Consent is the act of giving permission for something to happen. But with rape and rape culture being at the forefront of discussion in feminism and pop culture it is no wonder that the nature of it is in constant questioning. The idea of ‘blurred lines’ and a ‘grey area’ is not a new concept. We read about it in the media, we see it in pop culture and we hear it all around us. When issues of sexual assault are brought up, we always hear the same things: “was she alone?” “what was she wearing?” “was she drinking?” “did she know him?” The victim is attacked instead of the attacker and women are taught that it’s always their fault, that they must’ve done something wrong, that they could have prevented it. Women are told that drinking is consent, flirting is consent, showing skin is consent, not saying no is consent, walking home alone is consent, being out at night is consent, marriage is consent, a relationship is consent, lace, leather, red, black, a skirt, a shirt – that simply existing, is consent.

We are here to say that THIS IS NOT CONSENT.

When issues of consent are brought up the biggest argument is that things were not made clear. With clear, bold and narrative images we hope to make clear what is not consent. A t-shirt is an elegant yet provocative way of making a statement. When the wearer adorns a shirt stating that “THIS IS NOT CONSENT” the message could not be any clearer. We hope that these t-shirts will stimulate discussion and get people talking about the importance of consent and communication and get rid of the idea that consent is not mandatory and that a woman’s body alone in itself is consent. This is not consent.