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The chola aesthetic & culture


“Oversized” is a widely-used adjective to describe the clothing purveyed by some of the hottest brands today. As we presumably continue to get bombarded with elongated fits, it’s important to note that this baggy aesthetic was first made popular by the Mexican American youth who belonged to a street gang in Southern California. Whether it’s the high-waisted zoot suits worn by Pachucos in the ’30s-’40s or the buttoned-down flannels sported by Cholos in the ’60s-’70s, Chicano motifs have long been implemented on the racks and catwalks over the years. From budding labels to high fashion houses, many industry players have more or less leeched off the subculture that was initially spawned from social oppression experienced by Latino locales since the Mexican Repatriation of 1929—an unfortunate circumstance when the U.S. government deported approximately 2 million people of Mexican descent. The list of brands who have added new threads to this intricate web of Chicano appropriation keeps on growing. One stylistic example is the blackletter typeface or Gothic lettering. Although it has European origins, it’s most renowned for being adorned on memorial garbs created by Chicano communities in LA. These commemorative pieces of clothing were made to honor friends or family members who passed away. Nowadays, however, the typeface is observed on concert merch or one-off capsule collections, more notably on Kanye West’s ‘The life of Pablo’ wares designed by Vancouver-born artist Cali Thornhill DeWitt, as well as war. Aside from the font, other designers have riffed off other prevailing Chicano references including slang. Japanese mainstay, WTAPS, once created a shirt dubbed “Vatos” and Retrosuperfuture used to sell a pair of shades back in 2008 which was simply entitled “Chicano.” Let’s also not forget how several pop celebs blatantly seized the Chola aesthetic including Selena Gomez (Congratulations to Me), Rihanna (circa 2013 Halloween) as well as Lana Del Rey (Tropico). Conclusively, there’s just too many to count. Chicano culture should be treated with respect. This is a culture with values and traditions not a style or fashion trend. Today’s fashion industry is graced with the influences of so many cultures and subcultures. I think that’s what keeps fashion so exciting. Chicano and Cholo fashion have always had direct influence on other “street” cultures with the crossover of music and style. For example, skate culture with white socks pulled up to the knee, punk culture with plaid flannel shirts buttoned to the neck, hip-hop culture with baggy Dickies and oversized shirts. All in all, I’m quite happy to put my Chicano style influence on the runway and give it full credit to its source.

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