In 1984, a narrow scarlet sash is the emblem of the junior anti-sex league. Because the anti-sex league campaigns for celibacy (it wants children produced through artificial insemination) and attracts particularly gung-ho Party members, when Winston sees Julia with the scarlet sash wrapped around her overalls, he feels a distaste for her. He even suspects she might be a spy. He perceives the sash as forbidding, and it signals to him that Julia is a devoted Party member, living in a de-sexualized arena of "hockey fields and cold baths and community hikes" that Winston hates.
The sash and Julia's membership in the anti-sex league provide a convincing cover for Julia, who likes to have a good time, including affairs with men. She throws herself into the anti-sex league with gusto, marching in parades and handing out leaflets, as this allows her the freedom to engage in sexual escapades unsuspected.
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