has launched its own range of clothing:
Respect presents six brand new t-shirts, hot off the printing press in time for spring. The front of the t-shirts bears the Respect logo in pillar box red, the back of the t-shirt proclaims a sweeping metallic logo proving that Respect is Number One both in the political and now the fashion stakes.
There are three colours for women:
1) Striking Aqua for maximum noticeability
2) Sleek Black for taking Respect from day to night
3) The only Grey for 2004 that can meet all your practical campaigning needs
For men there are three equally on-the-case colours
1) A seasonal deep Forest Green
2) Oceana for shaking off those winter blues
3) Classic Black – both practical and svelte
Svelte eh? That’s more like it.
But why stop with ‘on-the-case’ t-shirts?
What about a Gorgeous George range of kuffiyeh scarves? Or an SWP branded hijab? Surely essential for this spring’s support the resistance marches.
Any other ideas?