One of the major themes of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” is the social conflict of conformity versus nonconformity. The swindlers’ lie is dependent upon the people of the empire conforming to the belief that the fabric can be seen. Although nobody is capable of seeing the fabric, each character believes that others are able to. This leads to everyone in the capital city pretending to be able to see the fabric to fit in with others, keep up appearances, and maintain their social standing. In the story, conformity aligns with lies while nonconformity aligns with the truth. With this, nonconformity is elevated as a virtue.

By pretending to see the fabric, the emperor’s men and the citizens of the kingdom are conforming to an inherently flawed idea or social order. The fabric is not symbolic of any one thing in particular. Rather, it is a symbol of flawed notions that individuals or societies adhere to without scrutiny. Each time a character pretends to see the fabric, they do so out of fear that they will be ostracized from their society or lose their high standing within the social order. This is first illustrated by the emperor’s minister who is sent to check on the weavers’ work.