The Christian Clothing Brand Dilemma
Christian clothing is on the rise, with print-on-demand making access to creating a clothing brand universal. Many individuals are using clothing, especially in the streetwear genre, to “express their faith.” But there’s a dilemma, evident in the recent Reddit post: “I can’t stand Christian Clothing Brands.” Some Christians see this growth as predatory - “using Christianity as a means to sell clothing.”
The question is: Is creating a Christian clothing brand that helps believers have apparel representing their faith - in a wardrobe inundated by sportswear and pop-culture references - inherently bad? Or is the disdain expressed by our Christian brother on Reddit a result of the lack of creativity he observes in the faith-based apparel space?
Faith-based apparel has evolved into more stylish clothing showing evidence of intricate design similar to that of big fashion houses. But is it intentional? Intentionality is the foundation of faith-based branding because, by definition, it draws inspiration from faith messaging with the goal of pointing the wearer or the perceiver to the message of the religion. Yet, it seems that some Christian brands still fall short. This is evident in the design - the most obvious example being a faith-based brand that has revealing clothes in its catalogue. Other issues are harder to spot, such as a creative image print where the designer took too much creative liberty - or none at all.
For example, there are designs of the Blessed Virgin Mary with features akin to the contemporary female aesthetic - the “Kardashian look” that has dominated L.A. and is spreading to many other cities. Or the wordy Bible quotes spammed on garments that scream POD brand. These ideas, by themselves, can be argued in the contrary: the revealing clothing might be intended for a wife to wear only for her husband’s eyes; the creative liberty might have precise intentionality that contextualizes the designs; the Kardashian features - perhaps a means to bring holy icons into the context of our times for relatability (a big stretch, but…). However, this doesn’t seem to be the case here. From careful observation, many Christian brands appear to have done market research, found a need, and are simply fulfilling that need to make the money printer go brrrrrrrrr.
So, was our Reddit brother correct? Like many things worthwhile, intentionality in the Christian clothing brand space takes more work than many imagine. It is easy to do it wrong - not to mention the ample opportunities to employ deceptive nuances in advertising. The messaging on the garment, the mission of the brand, and the roadmap to achieving that mission must be carefully examined through a faith-based lens. This understanding of how delicate operating as a Christian brand truly is might be what made our Reddit brother shriek in disgust after seeing so many attempts.
What does it look like when a Christian clothing brand is intentional? It’s simple: the whole idea of the brand doesn’t point to your credit card. The garment, the accessories, or anything else available for purchase is a byproduct of an idea - not the main idea. “Wear your faith” is an oxymoron that cannot be the main idea, because faith cannot be worn - only lived.
In Christ Studios is an idea that brings creativity and intentionality to the art conversation - reclaiming Christian imagery from the alienation of pop culture in the clothing space.
Join our newsletter for exclusive member perks and to be the first to know about upcoming releases and blog topics.