Why Does My Culture Look Good on You, but Not on Me?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Barnard chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

If any of you have been on TikTok for the past year or so, you have probably come across videos of girls donning a soft sheer fabric across their neck, draped delicately over a blouse or dress. It’s being called the “Scandinavian scarf”. Now, if you’re Desi like me, you’ll know exactly what that actually is; an orna or dupatta.

 The Dupatta Disguised as “Scandinavian”

When you first look at it, it seems like a cute little fashion trend. Innocent right? Not at all. This isn’t just a little fast fashion trend or fad, but a part of a larger pattern of erasure, cultural appropriation, and refusal to credit the cultures that have long worn these pieces for centuries, on an everyday basis.

Taking a closer look at what people are calling the “Scandinavian Scarf”; a sheer shawl-like piece draped over the shoulders, with the sides flowing in the back. Influencers and fashion magazines have been labeling this as a chic, sleek, minimalist accessory. However, as many have pointed out, this look is almost identical to what is known more commonly within South Asian culture and fashion, as the dupatta or orna.

Bipty, a fashion rental company, posted a video recently where they gushed over women wearing these dupatta-like pieces over dresses and called them “very European”, rightfully enraging the South Asian fashion community. Many called them out, but what came of it? Nothing. No real accountability 

What’s important to understand here, is that this issue deeply resonates with South Asians because of how much history is rooted in this. Elle India, wrote that “when the dupatta is taken, decontextualized, and repackaged into a whitewashed aesthetic, the fabrics that were once deemed ‘too ethnic’ or ‘too bold’ suddenly become artful and elegant. The same piece of cloth, on different bodies and under different names, gets different receptions”.           

But what’s the actual problem in the bigger context?

1. Cultural erasure: If people don’t take the time or effort to learn what a dupatta is, they lose the context and reclaim something that is not theirs, thus erasing the rich history that existed before. 
2. Double standards: When South girls wear dupattas, it’s seen in a negative light. We might be laughed at for being “too cultural”. When influencers rename it, it’s “European elegance.”
3. Monetization without credit: Influencers and fashion bloggers/brands benefit monetarily by reimagining the piece without actually acknowledging the roots or admitting what it truly is 

The central message that we felt is that these aesthetics are only “fashionable” when they are recontextualized by white bodies or Western brands.

So What Can We Do? (Besides fighting with people in Tiktok comment sections)

1. Call it what it is:  If a shawl is a dupatta, say that. Acknowledge it.
2. Learn and educate : Take the time before falling into trends to understand where it arose from. Look up videos, essays, posts about pieces and trends and try to be conscious of what it is you are wearing and claiming. 
3. Support Desi creators: Amplify the voices that are working hard to bring forth our culture within the fashion industry, that is so heavily Westernized. Also give credit where it is due! If you are truly inspired by their work, fashion, trends, etc., let it be known where you got that inspiration from.

I am not writing this to police anyone on what they can and cannot wear. As a South Asian myself, if anything, it makes me proud to see so many people embracing my culture, in the right way that is of course. Acknowledge the intention behind what it is you are wearing, and its origins. You can wear it any way you like, once you understand the true nature of the piece and where it came from, instead of mislabeling it for something it definitely is not.