MUSTO: Dressed to Oppress: Jasmine Crockett’s Fast Fashion Choices Contradict Her Message

In the past month, Jasmine Crockett has stormed into the national spotlight with a mix of viral theatrics, bold rhetoric, and reality TV-worthy tantrums toward the Republicans she so staunchly disagrees with. In a series of headline-grabbing moments, the 43-year-old Democratic Congresswoman from Texas has called Donald Trump an “enemy to the United States” — amongst more vulgar characterizations, and repeatedly accused his administration of being “downright cruel” toward vulnerable communities.

Crockett’s dramatic walkout during the President’s recent address to Congress, coupled with profanity-laced interviews and a viral lip-sync to Kendrick Lamar, endeared her to supporters as an outspoken voice against injustice. However, amid all the fiery bravado, one aspect of her image contradicts this persona and raises a red flag about the authenticity of those principles: her outfits.

For this crusade, Crockett donned the “Star Studded Blazer Pant Set” from controversial ultra-fast fashion brand Fashion Nova — a trendy, low-cost clothing line with a notorious track record of mistreating underpaid workers, deceiving consumers, and wreaking environmental havoc; everything Crockett, a self-proclaimed “bleeding heart liberal,” claims to stand against. Like wearing a fur coat to preach vegetarianism, choosing ultra-fast fashion to fight injustice is, at best, ignorant — and at worst, deeply hypocritical. (RELATED: CJ PEARSON: On Behalf Of The Black Community: Shut The Hell Up, Jasmine Crockett)

In Congress, Crockett positions herself as an advocate for climate change and oppressed communities. She has supported legislation to raise the federal minimum wage and pushed efforts to ensure safe working conditions, stating “Americans deserve fair wages, safe workplaces, and good benefits in exchange for their hard work”. In addition to being a founding member of the Texas Caucus on Climate, Energy, and the Environment, she has co-sponsored bills aimed at curbing exploitative labor practices, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting renewable energy initiatives — while criticizing Republicans for their stances on environmental issues, lecturing that “some of them don’t believe in this thing called climate change”. 

However, Crockett’s closet tells a different story and suggests that when she is fronting the bill, rather than her taxpayers, she abandons the very principles she claims to so firmly believe in. Fashion Nova, a popular brand amongst Instagram influencers and celebrities including Cardi B, Black Chyna, and Christinia Milian — and a staple in Crockett’s wardrobe, has a troubling record concerning worker exploitation and unsustainable practices. In 2019, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor revealed that many Fashion Nova garments were produced in Los Angeles sweatshops where workers were paid as little as $2.77 an hour — far below the legal minimum wage.

These factories owed $3.8 million in back wages to hundreds of workers, many of whom were undocumented. Working conditions were described as unsafe, unsanitary, and infested with rats and cockroaches. After California passed a law making clothing brands and their holding companies jointly liable for employees’ unpaid wages, Fashion Nova started outsourcing to more manufacturers in China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries capable of quickly and cheaply producing clothes by exploiting workers and bypassing American labor standards.

As Fashion Nova has shifted away from domestic production, there is virtually no transparency regarding their environmental, human rights, and equitability practices, earning the brand a score of 0 out of 140 in the 2024 Fashion Accountability Report conducted by independent fashion watchdog, Remark — even underperforming competitors like SHEIN, Boohoo and Forever 21. Fast fashion, one of the largest contributors to global environmental degradation, is responsible for significant resource consumption, pollution from textile production and disposal, and greenhouse gas emissions. The industry is the second-largest consumer of water worldwide and responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions — more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Ironically, Crockett’s fellow Democratic Congresswomen introduced the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus last year to curb the industry’s severe and destructive impact.

Other Democrats, such as Cori Bush and AOC, have proven there are sustainable cost-effective strategies of acquiring a Capitol Hill wardrobe on a budget, such as online clothing rental services and shopping second-hand. Yet, despite the humanitarian and environmental consequences, Crockett continues to patronize Fashion Nova, opting for the “Glam Babe” jacket in her official Congressional headshot and frequently sporting the clothing line during highly-publicized appearances including the “Carla Ponte Midi Dress” on a recent CNN interview, the “Double Take Suit Set” on a February episode of The View, the “High Class Society” jumpsuit at her birthday party, the “High Klass High Low Gown” at the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards and a red “Elegant Embellished Blazer Suit Set” while being sworn into her second Congressional term. 

Clothing is a powerful form of self-expression, allowing people to non-verbally communicate their personal identity, beliefs, and values. As an elected official with a growing platform and fanbase in the Democratic Party, Crockett’s personal style and the brands she aligns with the matter. By repeatedly opting for fast fashion, Crockett is not only hypocritically supporting the cruelty she claims to fight against, but also missing an opportunity to lead by example and promote companies that commit to fair labor practices, transparency, and sustainability.

Speaking out against exploitation and human rights violations while wearing an outfit with these injustices quite literally woven into their fabric undermines Crockett’s credibility and commitment to the priorities she claims to espouse — and demands of others. Her wardrobe sends a message that has become too familiar in today’s political climate: it’s easier to point fingers at others than to hold oneself accountable. (RELATED: ‘I Am Being Honest’: Jasmine Crockett Admits She’s More Focused On Fighting Trump Than Actually Passing Legislation) 

Authenticity must be prioritized in politics, especially when so many Americans today feel disillusioned by their government, and when Crockett has built her brand on being a candid and unapologetic voice among her supporters. Otherwise, her passion and outage, if not truly rooted in her values, is simply a performance.

Fast fashion, like soundbites and spectacle, have now become a part of Crockett’s signature style. While they make for a good viral moment on-camera, they certainly raise questions as to whether Jasmine Crockett is more committed to optics or outcomes as she rises into a household name within the Democratic Party.

Alissa Musto is an award-winning musician, singer, and songwriter from Boston, MA. She was crowned Miss Massachusetts in 2016.