Trend Alert: We Should All Be Wearing Feminist Tees

On September 30, Maria Grazia Chiuri made her Dior debut — and the word of the day was feminism. As Beyonce’s “Flawless” played in the background, Chiuri showcased a collection filled with images of female strength. Models wore sensible sneakers with gala-ready gowns, gauzy princess skirts with professional blazers. Their (queen) bee-embellished fencing kits glowed like armor. But the most overt statement came in the form of a message tee that read We Should All Be Feminists (after Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s essay of the same name). The second it hit the runway, Dior’s fanbase — male and female alike — duly lost their minds.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a see-now, buy-now number. Of course, now that the tee has (kind of) hit the market, it’s a total street style staple — especially given the timeliness of its message. Last Saturday, millions marched on major cities throughout the world in support of women’s rights (among them Rihanna and Natalie Portman, both in Dior’s feminist T-shirt). Just three days later, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that will effectively make abortion unaffordable for millions of women. As congress deliberated, Paris Haute Couture week kicked off. Whether in celebration of its creator’s first couture collection or in response to world events — or both — everyone turned out in the It tee.

Like the rest of the fashion world, we’re itching to voice our girl power. Ideally, we’d do so in Dior, but the feminist T-shirt reportedly costs around $550* and we don’t see Chiuri gifting us one anytime soon. What’s a financially savvy, fashion-loving feminist to do? Asked and answered. Click through the slideshow below for 10 chic, affordable, politically savvy alternatives to the feminist apparel of the season. (Plus, see how models and celebs are styling their amazing, elusive Dior crewnecks.)

*Update February 28, 2017: Today, Dior announced that a portion of sales from its “We Should All Be Feminists” tees will benefit The Clara Lionel Foundation. Founded by Dior ambassadress Rihanna back in 2012, the non-profit supports and funds education, health and emergency response programs in Barbados and other impoverished areas around the globe. As it happens, Rihanna is currently at Harvard accepting the institution’s Humanitarian of the Year award in recognition of her charitable work.

The feminism touting T-shirts are available for purchase now through May 15 on Dior.com and at Dior boutiques worldwide. They’ll hit Saks.com March 14-28. Exactly how great a portion of each $700 sale will go towards helping the needy remains unclear.