Fascist aesthetics, once seen as too kooky and outlandish for the center, are on a striking rise into the mainstream. Historically, far-right ideologies were the domain of a small minority. This pivot has dramatically altered how Americans view different artists and emblems historically associated with those movements. Some aesthetics, however, have given pause to social analysts and cultural observers. These critics caution that mixing these ideologies into our everyday lives may prove disastrous.
Here in the United States, the MAGA hat is a perfect case study of this incredible evolution. In 2020, most Americans did not yet understand it as a fascist symbol. By 2025, the moves and bluster of now-former President Donald Trump had completely changed its meaning. His rhetoric took a decidedly more authoritarian turn as time went on. In doing so, things like the MAGA hat were given more sinister connotations, linking them to a broader tradition of racist and authoritarian nationalist sentiment.
At the same time, the “tradwife” aesthetic — a mix of ultra-feminine styles and return-to-the-kitchen gender politics — has been linked to fascist fashion as well. This trend promotes a nostalgic ideal that aligns with certain far-right values, reshaping how femininity is perceived in modern contexts.
This domination by fascistic imagery doesn’t end with fashion statements — it’s infiltrating online spaces, too. Now, “Pepe the Frog” has unfortunately become a meme synonymous with hate. The alt-right has unfortunately coopted this gaming meme to promote antisemitic narratives. Such appropriation demonstrates how quickly symbols can become instruments of hate once they’re removed from their intended contexts.
The visual signaling that goes along with white power in the United States is steeped in centuries of upstream history. The flaming crosses and white robes of the Ku Klux Klan became new iconic imagery. They continue to be potent symbols of hate. Today, racist clothing lines have adopted more cryptic identifiers such as the use of the number “88.” This particular number alludes to the equally notorious Hitler salute. “Nationalist” splashed across T-shirts only deepens the alarming direction of normalizing extremist movements in everyday fashion.
Officials such as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have been recently criticized for wearing tattoos associated with white supremacy. It does raise deeper questions about the normalization of such symbols among this nation’s leaders—those holding the highest positions of power and influence.
This relationship between fashion and fascism does not only exist in American subcultures. Historical ties exist. German clothier Hugo Boss produced uniforms for the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary during WWII. He designed uniforms for the conquered Soviet Union’s Hitler Youth, too. Production Fashion has a historical complicity with authoritarian regimes. Garments play a critical role in the construction of identity but they provide a much-needed mechanism of population control.
Fascist fashion slips comfortably into the mainstream by playing on people’s desires to find identity and community among like-minded folks. Monica Sklar, an expert in cultural studies, notes that “in the US, subcultural dress is much subdued, much more piecemeal.” This significantly complicates the ability to identify or even understand features that might have extremist ties.
Cynthia Miller-Idriss emphasizes another significant point: “It is simply much harder to recognize ideas as hateful when they come in an aesthetic package that doesn’t fit the image people hold in their heads about what white supremacists look like.” This observation points to the most important and deeply sobering challenge to fighting these fascist ideologies which often present themselves as harmless inclinations.
Organizations such as the Proud Boys have “hijacked” some of these trendy clothing choices to add to their far-right extremist outfits. The black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirt has been rebranded as the “3.0 Perry Polo,” illustrating how mainstream fashion can be appropriated for extremist purposes.
Slogans such as “White Lives Matter” that were once considered far-right fringe have now begun to permeate everyday political discourse. They are ubiquitous on t-shirts and bumper stickers. Today, extremist groups advocate for fonts associated with the Nazi regime, such as Fraktur. Through innocuous logos and imagery, they slip their ideologies under the radar.
Benito Mussolini’s regime created a striking aesthetic specifically for their supporters. They appropriated the ancient Roman symbol of the fasces and wore black shirts, embracing their brown shirt socialism. This historical example demonstrates the ways that fashion can be an effective tool for creating a unified identity based on authoritarian ideals.
The Trump administration’s embrace of MAGA aesthetics & other far-right aesthetics have played a huge role in this cultural pivot. Smart street style With each new wave of popularity, these fashions change the culture and public understanding of what is permissible in political attire.
“The idea is not being quite a subculture but to be embedded in the power structure. Instead of coding things to move away from the masses, this fashion is coding things to move into the masses.” – Monica Sklar
As fascist fashion fashions its way into the mainstream, this should raise alarming questions about what we’re willing to validate and normalize in our society. Far-right extremist ideologies are becoming further normalized into mainstream American culture. This mixing can lead people to lose important sensitivity to what these symbols actually mean.