I recently saw an Instagram reel from @arlenezhxo where she shows her original outfit and then adorns this oversized shirt with Kermit the Frog wearing a Santa hat over it. With the text on the screen saying, “shoutout to my subway shirt” and the caption saying, “what’s ur subway shirt?” Here it is: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_wOd2SyAHV/?hl=en
The idea behind a Subway shirt is to conceal your body and stop or reduce harassment from people who ride the Subway. This is not the first Instagram reelI have seen about the Subway shirt (I do not have TikTok). It brings up the idea of not wanting your body to be perceived.
This can be understood through Featherstone’s critique of consumer culture and the focus on the body. Featherstone (1990) highlights that the consumerist obsession with leisure and consumption, especially regarding the body, is often seen as empowering by granting individuals greater freedom to express themselves through fashion and appearance. However, this constant focus on appearance also leads to a form of “ideological manipulation,” wherein the body becomes the primary site of self-worth and identity. The pressure to present oneself in a specific way reinforces conformity to consumerist ideals, which may limit true freedom and alternative ways of being in the world.
In this case, the “Subway shirt” can be seen as a reaction to that manipulation. It symbolizes a rejection of the consumer-driven pressure to always make one’s body available for public consumption and appraisal. The oversized shirt is worn not for leisure or self-expression but as a tool of protection, concealing the body to avoid unwanted attention. This aligns with Featherstone’s view that while consumer culture promises freedom and individualism, it can also act as a means of control, encouraging individuals to conform to certain norms and aesthetics. In this case, the “Subway shirt” might represent a deliberate disengagement from this consumerist gaze, offering a temporary escape from the endless cycle of bodily visibility and scrutiny.
Reference
Featherstone, M. (1990). PERSPECTIVES ON CONSUMER CULTURE. Sociology, 24(1), 5–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42854622
Unruly Bodies 
Wow this was such a great read !
I saw a few repost of this trend myself. As a women presenting person I thought this was something that only I did. It’s sad but not surprising that something like this has become a tool for safety and comfort rather than a personal choice.
I found it Interesting how you connected “subway shirt” to the idea of rejecting consumer culture’s obsession with making our bodies a constant site of visibility and judgment. It’s empowering in its own way, like saying, “I don’t owe anyone access to me.” At the same time, it’s frustrating that the need for something like this even exists.
For me, this post is such a reminder of the small but impactful ways people resist societal pressures, even with something as simple as an oversized shirt. It’s not just fashion or consumer culture it’s a form of self preservation.