When I was in college I bought a pair of consent-themed underwear that said “assk” (get it, hehe) from a woman sitting in my college student center.
Years later, that woman, Rachel Verner, has created a line of consent-based apparel for her consent education company, Let’s Be Clear.
“Let’s Be Clear grew from the need to make talking about sexual violence prevention more accessible,” says Verner. “By lowering the barrier of entry into conversations about consent, Let’s Be Clear is increasing dialogue and awareness, and building a strong foundation for social change.”
Let’s Be Clear is, first and foremost, about education.
Beginning in 2017, Let’s Be Clear will teach workshops to high schools, universities, and parent groups, teaching them how to incorporate consent fully into their lives as well as teaching them how to react in real life situations. Let’s Be Clear has three different workshops: one on alcohol and consent, one on sex and consent, and one on dating consensually. The alcohol workshop, titled “How to Mix,” teaches participants how to determine how to act safely around others as well as how to determine if a “yes” is really a “yes” when alcohol is involved. The sex and consent workshop, “How to Have Better Sex,” is all about how to bring honest and open communication into the bedroom. Finally, “How to Go on a Better Date,” will teach participants the best ways to be safe in today’s Internet-fueled dating scene.
To fund their workshops, Let’s Be Clear has designed some beautiful consent-based apparel. They were kind enough to send me my favorite shirt of the bunch, a ridiculously soft grey t-shirt with the words “Let’s be clear/I’m the boss of these parts.” This shirt makes my consent-loving feminism beam from the inside out. Not only is it a very comfortable, high quality shirt, I was also impressed with how stylish the actual graphics were. A lot of times message-based apparel can get bogged down in its own activism, but these designs are beautifully simple and all very on point. From sweatshirts that say “I stand with survivors” to tank tops that say “not yours,” Let’s Be Clear is definitely worth a look. Plus, 10% of all profits will go to funding consent education for communities who cannot afford it.
(Images courtesy of my mom who graciously pretended to be a photographer while I pretended to be a model)
Currently, the apparel is only available on their kickstarter and is definitely worth a donation. You not only get a great shirt, but you also will be donating to a company whose mission is to bring consent into the conversation. You can buy these shirts by donating to their kickstarter here.
Cover image courtesy of Getty Images.
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