Kylie and Kendall Jenner Accused of Culturally Appropriating ‘Chola’ Culture with Plaid Shirt

Just months after Kylie Jenner was accused of culturally appropriating camouflage from Destiny’s Child, Kylie and her sister, Kendall Jenner, are now being accused of appropriating plaid button-down shirts from Hispanics.

Reports in Teen Vogue, BuzzFeed, Elle UK, Refinery29, and the Huffington Post accused the pair of culturally appropriating the “chola” style in a now-deleted Instagram post where they debuted a new arrival in their store.

According to a screenshot of the offensive merchandise, a woman is seen wearing a black-and-white plaid shirt and hoop earrings. The pair immediately got accused of being “#culturevultures” for the style.

In addition to a few viral outraged tweets, the magazines and news sources also opined on the allegedly offensive nature of the shirt.

Teen Vogue quotes The Guardian’s explanation of “chola style” before declaring, “Now, cholas must contend with that same dominant culture co-opting their decidedly unique style.”

Elle UK cites the same Guardian piece before claiming “chola culture” is “also a culture to which the sisters do not belong. The 'look' has been used in pop culture many times, with the likes of Selena Gomez, Rihanna, FKA Twigs and Gwen Stefani adopting the style at various points on their careers.”

Ashley Sherengo, who runs the “@lipstickittty,” Twitter account, told Refinery29, “What bothers me is that they don't ever come up with their own original ideas. They are always taking ideas from others and never give credit. Aside from being unoriginal, it's definitely irritating to see these girls making money off a culture they know absolutely nothing about. When we —Latinas and Xicanas— dress in flannels and big pants, we get profiled and frowned upon. But when they do it, it's ‘fashion.’”

The Huffington Post adds to the commentary by Teen Vogue, saying their appropriation is “insensitive” to “marginalized culture.”

“It’s insensitive for Kendall and Kylie’s brand (or anyone else, for that matter) to commercialize a culture that isn’t their own, for their own gain ― and a marginalized culture at that,” the Huffington Post writes.

Apparently, fashion is no longer about experimenting with different styles, but making sure you don’t accidentally “steal” a style from another culture when making it your own.

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