Cultural Appropriation In Fashion

In recent years, Halloween costumes have created controversy because they touch on the issue of cultural appropriation. Children are simply not aware of how their costumes can unwittingly offend certain cultures or ethnic groups, and parents are also often unsure as to which costume ideas qualify as “culturally respectful”. In the LA Times opinion editorial, “On Halloween, parents have no choice but to wade into fraught cultural politics,” Oppenheimer argues that picking a Halloween costume is a challenging task with many grey areas as to what is considered offensive to various religious or ethnic groups who are often the inspiration behind Halloween costumes. He asserts that all individuals should take care to avoid culturally appropriating, but that there are also grey areas in costume choice where appropriation isn’t as clearly defined. In order to illustrate the nuanced challenge of picking costumes, Oppenheimer utilizes an anecdote to show how societal values have changed within his lifetime. He shares, “When I was 10, I was in love with a musical theater; if you’d forced me to dress up for Halloween, I might have been chosen a character from ‘Dreamgirls,’ a play about African Americans” (Oppenheimer 3). It is evident that he was not aware of what was socially acceptable in society being that he was merely 10 years old. Considering that much time has passed, by reflecting back to his past self, he is able to realize that dressing this way could have touched many sensitive areas of cultural appropriating a race. As there are no specific set of standards established in society, individuals follow and adhere to what is presented in front of them. It is utterly challenging for all individuals to identify what is permitted in society despite the diversity in ethnic groups and age. While the youths are struggling to find the perfect balance to avoid cultural appropriating a group, it is also difficult for adults to distinguish the difference. To advise the individuals in recognizing the difference in regards to the significance of certain Halloween costumes, Oppenheimer utilizes an appeal to authority with an Yale scholar and former preschool teacher, Erika Christakis. It is ideal that, “...when it comes to the

Fashion has been a prominent aspect of a woman’s life throughout time. Women of different times and cultures have turned the routine of picking out clothes and putting together different ensembles into a sort of art, or a way to express and promote themselves. Many women also see fashion as part of their identity, or a way to manipulate the way people see them. What a woman wears can drastically change the way society views her - it can increase her chances of getting a job, or make her gain respect (or rejection) from her peers (Sika n.p.).

Throughout time clothing has been an important part of individual’s lives often reflecting one’s culture and personality. People use clothing to express themselves and to help others see who they are. One particular group of people that uses dress as a way to express who they are and how they feel are black women. In the seventies black people were finally allowed to attend mostly white universities, although this was a huge step forward, black women did not feel like they fit in. Black women and men decided to turn to clothing and their appearance in order to find a sense of self in a world surrounded by whites. Tanisha Ford presented “Liberated Threads: Black Women, Style, and the Global Politics of Soul” explaining why dress matters to black

Racial and cultural appropriation has become increasingly significant in society within the past 30 years. “The idea of “cultural appropriation” has recently entered mainstream

In Randa Jarrar’s essay Why I can’t stand white belly dancers she bluntly addresses the predicament of cultural appropriation. Jarrar’s main purpose is to inform her audience on appropriation, whether it’s done oblivious or uncaring of the situation. There are many ways she presents the situation, the tone she takes on to convey the problem is unsympathetic and transparent.

In Western culture, people seldom realize the amount of cultural appropriation that occurs around them. Westerners are blinded by cultural mockery and cultural appropriation without realizing its offensive effects to minority groups. During the Halloween holiday, in Western culture, people of all ages dress up in a variety of costumes such as horror themed, fairy tale themed, job themed, cultural themed and much more. Harvard University members have argued that a cultural themed costume is a form of cultural appropriation. Also in Western culture, in the music industry, white artists have utilized and exploited aspects from minority cultures to boost their fame. Costumes, props, ideas, music, and others considered as cultural appropriation is often overlooked but it is apparent when closely examined.

Anyone who knows me, knows me knows that I love to watch reruns of “What not to wear” on TLC, As it teaches me something I clearly know nothing about, fashion. However anyone who is in my Spanish class known that I not only care about my culture but others as well. This school year has been interesting both fashion-wise and politically, from the Kylie Jenner Lip challenge, to Donald Trump running for president. It has been such a weird school year however, that it has pointed out a sad fact about the current fashion world, that is prevalent through the politics we discuss in our everyday lives, and that is cultural appropriation. As cultural appropriation according to the Oxford Dictionary is “A term used to describe the taking over of creative or artistic forms, themes, or practices by one cultural group from another. It is in general used to describe Western appropriations of non‐Western or non‐white forms, and carries connotations of exploitation and dominance.” And despite how much we would like to believe that this issue doesn’t exist in our present day society, if one looks In clothing stores, fashion magazines, and even Halloween parties, cultural theft is occurring. This can be seen especially with indigenous cultures as: elements of indigenous cultures are morphed into fashion trends and costumes for those who will never understand their significance. “Navajo print” leggings, “tribal” jewelry, and “Indian princess” Halloween costumes are examples of gross

Regina, N, Calling High Fashion Cultural Appropriation Reaffirms The Very Idea You Are. in Tremr , 2017, https://www.tremr.com/naomi-regina/calling-high-fashion-cultural-appropriation-reaffirms-the-very-idea-you-are-trying-to-oppose (accessed 11 August

Attention Getter: “These high fashioned brands represent to us (African Americans) success.” (Combs,2015). Reveal topic: High end fashion and the lack of representation and support of black designers/artist from both the black and white audiences. High end fashion: when a major fashion house such as Polo, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana ,etc. design expensive, fashionable clothes Credibility statement: I became interested in this topic after watching a documentary on the history of urban fashion, but not just that, it also touched on the topics of culture, race, and identity.

Cultural appropriation is the adoption or theft of icons, customs, beliefs, or styles from one culture or subculture by another. McWhorter argues,“But what began as a legitimate complaint has morphed into a handy way of being offended by something that should be taken as a compliment.”(McWhorter 1)A multitude of people may believe when there is adoption of one culture it should be seen as a compliment as well because they are appreciating the culture by imitating it into their own. “It used to be that we said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But now there is new way to see the matter: Imitation is a kind of dismissal.” But if not fully understandingthe significance of what is being adopted then to the owning culture it is seen as appropriating and not appreciating. If it was indeed appreciating, time would be taken out to fully understand what and why the culture indulges in the custom or belief and so on. Just noticing a particular act of item in a culture and putting it into your own without the proper

Cultural appropriation is disrespectful to those belonging to the minority culture. A blatant example of cultural appropriation shown in

Pop culture has had a huge impact regarding this problem, whether it be in the music industry or fashion industry. Many ‘fashion’ designers find it okay to take designs from indigenous culture. Examples, are Junya Watanabe, a Japanese, designer created a collection that included African prints, hair styles, and Maasai beadwork (Gant). Maasai beadwork signifies different meanings to the African culture, having it displayed in a fashion show degrades the symbolic meaning it holds. Dsquared2, owned by two white men, were ‘inspired’ by Native American culture

Executive Summary for persuasive speech By: Ashley Smith Submitted To: Professor Keondra Mitchell In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Business Communications MGT 3030-001 9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. October 19, 2017 The issue: Cultural Appropriation Cultural appropriation and the arts defines cultural appropriation as “A sociological concept which views the adoption of one culture by members of a different culture as a largely negative phenomenon” (Young, 2010 p.5).This happens when members of one culture decide to engage in the traditions, behaviors, food, fashion, language and mannerism of another culture without having a true understanding of their culture and why these things are important to them. This is reinforces the idea that there is an appreciation for the culture of the oppressed but not its people. Often times when appropriation occurs, members of

The fashion industry is one of the most prevalent and visible forms of influence on today’s society. Billboards, malls, magazines, TV, movies, advertisements, runways, etc. are filled with fashion campaigns usually distributed to make a statement and to influence the consumers. Often times, the fashion industry engages in offensive promotions like romanticizing eating less and the “thigh gap” or producing clothing that has “depression” plastered all over it. One of the most offensive trends of the fashion industry is the use of cultural appropriation to promote their company or clothing. Cultural appropriation is the taking of something produced by members of one culture by members of another culture. The products of that culture usually have a special sacred or cultural significance to them, which is why cultural appropriation is seen as offensive and exploiting rather than appreciated. The public tends to overlook these extreme messages and appropriation from the fashion industry, brushing them off as trendy and ideal. This becomes a problem because the fashion industry’s blatant use of cultural appropriation in editorials and ads influences people to show admiration for products from other cultures yet still remain prejudiced against the people who created and continue to practice that culture.

Most things in life are not guaranteed. However, a few things are like taxes and cafeteria food being of low quality. Students at Oberlin are complaining about the school’s cafeteria food is racist and “cultural appropriation”. Cultural appropriation is the act of taking another cultural group’s culture. In this case, it is from poorly made Asian foods like sushi and General Tso’s chicken. They claim that because these foods are poorly made, it is an insult to them and their culture. Most people find this case to be absolutely ridiculous and use it as a way to prove that people can get offended over anything.