Get Out of My Immigrant Mother’s Closet!
Fashion trends come and go, and with this frequency, some interesting pieces gain traction. People take inspiration from the seasons, eras, and cultural moments. Yet another and problematic method is borrowing styles from different cultures.
Recently, “floral mesh slippers” were being labeled as the next “it” piece of footwear for the summer/spring. Yet many people from multiple cultures recognized those shoes as a staple in their households. Hispanic, Black, and Asian communities realized they were actually called“Chinese slippers.” They are thin sandals with a mesh toe and sequin flowers sewn on the top.
Instead of being a cool shoe for the fashion girls, they are shoes that mothers and grandmothers wore inside the house. They are shoes you would slip on when you ran out of the house to help your parents bring the groceries inside. Or, at its worst, it would be flying at your head after you talked back.
Image Courtesy: Bewild via Amazon
Nevertheless, the slipper could be bought for no more than $5 at the local corner or beauty supply store. Now, brands such as Free People and Mango are selling them for much higher prices and under a different name. Free People’s “Liberty Mesh Mules” are priced at $25, and the Mango “Mesh beaded shoe” was originally priced at $79.99.
While a larger group of people wearing the sandals is not a problem, bigger companies, more specifically white-owned ones, claiming them a style of their own is. If there were an indication that white influencers or brands were giving credit to the actual origins of the piece, it would be a moment of cultural appreciation instead of appropriation.
Jeffery Campbell posted a photo of their take or carbon copy of the slipper with the caption “Full transparency” on Instagram. However, users commented on the brand's lack of it instead.
@heba_maintenance responded, “Every cultured woman I know had these shoes… except they were $1 at the Dollar Tree or brought to us from “back home” from Egypt or Jordan or Palestine. Total nostalgia but sorry not for $170.”
Another user @damolisher said, “Not these gentrified Chinese slippers”.
Kinadese is a small business that puts a unique twist on the slipper but also pays homage to the original. Their “Misa Chinese Slipper Heels” have an interesting curved wedge. The brand is Black and women-owned. Their promotion includes the shoes on models of color or in the beauty supply store.
Image Courtesy: Kinadese via Instagram
Despite this representation, people are still critical of one aspect: the price. A pair of the kitten heels will run you $160.
@akmaimuna_ commented below their viral reel saying, “Damn I have been so ready for these would've bought them if they were 30-40 at most 50 but 160 please explain why that price point is right being the fact this sandal used to be sold for $1.”
The chunni or dupatta, which is worn by South Asian women, is another example of erasure among cultural clothing pieces. It is a scarf that is often draped over dresses or other traditional clothing.
Bipty, a fashion rental company, posted a video (now deleted) of an employee describing the chunni as “very European, effortlessly chic.” The woman attempted to label shawls seen in multiple photos of wedding guests, saying, “Something about the vibe makes it so special…but like, what is this aesthetic called? It's not Scandinavian summer wedding guest.”
Image Courtesy: Bipty via TikTok; Baymo via Pinterest
This was not only a display of ignorance but also complete erasure. The video also implied that using words that evoke European aesthetics is more desirable.
South Asian creators have played into this discourse by posting videos of their “Scandinavian shawls.” These posts show that the origin is nowhere close to being European, and the only staple piece it’s been is in cultural clothing.
The moral of the story is that you can borrow something from my mother’s closet. She probably wouldn’t mind. Just don’t say that you got it from the new it-girl brand for some exorbitant price. Or that it's a revival of some obscure Y2K or European trend. Instead, give respect where respect is due.
Strike Out,
Kim Nguyen
Boca Raton
Kim Nguyen is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. When not overthinking, this fangirl is either consuming romance media, Vietnamese coffee, or Beyoncé's discography. You can reach her by email at kimvunguyen14@gmail.com or on Instagram @kimnguyen1_.
