Code Switch What the quarter-zip craze tells us about Blackness and respectability
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Jan 24, 2026 Jonathan Square, Parsons professor and fashion scholar, explores how the quarter-zip became a symbol in debates about Black fashion and respectability. He connects viral TikTok popularity to long histories of policing Black dress. The conversation touches on Black dandyism, nostalgia, elite styling, and the limits of dressing for protection.
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Quarter-Zip As Social Signal
- The TikTok quarter-zip moment sparked broader conversations about Black respectability and self-presentation.
- Jonathan Square notes the garment became meaningful because of who wore it and how it was framed on social media.
History Behind Respectability Politics
- Surveillance of Black bodies ramped up after emancipation and shaped expectations about dress.
- Square traces respectability debates back to the 19th century and shows they persist today.
Famous Flashpoints In Dress Debates
- Jonathan Square cites Bill Cosby's pound cake speech as a flashpoint in respectability debates.
- He contrasts that with Monique's viral critique of airport dress standards to show recurring tensions.
