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A Note to Kendall Jenner: Arab Women Have Been Perfecting the Pants Over Dress Look For Years
Women all across the Far East and the Arabian Peninsula have worn dresses over pants for years, but when Kendall Jenner does it, the world loses its collective mind.
(Image via Refinery29)
In her latest stint of cultural appropriation and mindless fashion mongering, Kendall Jenner, sister of notorious genius and selfie-enthusiast Kim Kardashian, was spotted sporting a long dress over a pair of pants. Well take a seat, young Jenner and let’s pay credit where credit is due. Arab women have been sporting dresses over pants for decades now, only to be met with the harsh criticism of being too conservative to wear dresses alone. It is also a traditional costume called salwar kameez, a South and Central Asian garb – but I guess from now on it will be referred to as “the Kendall.”
Women and men in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan wear these things routinely as part of their everyday lives, but when Kool Kendall does it, it’s suddenly an incredible and brave fashion choice.
A lot of cultural and religious appropriation happens in the world of fashion, with the most precise example of this being the theft of Native American tribal symbols. Media and fashion have dictated that the several hundred Native American tribes, all with different traditions, customs, and clothing, be whittled down to just feathery headdresses and Pocahontas-esque beaded jewelry. Therein lies the danger of cultural appropriation, it erases faces and characteristics of minorities, putting their defining symbols in danger of extinction and turning their strife into one statement necklace. We’ve previously discussed how this has been done with the Arab turban – as well as the keffiyeh, which has resulted in transforming it into a fashion accessory rather than a symbol of political resistance.
This is possibly the most infuriating aspect of fashion and the world of celebrities. A Kardashian could wear a pig’s snout on her face and have it be deemed the most “edgy” and “cool” look there is, but when it’s part of a peoples’ everyday life, it’s lame and regressive.
What do you think? Would you have worn this outfit before seeing Kendall wear it? Comment below!