Is wearing West African prints cultural appropriation?

[CrayCrayMum]

I love bright colours and prints... I have seen some beautiful stuff online that comes from west Africa and I would love to wear some of it. BUT... Is this cultural appropriation? I have a dress that I bought in South Africa and had the same conversation with the shop owner, who thought I was mad, but I realise wearing prints might be seen differently by the African diaspora in the UK. Before anyone climbs into me for being too woke or whatever or having first world problems, you are right! I am and I have. This is a genuine request. I am just trying to not step on anyone's toes and trying to navigate the world with some sensitivity.

😂behave yersel wuman

It’s so completely ridiculous.

Obviously I can see the objection to pretending to be from another culture when you are not. The clothing may be part of that.

But wearing a print or having a particular hairstyle? Firmly on the list of pointless things that people worry about when they have not enough to do.

Cultural appropriation is just some BS made up to crap on people (as if there isn't enough shaming in the world). Nobody is screaming cultural appropriation at black and asian people wearing jeans or suits.

Wear what you want, when you want and how you want.

I’m Irish, live in England, St Patrick’s Day suddenly everyone is Irish 😂 if it was full dress might be a little odd but no, sure it’ll be fine!

Cultural appropriation is an americanism.

So the shop in my Yorkshire Town which specialises in Harris Tweed items is not OK because the owner is not Scottish?

Personally I think it's fine- she's supporting a lovely Scottish brand and she and them both benefit. Likewise when I went to Scotland I bought some Tartan items, the people selling them didn't seem to mind I was English!

It’s cultural tribute - the opposite of cultural appropriation. You’re saying I like and admire this enough to fork out for it and put it on my body. Why should only European and American fashions trend? Go for it!

A pretty dress is a pretty dress. It can't be wrong to appreciate something.

There's a Harris Tweed shop in my Yorkshire town (wonder if it's the same one), I got a nice tam o'shanter from there.

This might be a daft "Sassanach" remark so please correct me if so, but I assume Harris Tweed has to come from Harris, so whoever is selling it, ultimately the profits will go back to the Scottish weavers.

There's cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation - both are decidedly different. Yours is the latter, enjoy your new purchases.

You people! You've made me impulse buy this
https://www.heritageclothings.com/collections/under-50/products/cairo-maxi-dress

Harris tweed is trademarked and has to be woven on the islands. The weavers sell direct to the public or sell as wholesalers to other retailers. If they're selling as wholesalers, they've been paid at point of sale to the retailer.

Harris Tweed is a great example: the name is protected by law precisely because in the early 20th century there was an influx of speculators who attempted to capitalise on, or we might say, appropriate, the popularity of the distinctive, hand-spun, hand-woven fabric made on the islands with cheaper, machine-made copies.

Gosh @Desperatelyseekinglazysusanthat is truly gorgeous! I wish I could wear sleeveless dresses.

I'm so jealous - I went on there fell in love with that dress but my size isn't in stock - sob....

Yeah, that heritage website is going to have notice an uptick in visits and sales, such beautiful dresses! And actually a lot of the prints aren't so different to what I've bought from Toast, so I'll be checking out this shop from now on.

I love an Ankara print but that site looks dodgy; there’s no contact information or street address for a start.

I think that's hilarious. It's too stupid to get upset about.

What does really annoy is cheap, acrylic and polyester tat being marketed as Fair Isle" Fair Isle isn't protected in the same way as Harris tweed. I can live with "Fair Isle" being knitted in wool in other parts of the UK, but anything else from anywhere else, no.

I think everyone who is spending time worrying about this needs a job of at least 20 hours a week more than they currently work

No that’s not really what I meant although I understand that there are a lot of factors and it’s not always so simple. The Yorkshire shopkeeper is a retailer of the Scottish product and that is a business relationship which benefits both the manufacturer and the retailer. Equally, someone who may appreciate tweed and wants to buy a product because they appreciate that item - all fine. But if someone, with no appreciation or deep connection with Scotland starting weaving their own tweed-looking products for sale, perhaps using cheap materials and undercutting the price of Harris Tweed, and calling it “Scottish tweed” or “Harrison tweed” to mimic an established brand and culturally important product, then in my opinion it is not right in my opinion.
out of interest @BadBadCat what are your thoughts on that?

But if someone, with no appreciation or deep connection with Scotland starting weaving their own tweed-looking products for sale, perhaps using cheap materials and undercutting the price of Harris Tweed, and calling it “Scottish tweed” or “Harrison tweed

"Harris tweed" is protected by an Act of Parliament and has to be tweed woven in the Outer Hebrides. The tweed might be tailored on the islands or sent as bolts of tweed to be tailored anywhere. Tweed is woven in several areas of Scotland, England, Wales, N. Ireland and ROI. Again the weavers might tailor it themselves or sell it as fabric.

What you are referring to is fraudulent marketing, not cultural appropriation.

I get very annoyed when posters here post links to "tweed jackets" or "fair isle knitwear" and it turns out to be something made of polyester in China. I'm not annoyed because the Chinese retailer has "no appreciation or deep connection with Scotland" but because their tat is undermining the UK tweed and wool industry.

If the retailer however were based in say Europe, US, Japan or even a reputable brand in China, I don't see any problem at all with brands buying tweed and making up their own garments. Nor I'm sure would the UK weavers and wool producers.

Surely cultural appropriation is where you exploit something cultural for your financial gain or where you have no respect for the origins.

So supporting the Nigerian born owner of Kemi Telford by buying and wearing her flippin' gorgeous dresses would not be cultural appropriation. Buying African prints from Temu? - a little more questionable.

personally i dont understand cultural appropriation, its not like a person owns the trademark on the outfit, plus it seems all fashions copy each other at different times etc

Well I think the understanding of the term has slipped over the years. When I first learned it there were two elements to it. The first was the adoption of the item by a dominant culture. The second was that the item having been worn or displayed by the dominant culture became acceptable in a way that it wasn’t when worn by the original culture. I think the obvious example would be a hair style that women of colour might be criticised for being unprofessional in the work
place is suddenly fine when worn by a white woman. Over the years we’ve lost that second element so now just wearing an African wax print is risking criticism. Criticism in the other direction don’t work because no
one is saying a black woman in a kilt / suit / whatever is making that suddenly acceptable.

Anyway it’s all nonsense

Hello, I just wanted to write something to say I understand why you feel hesitant.

I went to a party in the summer on a hot day wearing what I thought was a beautiful kaftan white & pink and some matching pink linen trousers that crop to the ankle. And at least three people told me I was trying to dress up in typical Asian/Hindu/Muslim dress. It really was just a nice pink and white kaftan with pink linen trousers on a day about 28 degrees. I’m white & blonde haired. I thought it was just nice and comfortable, but people were a bit judgey.