ABSTRACT
This chapter delves into the aesthetic components of bulletproof apparel for civilians. How does the form of these products entwine with their function to promise more than security? The analysis of representations of products and people in company materials shows how apparel intended to provide security also involves varied emotions and sensibilities. Indeed, bulletproof fashion needs to be understood in relation to a broader social field where a range of identities, experiences, and inequalities interact with security concerns. Through aesthetic features, bulletproof apparel encapsulates style, desire, and fantasy, as well as the sensibilities and values associated with different social groups. However, (protective) function and (aesthetic) form coexist in uneasy tension, as even stylish and attractive designs may not be enough to fend off the unpleasant emotions that these products sometimes elicit. The chapter pays particular attention to gender in intersection with other social hierarchies, such as class and race-ethnicity. In the case of children, it also considers product aesthetics in relation to certain notions of childhood. Attention to fashion, bodies, and security helps situate bulletproof products in the broader context of social and political life, which in turn shapes sartorial styles.
