Clothing and conversation: understand one’s place and privilege in life

Fashion and cultural appropriation is not a topic I take lightly, but I think it’s necessary to speak on it with Halloween coming up.

This sense of appropriation on Halloween seems to take the spotlight, but it isn’t the only offender of appropriation. The prime example in fashion is taking culturally significant clothes and sexualizing or insulting the culture.

For Halloween, someone’s culture is not a costume.

A quote from Abram Jackson in his article about appropriation stood out to me when trying to think of cultural appropriation: “[We] can’t ignore the violence at the core of appropriation. Social power allows for some to wear clothing that others might be harmed for wearing…”

As someone who closely studies history, I believe this statement is very true; clothing often defines who we are and showcases that, so when you have larger social groups that misrepresent and take from a culture, you add a new association with another group of people.

One example that comes to mind would be the cultural appropriation of Native fashion in the United States, often defaced into costuming, mascots and sexualization of traditional clothes.

It falls into the dominant culture group using this traditional clothing to be exploitative, disrespectful or stereotypical.

This moves into traditional clothing from all walks of cultures being appropriated for costumes and bleeding into this area of insult, intentional or not.

Always remember what you are consuming, asking yourself where your clothes come from, what they are made from and if they fall into the exploitative nature that fashion can often dip into.

Appropriation can exist in all forms of fashion; shy of two years ago, Shein faced rightful criticism from the Mexican government after selling an embroidered floral blouse design that generations of Mayan people had made, something that shouldn’t be cheaply made just for an aesthetic.

Here is the thing: No one will be perfect, but for me, with fashion and as someone who does engage a lot with writing about the industry, it doesn’t cost much to be a respectful person.

Do your research and be respectful when engaging with a culture that isn’t yours. Native Max is a media company that is a platform to uplift and showcase Indigenous people. Look into designers and brands uplifting these narratives that have been forgotten or exploited in the past.

Fashion should be a form of empowerment rather than something causing harm.