“Dressing is a political act”: Vintage clothing influencer calls out conservative values in the community

A vintage fashion content creator speaking out against what she describes as a troubling trend of conservative ideology within the vintage clothing community.

Political divide in the vintage fashion community

In a viral video with more than 456,000 views, vintage fashion content creator Alina Golightly (@alina_golightly) directly confronted creators who she says are aligning themselves with “vintage values” that include discrimination and prejudice.

“Notice that there are several content creators in the vintage sphere who still align themselves with vintage values,” Golightly said.

“I find that disgusting.”

Golightly made clear she was willing to lose followers over her stance, stating that her morals mean more to her than internet popularity. She also indicated she wouldn’t be engaging in debate about the topic in her comments section.

The creator specifically called out multiple forms of discrimination she says have no place in the community.

“There is no room for homophobia. There is no room for transphobia. There is no room for racism. There is no room for sexism, and there is no room for the support of a genocide in our community,” she said.

Why she spoke up

Golightly explained that speaking about politics isn’t typical for her content, but the situation had reached a breaking point.

“I’m not a person who ever really feels compelled to make content about my personal views or politics, but it’s getting to the point where I could no longer comfortably be silent about it,” she said.

@alina_golightly
Please remember the vintage community stands with you 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸
♬ original sound – alina_golightly

She emphasized that the vintage community should be inclusive.

“I just want everyone in the vintage community to know that this is a safe place for trans people and people of color and women and people of any gender identity, really,” Golightly went on to say.

Golightly said that most people in the vintage community don’t actually align with discriminatory “vintage values,” despite some vocal creators suggesting otherwise.

“Please remember the vintage community stands with you,” she added in the caption alongside the pride flag and Palestinian flag emojis.

Vintage fashion community and political discourse

The vintage fashion community has blown up on social media in recent years, with creators showing off everything from 1940s swing dresses to 1970s bohemian looks.

But all that nostalgia for the past has created some tension: Which parts of history should we celebrate, and which parts need a serious reality check?

Sure, vintage fashion lovers are drawn to the aesthetics, craftsmanship, and styles of decades past. But those same eras were also marked by discriminatory realities.

For example, the 1950s—one of the most popular periods for vintage fashion—was a time when racial segregation was legal in much of the United States, LGBTQ+ individuals faced brutal persecution, and women had way fewer legal protections and opportunities than they do today.

Here’s the thing: fashion has always been political.

Clothing choices throughout history have served as acts of resistance, with marginalized groups using fashion to push back against oppressive norms, Fashinnovation reported.

“Dressing is a political act,” the article states.

Fashinnovation points out that while some people romanticize historical periods for their pretty dresses and tailored suits, many of those same eras used clothing itself to enforce rigid gender roles and discriminatory social structures.

That’s where the friction comes in. Some vintage creators have been called out for promoting a sanitized, rose-tinted view of the past that ignores (or worse, embraces) the exclusionary values of those eras. You know, the same values that feminist movements and civil rights activists literally fought against, often using their own clothing choices as weapons of resistance.

Suffragettes wore bloomers and pants to challenge restrictive gender norms, women ditched corsets to demand physical freedom, and activists throughout history have adopted masculine clothing to claim space in professional and political spheres that tried to exclude them.

“Vintage style, not vintage values!!!!” a top comment read.

“Lose an unintelligent follower, gain a fan. This is my first vid of yours and I followed instantly,” a person said.

“Why do ‘vintage values’ types never associate themselves with Suffragettes, Labor Unionists, or Republicanism (19th-century European democracy movement)?” another asked.

“Bigotry and hatred are choices that I choose not to make,” a commenter wrote.

The Daily Dot reached out to Golightly for comment via TikTok direct message and Instagram direct message.