Can I wear this dress as a white woman?

[4fingerKitKat]

I found a secondhand dress and I was really drawn to the bold print. It’s by the designer Kemi Telford who is of Nigerian heritage and her clothes are very influenced by this.

I love the dress in abstract as an item of clothing but trying it on I’m not sure I feel completely comfortable wearing it.

The dress similar to this one:

https://kemitelford.com/collections/dresses/products/green-vine-button-down-dress

Is it cultural appropriation? Or just too jarring? Or is it fine? I don’t know.

Of course you can

I was wondering this myself after seeing adverts for heritage clothing. They're stunning but I did wonder if maybe I would look odd in them as a fair skinned, red headed woman!

It looks a bit 70;s to me

Kemi Telford was beloved of the white mumfluencer set about five years ago and used to gift them clothes every 5 mins. I don’t think she minds.

It’s just patterned fabric in a fairly bog standard shirt dress style. I don’t sense any cultural attribution from what the website says. Do it and enjoy wearing it! I’m sure she’ll appreciate the business.

She wasn't asking for opinions on the style

I love the dress, and it saddens me that people are afraid to wear things they love because "cultural appropriation". Surely it's fantastic that you love this dress and wear it. If someone asks where you got got it, you'll tell them and give the designer more business.

I wasn't giving my opinion on the style. To me, I would associate it with being influenced by the 70's not Nigerian heritage.

I'm sure the designer doesn't mind who buys and wears her dresses.

The blurb says it was inspired by Betty Draper of Mad Men!

Sarah Millican is a big advocate of a brand called Zuri which is along similar lines, they look fab on her and she is very white.

If you like it, go for it.

I don't look at that and think Nigerian, it's just a fairly ordinary, if brightly coloured dress to me.

Isn’t Kemi Telford now stocked at J dot Lewis?

Pretty sure they’re not asking for birth certificates or DNA samples at the doors …

It's sad that people are nervous about wearing a colour or print that originates from another country or tradition.
I am British and love Indian block print fabric, I am certainly not going to stop wearing it. I would probably not wear a sari or salwar kameez though.

I think OP's fabric is called ankara.

I lived in East Africa for some years and had lots of print or batik cloth made into clothes by local tailors. My friends and colleagues loved that I wore stuff made there, gives people jobs, showed I appreciated the culture, and they would advise me on which one to wear for different occasions.

This isn't even a proper African dress, just "inspired by".

Personally I think that you would look lovely, especially having red hair, that would compliment the green, yellows, and orange hues, that are typically used.

Thank you - I'll try some so!

Definitely OP. Nice you're thinking through this though. Gorgeous dress!

Yeah - I love African prints but try to only buy them from black designer/makers (rather than high street items) as I think the issue about 'cultural appropriation' is about white people profiting from such appropriation, not people just wearing it, especially if they are supporting black businesses.

Just coming on to say this . Love her clothes

Of course it is fine. She is running a business! People are meant to buy what she is selling.

Absolutely this, buy the dress OP.

Yes you can. And if you want to wear Indian block print or even a sari/ salwar kamiz, knock yourself out.

I think this is key. I mean, don't buy African prints from Primark (Irish owned) or Shein (Chinese) with little to no investment in any African business or fashion sector.

Try to buy it from a designer who comes from that culture. Same for other clothes and jewellery inspired by or based on specific cultural styles. Ethical shopping, basically...

But do wear it, and enjoy!

Block print is Indian and everybody from Zara to Toast are using it.As is Ikat. Is that unethical?