My cousin married a woman from Pakistan and every woman in the family was given custom tailored Shalwar kameez and the family stressed that it can be worn every day so they use the various tunics and pants and dupatta in their normal wardrobe. The men in the family were sad that they had to wear western suits.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

I bet they were! 🤣

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

This sounds wildly unfair for the poor men! I would be heartbroken haha But it sounds like a beautiful event

@lisam5744

9 ай бұрын

I had a coworker from Pakistan who gifted me a shalwar kameez from Pakistan. OMG...talk about comfortable! I wore it where we both worked because she told me that it was for everyday wear (it wasn't a traditional office we were in). I wanted people to know what a thoughtful gift I had been given. Our boss told me I looked 'too ethnic' in it and not to wear it again. Unfortunately, stupidity goes all ways in this world.

@interlocution6619

9 ай бұрын

I have Indian friends, and they are never offended when I wear a Sari to dinner or when I visit. I have even been gifted dupattas for everyday wear. As long as one is respectful, I think most cultures don't mind. I bought an outfit in an African store once - The girl in the store recommended it and said it would look good on me so I tried it on. It was gorgeous. I will say that silly Halloween costumes are more offensive than scary ones to people for whom it is a religious observance. There is a reason that the costumes have been historically dark and morbid - and it's disrespectful to to religious observers when people make light of the holiday with corny and ridiculous costumes - or when they use a cheap pre-fab humorous cultural reference with their costumes. It's ok to have fun - but people should also remember that for some, it's a day of religious reverence.

scotland actually has a registry of tartans and you can look through it to find a tartan that you can wear. of course there are the clan tartans, but there are tartans specific to many other communities as well so there's a tartan for everyone! there's an LGBT pride tartan, tartans for the muslim and jewish communities, and so many more. each tartan has a description detailing which community it was designed for, explaining the symbolism that went into the design, and who should wear it. along with these there are a ton of fashion tartans that were made for everyone to wear. it's super fun to look through and i'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in kilts/tartan.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

I love this registry! At one point I ended up looking through to make sure a fashion tartan I was about to buy yardage of *wasn't* registered for anything.

@strategicgamingwithaacorns2874

9 ай бұрын

Several US States also have State Tartans, for any Yanks in this audience.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

You get a tarten and you get a tarten! That is an incredibly useful resource though! Thank you for letting up know it's out there ❤

@Helgatwb

9 ай бұрын

I love the tartan for my state; it has some of my favorite colors.

@amandaladouceur3011

9 ай бұрын

What is the registry? I found out that my paternal family is very Scottish but i dont have any leads to names of possible clans. The only lead i found was a one letter off surname but i dont want to assume its one of those when they came to the US they changed the spelling

As a Scottish person, I feel we're less precious about the clan tartan as people usually expect. My husband is a Hunter and doesn't wear his clan tartan as he doesn't like the aesthetic of it! For the 39 years of my life spent here, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone being bothered about the type of tartan being worn based on someone heritage. *How* someone wears a kilt however, is very Important and Serious. Formal kilts have rules, as do plaids, and it doesn't begin and end with the Underwear Question. In short, wear the tartan you like most... but wear it CORRECTLY :D

@SewingandCaring

9 ай бұрын

I saw an English fabric website selling tartan the other day, it was a page of generic plaid and then "GLASGOW TARTAN" on the one on the end.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Might be a bit of a disaspora/homeland difference, then-- like Maayankraj being totally comfortable putting us foreigners in saris, but it would come off very differently in America. Scottish culture seems to get "romantically" stereotyped a lot in the US, and the people I've spoken to about it here are pretty firm that one should stick to non-clan tartans and informal kilts if it isn't part of your background or for a cultural event.

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon And the homeland/diaspora difference is probably about the difference between doing something to fit in and doing the same thing to stand out. I *love* when foreigners who live in Norway wear bunad on the appropriate occasions, but I feel rather uncomfortable about the mere idea of (rich, because bunads are really expensive) foreigners buying bunads just as a pretty costume that they’ll never actually have an appropriate occasion to wear. I also rather dislike the word “folk costume” because of the “costume” part.

@deirenne

9 ай бұрын

+1, my boyfriend is Scottish and we had a tartan-related situation once that fits to the point of wearing it right. We were once at an eco-vegan-plants-handmade-goods-all-that-stuff festival, that had a section for sustainable and hand made clothing. There was a stall that sold skirts and pants made with plaid fabric and one of the patterns/fabrics available was my boyfriend's family tartan. He wasn't offended someone would want to wear his tartan - why wouldn't they, it looks dope - but he was offended by how arts-and-crafty it was XD Not only it wasn't an actual tartan, just printed fabric, but it was also so tacky, uncoordinated and shapeless, with hastily basted/sawn patches and even some raw edges, I guess to look cool(??). It sucked because it was completely pulled out of its proper context, with shitty quality and used as a costume, not clothing, picked not for it's significance or origin, or cultural context, but rather just to look edgy and punk or sth. Very weird, especially since stipes, checkers, houndstooth etc still exist, you can even use plaid if you really want to, but maybe, just a suggestion, maybe don't use someone's family and national heritage in your sewing projects XD

@saulemaroussault6343

9 ай бұрын

Also, « clan tartans » were invented by two dudes in the 19th century. We have some evidence of distinctive tartans in specific regions/families by nothing really consistent over time. Some families/clans then adopted the designated tartan or designed one, and it’s now an official thing, but it’s not as traditional as most people think. Not to mention that you can come up with a plaid color scheme that happens to ressemble or be exactly like a « clan tartan », whereas « just coming up » with a specific cultural garment design is wayyy less likely.

The comments about jewelery made me think of the tin-wire bracelet that my mother wears, they are a traditional Samí craft, and whenever she has brought one she has made sure that it's from actual Samí artists. The thing is, these bracelets are extremely common on medieval themed markets here in sweden. There is *always* somebody selling them.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Your comment made me think about an equivalent situation in the US : how many Indigenous artists vend at Ren Faires? Of course, the answer is "not nearly enough".

@Kasey113

9 ай бұрын

Those bracelets are so beautiful! I have several, and my parents made sure to purchase them from Sami artists, for the same reasons.

@CreepyLittleThingy

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon I bought my drinking horn from a Wabanaki leather crafter. Reinstating their legal recognition and tribal rights is on the ballot this November. I hope they win.

@interlocution6619

9 ай бұрын

I am like that with my Navajo and Zuni jewelry. I have a ton. Some I inherited, some was gifted to me, and some I bought for myself. Growing up in Colorado and now living in Arizona, I have always been surrounded by both authentic and commercial pieces. My mother was friends with a Navajo chief who also made jewelry, so I have a couple of pieces that were made by him especially for me. There is no way I won't wear it. My grandmother traveled a lot and brought jewelry from many of her trips. Clothing and jewelry aren't made to put in a closet or drawer to collect dust and never be worn. If you have it, wear it.

I remember when I was a kid in elementary that our school hosted a quote “Indians versus cowboys” day 😭a majority of the girls dressed as natives while a majority of the boys dressed as cowboys. And the whole day was filled to the ripe with racism and the boys being SUPER mean towards the girls saying very problematic things.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Uuugh, on so many levels.

@fluffydragon84

9 ай бұрын

Someone on TikTok said (I know, I know) that Westerns were invented so white people could be racist to Native Americans since being racist to black people was going out of fashion. So that was horrifying.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

This is so cursed on every level 😅 It's wild the way that adults will facilitate messes like this for children to play with!

@KristiChan1

9 ай бұрын

And I thought my elementary school was problematic with their Thanksgiving activities and plays, frickin' eh. ☹️

@mina_en_suiza

9 ай бұрын

When I was a kid, the cowboys were always the "bad guys".

Kia ora! Pākehā New Zealander here (no Māori ancestry) - just want to say Moana is a Pacific movie not a Māori movie. We don't even have coconuts in Aotearoa NZ! Not to accuse you of accidentally doing a racism, no shame or shade intended here, just that Pacific cultures are all distinct. The tattoo styles are distinct. Maui's tattoos are biographical and meaningful, in addition to the the baby's first blackface issue, and he is a god... so that's extra not-okay to wear his skin.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for that correction! Like I said, I have not seen the movie, and I apologize for the error.

@thelexiphanic

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon you're all good, thank you for responding :) I love your work!! should hve said that before, I didn't mean to come off sanctimonius or anything.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

@@thelexiphanic No worries! This is exactly the sort of thing I like having audience members correct me on. If I'm misinformed, I want to know about it so I can fix it!

Important note on the Scandinavians. While the majority of Scandinavians were not culturally oppressed - the Sami native peoples from the northernmost geographies of Scandinavian countries were heavily oppressed for centuries. Just a good thing to keep in mind :) I do remember the first time I was invited to a South Asian cultural event being so surprised when a Bengali friend offered to take me shopping for a sari!

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Yes good point! I think I've always heard the Sami referred to specifically when discussing that dynamic. I don't know much about Sami historical clothing, but I have read during my research on Viking-age Scandinavian clothing that it was pretty different from what the Norse/Swedes/Danes were wearing? And given that history, someone wanting to wear Sami traditional dress would probably have a VERY different set of things to consider than someone wearing an apron dress and tortoise brooches.

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

And that is why I, as someone who is ethnically Norwegian, will not wear anything explicitly Sámi unless invited to do so. (It’s definitely possible that I have Sámi ancestry some generations back, but that’s purely genetic and not cultural ancestry.)

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon We honestly have no idea what the Sámi were wearing at the time, because we don’t have any sources of Sámi clothing styles until the 16th century.

The mention of "white girl in a sari" reminded me of being in high school and seeing a very blonde girl (whom I knew to be of a Germanic background and a member of a very evangelical sect with a "save the heathens" missionary mindset) wrapped in a bedsheet, with shoe-polish brownface and black shoe polish on her hair. I couldn't articulate why it made me uncomfortable, but the fact that I recall it so strongly over thirty years later probably says something.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Brownface is a pretty good reason to be uncomfortable about something no matter what else the person is wearing.

@lenabreijer1311

9 ай бұрын

Brown face is a particularly American hangup due to their really awful music hall traditions. And now they are trying to force their guilty feelings on the rest of the world.

@harrietamidala1691

9 ай бұрын

Oh, that’s disgusting. That wasn’t just appropriating, that was downright racist! Even when I dressed up as Mulan (in her warrior garb) for Halloween despite being a 9 year old white jewish girl, I never did yellow face. Obviously, I’ll never do that again as an adult, but even as a child, it never occurred to me to make my face up to look Chinese to portray Mulan.

@interlocution6619

9 ай бұрын

Don't take this wrong, but I am very white - and blonde for that matter. I DO wear a sari sometimes when I am with my Indian friends, or dining in an Indian restaurant. No one has ever complained or told me I was being disrespectful. I also practice yoga, and practice with a Buddhist group. Indian friends have gifted me Indian garments, and even taught me how to wear them appropriately. In addition to that, my great grandmother was half Cherokee. I don't look a bit like it - but it is legitimately also part of my personal multi-cultural heritage. I have a very broad spectrum (not all disclosed here) of my cultural background - You should NEVER assume you know someone;s background by the color of their skin or hair. You just don't know where they grew up, what cultural events they have participated in their communities etc... Though I am not Romani by blood, I have been accepted in a Romani clan in my area and have participated in their cultural activities for decades. I absolutely WILL wear my "Gypsy" attire if I so choose.I am a legitimate part of that community by practice, if not by blood. People need to STOP ASSUMING they know anything about someone just because of what color their hair, skin, or eyes are.

@interlocution6619

9 ай бұрын

@@huskylluvr No I read that. I think the brown face part is disgusting. I also think the us of a bed sheet isn't exactly appropriate either. My comment was more related to judging because the girl was white. It doesn't matter what ethnicity she was, her costume was disrespectful. It also doesn't mean that just because someone is white they automatically can't wear cultural items in a respectful way. Halloween is a religious holiday, and using it in any way as an excuse to embarrass or make fun of any group is offensive.

The example of the wedding in India is really interesting, as a latin american I can point out that when items from a specific culture are worn in our space, under our rule, where we are the majority and have control, it makes us more likely to be happy to share it, because the individual foreigners arent as likely to be perceived as a threat. Therefore, the atmosphere is way more relaxed and fun and more forgiving towards potential mistakes. My family, friends and I have acted as a host to a bunch of exchange students from the US and it's always fun to teach them about our traditions, for us they're the can be just a "gringo" with their strage (to us) customs. However, I can imagine that had I grown up and lived in a country that has been hostile towards people like me, I'd be more protective and less keen to share, which is probably why the experiences and views of the diaspora tend to be quite different from the homeland, we may share cultural practices, but our lived experiences tend to be very different.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Yup, this absolutely parallels the difference between what it was like to visit Maayankraj and his family in India, vs Indian-American attitudes.

@marabanara

9 ай бұрын

Exactly right

@idrisa7909

9 ай бұрын

I think a major element missing in the cultural appropriation conversation is when people go "oh but I'm (x)/know someone (x) and I/they don't care!" Or "(x) people in (x) country don't actually care about this". Like, of course a Chinese person living in China may not give a shit about white people dressing up in Chinese clothes... they don't actually have to live around many white people! Diaspora Chinese people care because they do, they actively experience racism often... its not that they're being less authentic, they live in different circumstances

@kendramcnally1280

9 ай бұрын

This discussion helped me better understand the reaction to the Peacock dress. The woman worked to include broiderers actually in India. But the dress itself was originally worn by the person who represented total oppression for an event that celebrated that oppression. Not good. My ancestors were totally Irish as far as I can trace. The "fun" depictions of leprechauns and drunken Irish bother me. (Which is not to say that drinking isn't a large part of being social in Ireland, in the past and now. The portrayal of slobbering drunks does not reflect the reality of the pub and drinking as a big part of Irish society. As a non -alcohol drinker I have never felt excluded or judged in Ireland, the way I do in America, but I digress). This is a thought provoking topic and I appreciate your discussing it.

It's incredible how so many cultures have been appropriated for the "aesthetic" when if the people from those cultures wore their actual, traditional attire, they'd face discrimination. I love the aesthetic of traditional Romani, Indian and Arabic clothing, both all of those cultures have been appropriated through mass colonialism and racism against them. Nevermind that India and Arabia have many, many, many, many different ethnic cultures and backgrounds that are diverse and beautiful.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

That's so often how it goes, though! Something that the originating culture faces discrimination for doing, is then called "cool" or "edgy" when white people do it. So that's the root of me always wanting to ask "will you stand out/be praised for doing something different, if you wear this".

@Anna-xh6fk

9 ай бұрын

@@feezlfuzzl564 no it wouldn’t lmao girl what?? White “boHo chic” girlies don’t fix job discrimination against Romani 💀🤡💀🤡

@jayc1139

9 ай бұрын

''appropriated through mass colonialism and racism against them''. I think you're confused here. If anything, the colonialist powers implemented their form of clothing onto the people they colonized, with varying degrees of success. Also, not everything on the face of planet earth has to do with 'racism' either...people that were weak were just taken advantage of, and 'ego' told them that their culture was inferior and/or primitive in comparison to the colonists. I've also yet to see any Western people wearing non-Western clothing at the rate that non-Westerners wear Western clothes themselves and borrow from Western culture. So you will excuse me if I find your opinion to be more emotional and subjective than objective. Cultures and people have been borrowing from each other for 1000s of years, or have even had their cultures suppressed by larger powers with the larger powers own culture. If anything...a LOT of non-Westerns appropriate Western culture, if you want to use the term 'appropriate' the way people tend to.

@etoile435

9 ай бұрын

Non-westeners do not ,,appropriate" western culture. You seem to have a lack of understanding of the word, so here's the definition: ,,the act of taking something for your own use, usually without permission" as well as ,,the act of taking something such as an idea, custom, or style from a group or culture that you are not a member of and using it yourself." Given that the west forced the countries they colonized to dress the same way they did and adhere to western cultural standards, something you quite literally state in your comment: ,,If anything, the colonialist powers implemented their form of clothing onto the people they colonized, with varying degrees of success." Those same non-westeners then wearing western clothing and participating in western culture is obviously then, by definition, NOT appropriation as it was forced on them by western powers. I also think it's hilarious that you dismiss others opinions as ,,emotional and subjective rather than objective", when it is you who is taking the facts and rearranging them in a way that makes it easier for you to dismiss the claims of appropriation and racism simply because then you don't actually have to deal with the reality of it. Also, not everything on the face of planet earth has to do with 'racism' either...people that were weak were just taken advantage of, and 'ego' told them that their culture was inferior and/or primitive in comparison to the colonists" Actually, it does have everything to do with racism, and you quite literally show it in your comment: ,,and 'ego' told them that their culture was inferior and/or primitive in comparison to the colonists". The idea that someone is more inferior and primitive compared to western powers, is based in race theory. It's based in the idea that the white race is the ,superior" race, and it was done specifically to justify racism and colonialism. You can use as many big words and rearrange the facts to your liking, but a) it won't make your arguments sound any better and b) it won't change the reality and history of what you're talking about. Instead of trying to minimize reality and the impact of racism and colonialism, you should try and shut up more and actually educate yourself. @@jayc1139

@thecaptainsxyt

9 ай бұрын

​@jayc1139 Etoile basically said it better than I could, but yeah, please learn from people who actually experience racism and colonialism and take their consideration into account. That's what I did, hence why I posted my comment. I actually had to learn from them to understand where they are coming from.

I fell in love with saris. So I went to the local Desi clothing stores and purchased from them. Then I researched how to properly drape them and what foundation garments were appropriate and purchased those. Then I found a book whose author had devoted several years to researching, documenting and preserving as many different styles of styles of draping in as many different geographical areas of the Indian subcontinent as she possibly could. Then I treated them like clothing, not a costume. Wedding? Wear the fancy silk sari with appropriate jewelry. Grocery shopping? Wear the everyday casual sari. Doing grunt work after shopping? Readjust the sari drape like an Indian farmer would and start hauling stuff around. My grocery store where I used to live was literally across the street from a Hindu temple and the Desi ladies that worked at the grocery store were convinced that I was married to someone from India (I was not). I just took the time to learn about the garment and its history in order to wear it thoughtfully.

@aelitastone5629

17 күн бұрын

I have the same taste for Hanfu. I studied and still study Hanfu, were they come from, the signification of colors, printing, what dynasty they came from, are they modern or historical etc. Now I wear more casual and modern for travel and work and more "dressed one" for week-end and big event. I know also what not wear in special even. We learn lots of things with cultural clothing. That was the first time I was interested in clothes and wanted to learn about them. But it was never costume for me, a different clothe yes but a clothe that I wear like a clothe.

This is a great discussion. I appreciate the nuance. As a Scottish person, I feel like we don't mind folk wearing kilts and aren't particularly proprietary over specific tartan, however, when the kilt wearing becomes cosplaying a Scottish person, then we have a problem. There's a North American habit of viewing Scotland as a scene from a shortbread tin and overly romanticising our traditions until it's a caricature. That's not okay.

I made a knitted horned hat for my eldest Danish niece as a joke. They loved it, my younger Danish niece wore it and then they passed it on to my Norwegian niblings. Apparently it's always been quite a conversation starter in the street. But I think there's a big difference between that and a drunk adult wandering around pretending to be a viking.

@deszeldra

9 ай бұрын

Also I married into an Indian family and there are SO many ways to wear saris, and it doesn't matter how good a job you do putting it on, the aunties will always judge and help you "fix" it :) And I have a Scottish ancestry and wear my (inherited) tartan clothing. It's nice to be part of a multicultural family. But I don't wear my saris and salwar dresses to situations where people don't know that part of my family, because I don't look Indian.

I think what you said about liking the tropes and stereotypes associated with a culture is so important. It can be hard for people to accept that the romantic stereotypes are just as othering as negative ones. I'd be very interested in a real list of recommended artisans. It can be hard to find trustworthy sources of information and art as an outsider. The only thing I'd like to add as a complexity is the exploitative aspect. As an African American, a whole aspect of our culture is how European Americans mine it for their own enrichment while telling us how inferior and worthless it is. From the basketweaving, dyeing, ironworking, cooking, and textile work we were brought here with to the contemporary musical, hair, and fashion styles we make, the entire world, from Korea to the US to Europe, takes our innovations and our work, tells us they're evidence of our low intelligence and degenerate culture, repackages them as their own, and calls the whitewashed version brilliant. This happens in everything from martial arts to media, but especially in street and even runway fashion. I really hope you do start a list of legitimate artisans, because I know how frequently corporations co-opt the best parts of a culture and sell it on the open market, regardless of whether the practice is closed or open.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Goodness, I wish a list like that really did exist! I feel like it would be a pretty big undertaking, and maybe not for only one or two people to create, especially with all the cultural complexities that could come up and be outside any one given person's background. I like to ask friends or contacts where they get their pieces, if they're willing to share.

Having a Hindu colleague to dress us in Saris for Diwali was amazing! She was even kind enough to help us to fold and drape the pretty fabrics. It was the loveliest day, fluttering about in the office, taking sweets around to colleagues. I live in a damp grey part of the UK, btw. I know that it's encouraged, at some weddings to wear traditional dress (Saris, Shalwar Kameez etc), too.

fantastic video! Fun fact: Polish chałka, that originates in Jewish cuisine and comes from challah, is nowadays most oftenly made with milk :D

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

excellent I have another type of bread to add to the category of things I affectionately call "goyish challah"

@harrietamidala1691

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon my family is Jewish, but when my mom made challah growing up, she actually used a brioche recipe to add milk so that my sister and I will get some kind of additional nutrition. While it made for a richer Challah, if not admittedly kosher, It was an amateur brioche compared to the professional loaves .

@S3lkie-Gutz

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon my mom's side of the family are mostly Jewish and are Holocaust/Shoah survivors and I'm unsure if my babcia's recipe is kosher or not but a Japanese former coworker introduced my mom to Japanese milk bread and how to make it and I wonder how it'd affect the taste and texture of challah? Japanese milk bread tends to be on the sweeter side so I think it'd be appropriate with jams honey or nut butters, whatever suits your tastes(I also prefer challah over American bread, I tend to find the bread in grocery stores to be dry and sand-like in texture where my babcia's challah is nice and fluffy and rich) so it'd be really interesting to experiment with one day

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

@@S3lkie-Gutz Even if it contains milk, it’s still kosher unless it’s served with meat 😊

No, we have never been structurally oppressed because we're Scandinavian. We did structural oppression to our indigenous people though, the Sami, so I and others from Scandinavia should be very careful and respectful about wearing any traditional Sami clothing or accessories.

I usually dress as a fox for Halloween so I like think I'm in the clear. As a white AFAB person I agree I love the look of traditional Indian dress. The silk and warm rich colours are beautiful. I found a company in India that exports wrap skirts in similar colours and designs. I have been saving up to treat myself.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

The materials are INCREDIBLE. I've heard of some companies doing similarly-- once a sari is too worn out to be used as a sari (and not before), they repurpose the fabric into wrap skirts or other garments.

@lenabreijer1311

9 ай бұрын

I have several wrap skirts like that. I love the colours and the swish. I actually have a lot of saris that I bought in charity shops. I use them as fabric for both my historical clothing and for regular clothes.

@interlocution6619

9 ай бұрын

@daisyfox2452 There are those for whom the holiday has religious significance. Many cute, silly, sexy, and funny costumes can be done respectfully, but most these days are not aligned with the purpose behind wearing a costume on this day. WHile it's fine to "just have fun" if it's not a religious holiday for you, it is important to remember that for many people it IS a religious holiday.

@daisyfox2452

9 ай бұрын

@@interlocution6619 I agree 100%. I strive to be respectful and enjoy the holiday. I am of the same mindset as with xmas. While it may hold not religious meaning for me, that doesn't mean I am direspectful of others who do. We can celebrate in different ways while treating others properly.

As someone from Aotearoa/New Zealand, thank you so much for bringing up the whole Moana Halloween costume thing! Tattooing is an incredibly sacred and deeply personal closed practice in Māori culture, both in the actual physical methodology and the resulting tattoos themselves, and has been appropriated a lot in recent years in pop culture. There are a lot of beautiful culturally important art forms which are somewhat open practice and the continuation of which rely upon sharing with outsiders, but traditional tattooing (especially tā moko or facial tattoos) is not one of them! Crafts like weaving harakeke (a native plant which produces similar long staple fibres to linen), wood and stone carving, and even singing are semi-open practice and encouraged (if you are trained by someone who is of the culture and are participating respectfully with the proper understanding). There are of course exceptions and weird situations like you mentioned about the context being a major part of whether something is ok or not. Someone who is not of Māori heritage might get traditional tattoos if they're very highly respected by and respectful of their local iwi (I think the closest translation would be something like a native American nation or *very* extended family), and have fully earned it, and even then it will still almost always be done in the modern way and not with traditional methods, only traditional design, and not on the face. Sadly, I think Moana and Disney's love of smooshing together many distinct cultures into one generic one-size fits all caricatures was always going to have a problem like this. I both love seeing that finally there's some big screen representation for a group who's underrepresented, and am frustrated that they took bits and pieces of every Pacific Island culture and made a messy hodgepodge that doesn't represent any of them very well. They didn't care enough about any of the cultures impacted by the movie representing them to do them justice, so of course they were going to make a Halloween costume from it to sell because to a big corporation like Disney I don't think there really is a distinction between good, meaningful appreciation of a culture and a Halloween costume.

16:49 My go to to avoiding any cultural appropriation is "Would Gwen Stefani wear this?" If the answer is yes, then walk away from it.

Thank you for getting into the difficult nuance of this issue. I am VERY West-European in ancestry, and am in the process of joining a Vedic religious tradition. This means that saris are HIGHLY recommended for participation in open practices and required for many closed practices. Knowing the history of people who look like me regarding the Indian textile industry, this has of course led me to consider this matter very carefully. The town I live in has a reasonably sized population of individuals of South Asian heritage, but as far as I can determine, I would have to go to the next state to find the nearest temple community in a related line, and three states in the other direction to find the nearest temple community in the particular line in which I am finding myself. (I am so thankful for zoom, which allows me to stay connected from half a continent away from my siblings in faith). At this point, I have pretty much concluded that my devotional clothing is just that -- to be worn for devotional activities and within the devotional community. I am willing to go out in a sari among others similarly dressed in devotional clothing, particularly when we are with the clergy, who wear devotional clothing full-time, because then the context, that these are clothes worn with purpose, appreciation, and participation, is more clear. By myself, this context would not be clear, and it is possible that seeing a random very white woman wearing a sari in the middle of Smallcity, Midwest, USA could feel very much like I am trying to steal the culture of our Indian population; it could be particularly hurtful to the second-generation members of that cultural group, who have likely not felt safe to wear such clothes or take their foods (which I am also learning to eat and cook -- supporting the local Indian-owned grocery is one way I have found to give back to the culture that is changing my life in positive ways) to school or potluck parties. Since I sew, I also have people asking me to help them fill out their devotional wardrobes, so I have had to do some thinking about what work I can do, and what work I should really redirect others to. I think I have decided that things which must be fitted, such as cholis and clothing for deities, are tasks I can accept, particularly when I can source the materials from the culture of origin, so that I am basically showcasing their art rather than making it my own. However, I will make garments which are one-size-fits-most only in very plain colors and then only if I am making the coordinating garments which ARE fitted. Otherwise, I will be sending prospective customers to the source, and anything I sew to go with these authentic pieces are then about showcasing the art of the culture of origin, rather than claiming the work as my own. I feel that this is not perfect, but I think this is a good starting point for balancing potential harm, appreciation, and practicality; I also know it is my job to remain humble enough to accept and thoughtfully consider feedback on this matter.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

I can tell you've put a lot of consideration into this, which seems only right!

This video. ❤ Being The Goth at school, Halloween being my fun holiday, then 180 on Dia de los Muertos being my most Holy holiday and people saying I can't wear my heritage because I'm too white passing. This is not me in a costume. This is me connecting to my tragically lost family and rooting myself in my culture. One day is wearing clothes that stand out 363 days of the year. One day wearing clothes to connect to my abluela and my fathers abuela and fitting in with other people at service and traditional rituals.

Thank you. As a very white person who frequently goes oooo, pretty, and then realizes the thing is from a culture that has been colonized previously, and I am subsequently not at all sure I can wear the thing, this helps. The open and closed practice is particularly useful; this idea makes things much clearer to me.

There are a baffling number of non-viet people who have decided to wear ao dai without pants…. And i just have to ask why they would think this would be the right way to do it when ao dai are SLIT UP TO THE WAIST. Also it very much angers me when i see chinese garments like qipao/cheongsam being sold online as ao dai. They are different garments with different histories and cultural contexts!

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

My brain just blue screened. I am so sorry people are this silly 🙃 Walking around pantsless is just simply wild

As a full-time wheelchair user, Halloween costumes have always been tricky, since the chair itself obscures the costume from every angle except the very front. One year, when I was a freshman in college, for a Big Brothers/Big Sisters costume party, I tried dressing up as an alien in a spaceship, with the spaceship part draped over my chair. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work.

@PrincessNinja007

9 ай бұрын

Now they sell costumes FOR wheelchairs

the explanation of a costume as something other than yourself in contrast to a bigger/deeper expression of yourself just made so many things click for me. when i was little my mom would take me the the big powwow in my town every year and being an uneducated small child i said things like "their costumes are all so pretty" and my mom would say that they aren't costumes, but i never really understood why it was an inappropriate word to use, because the internal definition that i had of "costume" was something fancy that you get to wear on special occasions, and like my halloween costumes were always just what i saw myself as in my head, so to me a costume wasn't pretending to be something else. i don't know why it never really clicked for me until now that costume implies something other than yourself and that's why it's an inappropriate word in the context of cultural clothing, but the way you two explained it finally made me actually understand and i'm so glad

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

You just *nailed* what’s wrong with the term “folk costume”. My bunad (Norwegian “folk costume”) isn’t a costume, it’s an expression of who I am and where I’m from, and it’s by far my finest and most formal gown.

@StarryEyed0590

9 ай бұрын

Yeah, but the word "costume" having the meaning of "something you are pretending to be" is pretty recent reshaping of the word. It literally used to just mean "what you are wearing" especially if it was formal or elaborate.

@S3lkie-Gutz

9 ай бұрын

@@ragnkja Polish folk costume too, the term makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and I personally only refer to it as regalia or whatever they're called in the specific vovoidships they originated from

For Halloween this year? I'll probably throw on some black or my pirate coat. Last year, my friend suggested everyone wear a kigirumi (soft animal one-sie). Several years ago, a party theme was 'un-dead historical figures', and my husband went as Abraham Lincoln with a fake gory bullet hole in the middle of his forehead and I was Marie Curie with a coat full of glow-in-the-dark party sticks. Another year, the theme was 'Internet Meme', so I was a Pink Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on Rainbows and my husband was All Your Base Are Belong To Us - I made him a mask and I went bonkers with fluffy pink things. Somehow there were no duplicate memes by anyone.

@laurelelasselin

9 ай бұрын

I love the meme idea 😂

@dr.gwendolyncarter5048

9 ай бұрын

Love the glow sticks with the Marie Currie costume!

A bit off topic. Native American and Middle East themed clothes shouldn’t be grouped together and relabeled as bohemian fashion. I hate when brands do this and don’t give back to the communities they are mimicking. Also urban chic is also offense because it’s biting off a style that already existed and watering it down so it’s more palatable. Dressing “hip hop, ghetto or black” was looked down on and very unwelcomed until it started to get appropriated and called urban chic or street wear.

@saraquill

9 ай бұрын

“Dressing Black” is a concept which annoys me. It very much fills the “we’re a monolith” stereotype, and excludes say, my fondness for fancy church hats.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

I have such a problem with the entire concept that is "bohemian" fashion. It's almost like someone decided to see how many cultural groups they could disrespect, from all the folks whose styles it misappropriates to actual Bohemians who would prefer their name not be used for it!

@lunamequa

9 ай бұрын

@@saraquill Wear your hats with pride and passion. 🤗 Growing up I was often told I act white because I liked different things at times and spoke properly. It hurt a lot. I think we should just be ourselves and respect others.

@lunamequa

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon I truly appreciate you and what you do with your platform.

@ecummins8650

9 ай бұрын

Seeing as how the 'bohemian' aesthetic developed during the late Victorian and Edwardian period, it did come from a whole bunch of cultural appropriation, unfortunately. I prefer to call it the 'Maximalist Artsy Fartsy' aesthetic nowadays. 🤪🙃@@SnappyDragon

Here's another question: In the ballet syllabus that my kid went through, they learn "national character" dance for a few of the exam levels. Mostly this involves wearing low heeled shoes and a full circle skirt with ribbons sewn on around the hem. My understanding is that the steps and dances they learn are based on European folk dances (eg Russian, German or Polish etc). When it comes time for the end of year concert or an eistedfodd (competition) the costumes they wear are usually somewhat based on the folkwear of those areas but I truly doubt that any research goes into matching the clothing to the dance style in any sort of respectful way. When my kid was at this stage of their dance training, I said that because my husband's parents were both Holocaust survivors they wouldn't want to see my kid doing that style of dance in that style of clothing. So the teacher choreographed a solo based on an Israeli circle dance (which when you think about it may have itself been based on a European folk dance) and I made a blue circle skirt with appliqued Magen David's all round the hem, and a white "peasant" style top for their performance. When many ballet companies are rethinking how racist some of their repertoire is (eg Nutcracker which is performed every year in the US but less often in other places) I suspect that "national character" dance might be one of the last holdouts for showing respect to other cultures.

@PurelyCoincidental

9 ай бұрын

Dancer and former professional costumer here. You can find old ballet costuming books where the "nationalities" are simply "let's put some 'ethnic' design on a tutu." Absolutely not exaggerating there. From what I have seen, the kinds of outfits you're talking about are a little better, but they're generally far from authentic designs. I don't get mad at it, because practicality is a big concern-modern dance clothing is made out of non-traditional fabrics, and dancers are used to certain styles that allow them to move freely. Additionally, a dance program isn't able to make/purchase and store 30 Polish skirts, 30 Russian skirts, etc., just as most theatres could not. Vaguely Central/Eastern European is probably as good as you're going to get, unless you're at a pro level. As far as "national character" dances go, I don't know your kid's program, but folk dance is pretty commonly studied and loved, so I'd guess the dances were at least attempting to respect the originals, if stylized for performance. A lot of traditional repertoire in ballet is...problematic...not least because the source material itself (the stories, visual art of the era, how minorities/foreigners were perceived) would be considered insensitive today. There's a similar reassessment going on in opera now as well. Part of the issue is...I hate to say it like this, but a racial stereotype is an easy shorthand for the stage, and generally you need to condense stories a LOT in order to get them on stage. Today, we'd consider it a cheap shot and offensive, but it probably wasn't perceived like that originally.

@harrietamidala1691

9 ай бұрын

@@PurelyCoincidental you could say the same thing about opera, which also has that same problem of culturally, insensitive stories, and costuming for many old operas

I’m halfway through the video, and I very much enjoy these types of conversations. I think they’re necessary for those of us with the legacy of being colonists to think about cultural appropriation. I had two comments so far, not criticisms, but some things to think about. First, the Scottish tartans belonging to a specific clan was something the Victorians made up when being Scottish became fashionable to the nobility. Prior to the second Jacobite revolution in 1745, there was none of that. Then, the highlanders were forced to give up wearing of the kilt. During the Victorian age, Queen Victoria loved going to Balmoral Castle and the English all wanted to trace their Scottish heritage and began building “castles” as country retreats in Scotland and started the whole clan tartan thing. So, I’m not sure if it is actually considered misappropriation to wear a specific clan tartan or not, but if it is, that’s a “recent” invention and not a historically Scottish thing. The second is a comment on that Scandinavians weren’t historically oppressed. Since they’ve converted to Christianity that’s true, but as Pagans, the brutal conversion campaigns that wiped out thousands of pagans who resisted conversion were oppressed. It happened at different rates and with different degrees of brutality in the various Scandinavian countries but there were pagans in some of those countries in the early Middle Ages. I digress, but just wanted to put those ideas out there before watching the rest of the video ❤

@mirabellegoldapfel6256

9 ай бұрын

Considering that 19th century history books are nowadays infamous for completely inventing things out of thin air, you could say, that the tartan clan registry thing was a highly successful marketing stunt- especially in a time where the industrial revolution was rolling in. Oh and lets not forget, that norwegian and swedish Sami are also by geography~ scandinavian. Maybe you included them into Pagans, but their story us totally worth to look up as well.

I am sewing a loz link costume for my son, my daughter is gonna be a butterfly, and I am crocheting and sewing a mushroom goblin for myself.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

I bet y'all are going to look great together!

With the cultural appropriation Vs appreciation debate, also, don't discount the opinions of the culture where it's from. For example, the Japanese in general are OK with you wearing kimono. I am sure they'd appricate it if you don't do a "Geisha" act during Halloween though! I was nodding along with the Native American seed bead work. My mother does this work, and those beads are super. *SUPER* tiny, and she beaded an entire cane with it. It sparkles in the light. Every time I look at her work I am amazed by it. Also final edit. Buy from the culture!!! Don't just go to Spirit Halloween and get a Chinese sweatshop knockoff.

@miriguyunari

5 ай бұрын

I'm Japanese, and I don't see how being a geisha for halloween is offensive either. We don't really celebrate halloween (except adults parading big cities in costumes, LOL) but if we did people would probably would be geisha, yamabushi, etc. too. Geisha isn't sacred, and honestly we appropriate our own sacred traditions in media ourselves. XD It would be disrespectful for another culture to be a geisha if it were sacred, but it's not. Would it be not okay for me to dress as a european knight or medieval monk in American halloween??

@zombiedoggie2732

5 ай бұрын

@@miriguyunari I never thought "geisha" was something religiously important to Japan. Unfortunately since WWII, "geisha" are commonly confused with Japanese prostitutes. If someone was doing a "geisha act" odds are they arn't learning japnise arts, they are acting pretty smutty.

I'm thinking about the guy at work who put on a beaten ragged straw hat and a stripped blanket over his shoulders, and told us he was "a Mexican". It's definitely not as specific, but it's just as disrespectful. Thank you, V and Miah, for all you do to educate.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Eugh. Anytime the answer to "who/what are you dressed as" is a demographic of humans, it's pretty bad.

@azteclady

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon Indeed. (never mind that Mexico is a rather large country with dozens of diverse Indigenous peoples living today, with very different traditional dress)

Ahhhh, this is the endless topic. Cultural approptiation vs culural appreciation. The fine line that separate them is respect ❤

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Respect, and knowing how to express it!

@croitoriafaraformule

9 ай бұрын

Exactly!

Thanks for this video, really interesting and sensitive conversation. It reminded me of something that happened to me many years back, which is pretty benign compared with many of the stories here. I'm a musician and, due to my instrument, got in the habit of wearing longer, full skirts. I love folk clothing, and so some of those skirts (and other pieces) are proper Trachten from Germany and Austria. I should add that I am part German, and so I can "get away" with that clothing really easily, but I don't identify as German at all-I'm simply an American woman who thinks the clothing is beautiful. I had a gig where I wore some of that, and a colleague came up to me afterward to compliment me on my "garb." It really irked me, and I had to say, "it's ~clothing~, not ~garb~." In the moment, I wasn't able to articulate fully what you're discussing in this video, but I knew it felt wrong-it wasn't a costume, it wasn't reenactment, I just wanted to feel pretty and comfortable in clothing I found beautiful. And it was! I still wear that skirt sometimes, and I regularly get multiple compliments per wear. I haven't worn one of the skirts in a few years. It's too formal for daily wear, but I think I need to find it and figure out an excuse to wear it again. :)

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

"No these are just my clothes" -me at least once every time I leave my house

With tartan, it's best to stick with the red "Royal Stewart tartan" if you are not Scottish and may encounter actual Scottish people. It's technically the Royal colours, but in 2023 is tartan for people without a tartan.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

This is one of the pieces of advice I most often hear!

@SewingandCaring

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon Fun fact, Vivian Westwood used it in the punk era to deliberately annoy the Queen Mother, who at the time was making a bid to make it her own tartan.

This is an important conversation that a lot of people need to hear. Thank you both for having it.

14:49 as a danish person: we have totally oppressed especially Norwegians but also Swedes. We were an imperial force for a looong time.

@elinfesty181

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for mentioning this :-) "The 400 year night", as we called it. The history of being controlled by Denmark and Sweden still influence our culture.. just the fact that we _elected_ to have a king and royal family when we got independence again in 1905.. a king the elderly still remember.

Thank you SO MUCH for posting this literally the day before I wear the very carefully researched late 1500s kit for my Tribe that I put together for the SCA for the first time. I'm doing this primarily to encourage other Native Scadians, but know I'm going to get people asking if they can do it too. It's going to save me so much time and so many headaches to just send them this video!

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Ahh thank you! Do you plan to share photos anywhere? I'd love to see.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

This is such a cool project!! ❤ I'm glad we were able to arm you with a resource to redirect people too! Repetitive and difficult conversations like that are the absolute worst! So I'm happy we could help ❤

@ecummins8650

9 ай бұрын

THAT SOUNDS SO COOL!!! What kingdom are you in? I live in Meridies.

To preface: I'm so white passing that when I mark my ethnicity on forms, I'm always tempted to write in "cling film". Ya boy glows under blacklight and REALLY likes cheese. I always have such a hard time with balancing context/respectful engagement and my really deep fear of rejection/humiliation (yaaay trauma). And, in those I have managed to make myself engage with, I've never had anyone, at least in person, tell me that I'm being disrespectful, and have on occasion told that I'm trying to/being so respectful that I'm actually not learning what I'm trying to do 😅 I actually bought a (non ceremonial) silk haori and its accompanying tie from etsy or ebay from a nice lady in Japan a few years ago. Its a bit vintage, and actual silk. From what I remember of my research, it was intended as a lightweight sort of day coat, but it's been awhile tbh so that may be incorrect. But I bought it only to wear for special occasions. And I didn't wear it too often. And in the last year, I've decided to wear it more, and learned to care for it as I do. And, in that process, I do a sort of living reconstruction of just a tiny piece of life in a culture I don't belong to but admire greatly. So I can understand and empathize better with that experience than I would otherwise (tism works in strange ways) And people have occasionally asked me about it, and I'll tell them about it, and where I got it from, and why I wear it. I think it's the nicest piece of clothing I own, besides things Ive made myself. And this was a good reminder that not only does context matter, or even your intent, but your impact on others. Good intentions may be all well and good, but if the impact was negative, you're still accountable for that. And thats where people will very quickly fall short of the mark, instead of accepting and then changing for the future.

Thanks for giving precise language to these issues. Some of us out here have an idea when something is right or wrong, but are not eloquent enough to properly explain why.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

This was the result of us talking things back and forth a lot to put words to that discomfort! So it took us a while too, and that's why we wanted to publish it.

Tartans went through such a journey. First loosely associated with clans and families. Then outlawed. Then reintroduced, but only if you joined the army, so rules heavy because uniform. Then appropriated by a bunch of rich people who wore them as fashion and did half-ass research to connect themselves to specific clans and invented new rules so they could be judgmental of other people wearing them. While also opening up some tartans to any group (Stewart because it meant supporting the crown for example) Finally loosening up of the rules to the point of "be respectful, but otherwise go ahead"

One thing i wanna get into is designing cosplays around my culture's regalia. The one i'm dreaming about most of the time is the Dolorosa from Homestuck, especially since her carrying a baby is iconic to her character and babies' faces poking out of their moms' hoods is iconic to the Inupiat, and a kuspuk based on her color scheme is bound to be elegant. I'd also love to recreate the "good for health/bad for education" jacket from Akira as a kuspuk and commision a beadwork apliqué of the pill design from another indigenous artist. Not really traditional, but we're an innovative people ^-^

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

I love this!! Sweetgrass beads does a ton of like Powerpuff girls beaded earrings and such and it always makes my nerdy heart happy ❤

@seraphinasullivan4849

9 ай бұрын

@@MiahGrace oooooh i'll have to check them out then ^-^

As always, I appreciate your nuanced and thoughtful approach to this topic. I don't like seeing people, either ignorantly or intentionally, using closed religious culture clothing or items as a 'costume' There are plenty of fun, creative, and beautiful costume options that don't require the appropriation of sacred clothing or accessories.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Absolutely! There are SO MANY things you could dress up as, why pick *that one?!*

Thank you so much for another lovely video, and for introducing me to Miah Grace! The timing here is perfect, as I will be attending our city's annual multi-cultural folklife festival this weekend. There is so much focus on enjoying food and performances and exploring and appreciating different cultures, but I have unfortunately shied away from a lot of the craftspeople sharing, demonstrating, and selling their work, because of this fear that you mentioned that I cannot engage with any of this without overstepping my bounds. But with this framework you shared, I am hoping to apply these lessons this weekend and be bold and curious and learn more from incredible local artists practicing their traditional handicrafts! (Also, talking to people is hard, but that's a separate issue. :) )

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

I'm so glad we had good timing!

The conversation at the end reminded me of how my Uncle always use to make these Indigenous looking bracelets and necklaces that he would sell at swap meets. The wooden beads and leather jewelry always looked so pretty to me and that's actually how I got into beads myself growing up.

on the note of kilts and tartan and the history of oppression of scottish culture, there was a boy in my year (graduated 2019, when this happened) who was either scottish or very in touch with his scottish ancestry, and every year the grade eleven and twelve students had a black tie ball where it was held in the fanciest hotel in town and everyone organised special vehicles to arrive in. that sort of event. and this boy was told that he couldn't wear his kilt to the ball. now this school has its own bagpipe band. that boy was the lead student bagpiper and had a kilt made of a tartan made specifically for that school. he still got in trouble for wearing tartan trousers and as soon as I heard about that I was incredibly MAD on his behalf. I would've worn tartan in solidarity if I'd known about it before and had time to get ahold of some fabric in my clan's tartan.

Even amongst my "fellow" whites we romanticize our own stuff: Cowboys, 50s poodle skirts, pilgrims, flappers, bikers, hippies, etc. And that's fine because we aren't a minority struggling with being smooshed out of existence. If anyone is trying to argue that "We can't dress as anything anymore cuz WOKE!" We still have those (not to mention the countless non human costumes), so it's not hard to find "dress up" costumes that don't appropriate minorities; we can appropriate ourselves lmao.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

This point is blowing my mind a little bit tbh

@KristiChan1

9 ай бұрын

@@MiahGrace This has been rolling around in my head ever since I've heard bigoted people whining about it. They also forget about all the cool costumes for characters in Sci Fi and fantasy comics and movies. There are so many options. Halloween is not ruined just because they can't dress as a "native princess".

@graceperez8759

9 ай бұрын

hey i get where you're coming from with white people romanticizing their own history but context and historical implications due still matter. American cowboy culture is more inspired by indigenous, black, and latino people then european styles. Also as an indigenous person pilgrim costumes aren't a super cute look

@KristiChan1

9 ай бұрын

@@graceperez8759 No disagreement here, I question someone's intentions when they dress as pilgrims, but at least it's not a minority and you can visibly see them and steer clear lol. Interesting about the cowboy bit. The things I've seen that I considered problematic was when they'd embellish their attire with indigenous/latino pieces. Do you have any resources to direct me towards? I'd love to learn more!

@toxicmoot

9 ай бұрын

If ever catch one of you "fellow whites" in a cowboy hat it's over.

I don't do "Halloween Costumes" (or as call them; "storebought costumes"). That was my whole inspiration for getting into making costumes (which have become my everyday clothing--I dress like a "pirate," i.e.: anachronistically colored 18th century/colonial garb). I stopped wearing costumes as a kid because, after my mom stopped making them for me (apparently she hated doing it and didn't feel like I appreciated it enough--despite the fact that I would often dress up in costumes outside of Halloween to play in 😅), I was forced to wear storebought costumes and got fed up with the abominable quality and craftsmanship (plus a bit of adult pressure, as I was in middle school at the time). So I will only wear costumes that I have made (which I prefer to make as functional clothing as much as possible) on Halloween. I did start from cosplay, but my passion for making them as functional clothing led me to fashion design and historical sewing and patterning methods. So that's where I start with my cosplay costumes, as well!

I'm gonna be a fairy queen. I have a character in the stories I write that is a fairy queen, so I am channeling her style and look.

The sari example reminded me of my time in Japan, we bought Yukatas and got them put on us and it was definitely a process of 'stand there' and then we had lots of fun in the parades the rest of the day, that was 5+ years ago, it's hanging on my wall now as a show piece and conversation starter, but I'm not putting that on again until someone can guide me through it cause no way I'm messing that up, that was such a beautiful memory, and my white Norwegian ass is not going to mess with it, also I have nothing I would wear it too that wouldn't feel kinda costumy

I'm planning on wearing my 1780s Italian gown & putting together some props to portray Caroline Herschel. She co-discovered a planet, discovered comets on her own (the first woman to do so), & was one of the first people to get a stipend to be a professional astronomer. I have less of a problem with people dressing up in things which are questionable if they're a specific character, e.g. the Lone Ranger & Tonto. However, I would 100% question their taste! I'm glad I'm not the only one struggling with ths. Years ago in Singapore, I did buy some saris from Indian sellers. I have worn them as clothes (there's definitely pictures of me wearing them to family Easter, etc. gatherings). I haven't done so in awhile because it's... Yeah. I'm still not sure what to do, but it's good to know that others are asking these questions. I have seen that people have taken worn saris & "recycled" them into other objects, but that doesn't feel right, either. Edit: spelling

I have 2 sari & skirt sets that I found at the goodwill binstore... both skirts needed mending which I did by hand. Both sari sets are now paired with blouses made in India and have become my best summer outfits... I still can't figure out how those lovely pieces ended up in the bins! And no I don't wear them as costumes ever. I'm currently sewing patches onto an old stained teatowel that I made into an apron. It is part of a Cinderella outfit I'm assembling from bits and pieces of well mended clothing, and I may have it all pulled together for Haloween; but if I don't then it will be my washday outfit. I'm not wasting calico scraps... not me.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

Honestly there are so many pretty things that end up in the bins! I'm glad you showed them new life!

@catherineleslie-faye4302

9 ай бұрын

@@MiahGrace thank you. I do my best to honor those who made the silk garments and the cotton blouses I wear with them.

I'm only one minute in, but I am so excited for this conversation.

As I historybound my wardrobe, part of what I'm having to allow for is the Orientalism that was occuring in the 18th century, and recognizing that things like a bedgown and a banyan are derived from Chinese robes, and deciding how I want to work with this. Currently I do a fabric or cut thing.... overtly Japanese cotton prints or very Chinese brocade get used for modern cut garments, while the more derived items are done in plain colors.

This is why I changed a character in my 3rd grade play from being an Indigenous Australian, to being a tour guide (and changed the dialogue to match). None of my students are Indigenous so I was NOT going there! Kilts are a great example! I have a McGregor Tartan which does represent my ancestory through my paternal grandmother's family, but I also have one that is a non-clan related tartan. My colleague is Korean and she taught some Korean dances and drumming to the students who performed in traditional dress - because that is the appropriate clothing for that

Also, I think many things can have different meaning in different cultures. I am of Russian ancestry and proud of it, and I have pierced ears so I could one day wear the jewels of my grandmother. My grandmother does not come from a wealthy family, and what little gold they had, it was passed down. I notice that in the West, earings are more of a fashion statement, and it is often in more rich liberal russian homes, but earrings, for many Russian women, are not fashion statements. At Halloween, it's the only time of year I allow myself to be desirable, because it's a costume. I feel too objectified if I wear bright lipstick for example, but for Halloween, I am comfortable. Anyways, was raised in Ontario, with a mother from Québec and a dad from Russia. My mom once had a judaism period and frequented the synagog. So yeah... But I come from cultures with no closed practices, or very few. So to me, closed practices are a weird consept to grasp.

Thank you two, I absolutely LOVE culture history and fashion and I have always been confused about this topic as well, but the questions you helped us to ask ourselves and the whole situational context of the wardrobe cleared a lot of it up for me. Truly and gratefully, thank you!

This also reminds me of some people who do "Viking" style LARP. A lot of the makeup they do is really...inappropriate in my opinion. I don't think we know if they even wore makeup or anything, and the ones that I see just come across as very Indigenous in nature and really wrong. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but I do have a couple of pieces that I bought from Indigenous women, and I treasure them. I also would love to get a jingle skirt (or ribbon skirt? I forget which term is the right one), and I know I have seen a few Indigenous creators who sell them, I just am incredibly intimidated and hesitant. My Halloween costume is a witchy hat. That I have worn every year for the last 10-11 years. I may be a cosplayer, but none of my costumes fit anymore (weight loss! woo!) so witchy hat it is.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

We do have at least one primary source that talks about the Viking-age Scandinavians using kohl, but that's super different from a lot of the modern styles of makeup. I always prefer to see that fantasy-Viking style of makeup come down more on the side of "Scandinavian black metal band", but considering how much of a mess the show Vikings has made of a lot of people's perceptions, I'm not surprised it gets appropriative. Re : jingle or ribbon skirts-- I've always heard these talked about as having great cultural and spiritual significance, so I'm curious about where they would fit as far as open or closed practices.

@serephita

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon I was always under the same impression of them being part of a closed practice, hence my hesitation.

@S3lkie-Gutz

9 ай бұрын

@@serephita ribbon skirts should generally be okay! As long as you're super respectful of the history and context behind them and don't run around claiming to be indigenous or that your 5x great grandmother was a Cherokee princess Edit: jingle dresses are another territory though because those are ceremonial regalia and are very intimate personal and spiritual objects, you can admire the craftsmanship of powwow regalia from afar. I do not speak for other indigenous folx tho so you will get differing conclusions. Re: viking make up, a lot of the makeup looks I see from people who do viking looks are appropriated from indigenous tattooing traditions, especially inuit women's face tattoos. Kakiniit or Tuniit are really sacred and treasured by us Inuit as not long ago it was illegal for us to wear those tattoos or provide them under the Indian Act, Danish colonial law etc. So seeing qallunaat(non-inuit/white people) wear those design motifs just really hurts as if an Inuit person was to rightfully wear them would be subject to racism employment discrimination and even violence, maybe vikings did have face tattoos but off of what ethnological and archaeological evidence we have so far they probably didn't and even if they did they'd look nothing like Tuniit or kakiniit

@serephita

9 ай бұрын

@@S3lkie-Gutz thank you for the info!

This was a great video--and much thanks for introducing me to Miah Grace's KZread channel! While I don't have a super clean track record vis-a-vis appropriative shenanigans (shout out to stock costumes worn in childhood), I hope I have since learned better and put those days behind me. So far my favorite look is from a few years ago--I dubbed it "90s horror movie protagonist with glasses". I haven't had the chance to dress up since then, but this year I'm thinking of dressing as "Gothic romance novel cover" (flowy dress, slippers, luxurious outerwear involving something in velvet).

damm. another one. you stay hittin’ these long-form, deeply important topic videos out of the park. every time. you do your homework + always come correct. + i manage to learn something from everyone single one of them. i appreciate your hardwork. good look! 🖤❤️✊🏾

if you're gifted something is another example of a closed practice being opened to you

Thank you so much for this important information!

Thank you for this!🎉💚👍

I’m dressing as Mortician Addams, I’m little worried about my hair. I have mid thigh length that is medium brown, I’m going Sally’s to see if I can find a wash out black hair rinse.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

I've had luck with the hair spray tints? But good luck and have fun!

Thank you. This is the most thoughtful and nuanced video I have seen on this topic. As someone who loves wearing outlandish clothing every day and has a great appreciation for the art of various cultures, this becomes something I have to think about quite frequently. Thank you again.

I'm happy to report that the chain Halloween store I'm working at does not seem to carry the very obviously problematic "cultural" costumes; our corporate overlord seems to have a clear idea of what might invite a lawsuit. I actually had a customer today ask if we had "Indian" costumes and clarified "like Pocahontas" when I looked slightly confused. I was able to honestly tell her that I hadn't seen anything like that in our store (we have lots of Disney, but not that). They definitely stock some crass, questionable stuff, but they've drawn a line somewhere.

My Halloween costume plans are cartoon characters; my husband and I are going as Mermista and Sea Hawk from the She-Ra reboot. Regarding hopefully not "doing a racism", my mom bought herself, my sister, and I each an áo dài to wear as our Easter dresses one year. She purchased them from a Vietnamese seamstress that makes them for a living, but i just had to do some high speed googling to make sure the we weren't overstepping by wearing them.

This was an interesting topic! Thank you for introducing me to another creator!!

I currently have no Halloween plans, but I do still have the pieces for my Morrigan costume (in fairness the only bit that I didn't already own was the feather boa). I like it because if I'm having a bad leg day I can just be her after her run in with Cú Chulainn.

This was really cool to hear and encouraging for my jewelry collection ;) I am currently attempting to whip together a Korok costume for Halloween. I have a brown sweatsuit and am making a leaf mask. lazy levels of sewing this year (vs Poison Ivy a few years ago)

14:09 the Irish have kilts as well and are usually solid colours. I am a New Zealander of mixed European ancestry. I had to wear a black watch tartan kilt for my high school uniform

A Halloween Costuming video on Birthday is just what I needed! Thanks Vi.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

Happy birthday!

@serephita

9 ай бұрын

Happy Brithday!

@ThatJackWrites

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon if my knowledge is correct, it's Your birthday too. If it is, well Happy Birthday!

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

@@ThatJackWrites Mine is later this month, but thank you!

honestly, there's a big difference between someone dressing up as a racist characture/ using a whole ass ethnic group as a costume, vs. dressing up as a character from media.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

Preach

@GraveyardMaiden

9 ай бұрын

@@MiahGrace it's honestly something that needs to be said because when people start calling people dressing up as fictional characters from stuff like anime, other foreign media, or just straight up non white characters that are in pop media cultural appropriation when the majority of people from those backgrounds have 0 issue with it, then it leads to people not taking actaul cultural appropriation seriously. Of course obviously there's more nuance when it comes to stuff racist character designs, or when closed practices are being appropriated into the costume, but over all people shouldn't be screaming racist at teens dressing up as dragon slayer characters

My Halloween costume is Sophie Hatter! I made the dress with Ora Lin's Sophie dress pattern 🥰

Thank you for this inspirational and educational video. I am only a few minutes into the video and I already know it is exactly the type of information and education I prefer. As a subscriber to this channel who doesn’t know how to sew yet appreciates your amazing effort in in-depth research into your video topics, I am pleased you decided to address this topic head on. Unfortunately, there are quite a few videos that address specific stereo-types and costuming, such as Pocahontas, but there has yet to be a resource that I have located where one could ask a legit “is this particular outfit/inspo OK or is it a line crosser?” Reddit might be a place to pose the question but the plethora of rendered answers usually adds to confusion rather than simplifying the inquiry. I am not a Patreon member, but your video inspired me to ask if you and your guest co-host might be open to adding some type of Patreon live Q&A sessions (maybe one a week) where members can ask you two your opinions on particular outfits or costumes (this doesn’t have to be exclusive to Halloween in that there are a number of accessories that common people associate with a particular culture and it is unclear if it is OK to wear or use in a particular ay)? In my head, I was imagining a video series where members (or even better, YT subscribers) could send pictures or video-chat a description of their goal outfit or, perhaps, a cultural accessory they might want to utilize in a daily wardrobe rotation and seek guidance from people who actually care enough to provide some insight to educate more of us….I apologize, in advance, if this idea seems ridiculous. I am a 51 year old Midwestern Jewish “liberal” woman living in a very conservative where some people I know still think President Obama isn’t a natural born US citizen. Locally, I am much more likely to be offended than do the offending but I would like to think more broadly than my local community in making some cultural appreciation choices and most guidance I have found has been way too general to be of much use.

This is a great video, but we need like a checklist of the questions to ask before wearing the clothes.... You know, since we can't have a Pocket V

@Albinojackrussel

9 ай бұрын

1) is this clothing from my culture/from a culture I am intimately familiar with or am I being asked to do this by someone I trust who is intimately familiar with this culture? This is a relatively easy one. If it's from your culture or a culture you're intimately familiar with, go forth and wear. You are likely to understand what is and is not appropriate and the nuances of what you're doing. Note this isn't the same as never wearing anything offensive. Ie if you were raised Catholic you may choose to engage with Catholic imagery (ie the Virgin Mary or vestments) to make a negative point about the church. The important part is that you know what you're doing and you're making the choice to engage in that critique. This also covers situations like wearing a Sari to a wedding at the request of those getting married. While you may not have that intimate understanding, someone you trust does, and is guiding you through the process and leading you down the appropriate route to do this. Part of the reason for the trust if that you're trusting that they're not going to use you as a prop to make a dramatic point you don't have the resources to understand. If you dont have a cultural guide, and can't act as your own cultural guide, proceed to the next questions. 2) why do you want to wear this outfit? Another relatively simple one. If the answer is something along the lines of "to dress up as [cultural/ethnic group]" then stop and regroup, probably time to pic a different outfit. If it's "to dress up as [specific individual from culture]" then proceed to the next questions with caution. If it's because of the beauty of the item, or to symbolise something personal to you (ie a souvenir, or something to remind you of a friend from that culture) also proceed to the next questions. 3) am I familiar with the symbolism/importance of the item in its original culture, does it come from a closed or open practice? So this is where that Maui body suit falls down, because those tattoos have such a significant meaning in the original culture. But a similar costume for European style tattoos wouldn't typically suffer from the same issue regardless of who wears it (though even then beware of things like semi colon tattoos that do have a symbolism attached). If it's a closed practice, regroup and try again. This is the time for you to start looking for if there are other open practice items that you're attracted to that you can buy (i.e. a war bonnet is closed, but there are other native American feathered accessories and jewelry that are not closed practices and can be bought from native artisans). If it's an open practice but has deep symbolic meaning (ie those semi colon tattoos) consider if that's a meaning you're willing to engage with and that suits how you're intending to use he item. If you want it just for aesthetics, again, probably time to regroup and try something different but related. 4) does this have a significance in your local area that isnt inherent to the item/larger culture? This is basically to cover those cases where something is an open practice in regions where it's from the dominant culture, but a semi or fully closed practice where it's not. Ie Sari's in India don't carry the same significance as they do in somewhere like America. Often innocuous symbols that are open to everyone become symbols of defiance against oppression among diaspora groups. This is probably the most squishy of the questions because it's ultimately coming down to really personal feelings about serious things like racism, xenophobia and ostracization. There is likely to be no consensus among a diaspora about what is and isn't okay. You're going to have to use your judgement here. 5) related to above, does this have a specific cultural interaction between your culture and the one you're engaging with? This is one where you have to consider the history of what you're doing, and if there's any symbology that you specifically are bringing to the item that might not otherwise exist. I'm struggling to think of cultural examples, but imagine a white person painting themselves in black facepaint, vs a black person painting themselves in white face paint, neither with any intent of parodying any race. Even though that action is on the face of it innocuous for both parties, but the history of minstrelcy means that the black facepaint on a white person carries a lot of additional symbolism and meaning (even without the other features of the racist characature) and is something the person needs to be very careful of. This also comes back to if you're dressing as a specific person of another culture/ethnicity. Rishi Sunak might deserve parody, but it's important to be aware that it's easy for that parody to be perceived as racist parody against British Indians as a whole, rather than a targeted parody of one man. (I really wish drag queens would engage with this question more, the defense of "it's parodying gender roles" falls flat when they engage uncritically with misogynistic stereotypes and throw about terms like fishy). I recognise that these are very open questions, but it's not a simple topic. Hope this helps.

thank you for this, i love mismatching different aspects of different cultures because they do look novel enough to me to feel new and exciting but are traditionnal enough to feel grounded and harmonized, also traditional hairstyling practices of east asian and (native) north american cultures tend to work much better on my naturally straight dark hair that the vast majority of western styles (that tend to work better on wavy lightcoloured hair). But at the same time seeing a white person with turquoise jewelry and authentic Diné/Navajo accessories on an "european" outfit does always look a bit like a hunting trophy to me.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

I know the look you're describing! It's like when it becomes part of the "cowboy" aestetic. The worst vibes 😅

@wendyn9780

9 ай бұрын

Interesting. I have a beautiful squash blossom turquoise necklace I inherited from my aunt. She collected a lot of Dine art and was proud of having patronized a well respected Dine’ artisan. When I wear this piece I do so with fond memories of my Aunt Alice and respect for that artist. (Of course I would not dress as a Navaho for Halloween.) It is sad when other white people say this is somehow cultural appropriation.

Thank you for explaining this! I’ve loved beautiful clothing and accessories from other countries for most of my life. I’ve purchased items from locals when I or a family member has traveled. Lately I’ve been concerned about wearing some things because I don’t want to be offensive to other’s cultures. I’m very excited to know that it’s ok to wear these items in my normal life, which I’ve wanted to do, as long as I don’t for Halloween. I’m so relieved now!

The test for me as a fairly white/Euro presenting person is "If I lived in a neighborhood surrounded by the people whose history or culture I'm drawing from, would somebody potentially feel I was laughing at all those people and not have to be a history scholar to feel targeted and give me the stink eye?

The wedding mention made me think of something. My partner and I were supposed to attend a Nigerian wedding, in appropriate cultural clothing. The problem I faced, and I still don't really have an answer to it, is that I'm nonbinary and I didn't feel comfortable in either the male or female clothing I was given the chance to choose from. In the end I couldn't go for other reasons, but I still don't know what to do in this kind of situation.

@Albinojackrussel

9 ай бұрын

Maybe try seeing what enbys from that culture do? Though I can see that being really hard with cultures like Nigeria where there's very little queer acceptance it might be hard to do.

Last year I was a black cat. I drew white whiskers on my mask :) This year I might not wear a costume because I have nowhere to show it off :( I am in a bit of an awkward position, I hang around the US side of the internet a lot and I don't know how much of the discussions also applies to me. I am Mexican and was recently told to not mind this stuff because "my people are not conquerors", but my region is very mixed so technically I'm kinda Spanish, so don't the lighter skinned of us count as "the bad guys" because we might be white passing on the internet, even if that's not a thing for my community irl?? It's a mess... if I get the chance I'll just be a mushroom with a very fluffy skirt 😂

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

I come from a very similar boat, and I guess I think of it less as "good guys and bad guys" and more as "is this costume or representation the way I would want someone to view my culture" or "is this going to cause distress to anyone who sees it" I've also low key been wanting to make one of those mushrooms hats for the longest time and cannot find an excuse/the time to make it happen

Insightful discussion

Thank you so much for putting this into words. I come from a Scottish background and had the kilt thought but knew it wasn’t helpful or complete. I have a sari i got when working with people of Indian descent but haven’t worn since even though I love it. This was extremely helpful because I grew up in a VERY white area that is becoming more diverse and I want to celebrate that respectfully. ❤

Well done! Halloween is always a questionable time for people. You handled the issues well...

Apparently (got this information from kilt makers on KZread), the specific tartan to a specific clan may be more of a romantization of the culture by the oppressor almost a century after the "cleansing", puting it's actual roots and truthfulness very much in doubt.

@raquelalmeida9002

9 ай бұрын

That being said, a part of me kind of wants to find out what kind of tartan my great grandma's family would have worn 😂

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

A lot of it is a very 19th century "constructed" tradition, yeah. But it does seem to have significance to the modern clan leaders, and there are so many non-clan tartans out there, it seems pretty easy for those of us without Scottish ancestry to avoid the clan tartans?

@RainCheck797

9 ай бұрын

My friend is Scots and worked in a kilt shop for a couple years during Uni. I asked her about it (as a white American myself) for a story we wrote together. She basically said while certain tartans do hold some significance, the clan association isn't usually a big deal or at least not as import as the style, shade/tone, and purpose. A dress or formal kilt will be much brighter, and worn differently than a hunting kilt, especially if you opt for the great kilt (its arguably more practical depending on who you ask). A hunting kilt tends to make more muted and neutral colors, partly to help in camouflage. Her paticular stance on non-Scots wearing kilts and tartans is, if done respectful and worn appropriately, she was all for it. I want to throw out their I've seen tartan/plaid registries for non Scots. Like apparently Texas has a plaid!? (Tbh that makes sense because of all the scottish history and decendants there.

For actual halloween I'm not dressing up, but the weekend before I have an Irish dance competition, so I'll be in my dance costume 😊💜

Thank you for this! So important discussion. I accually have a few pieces of sapmi yellery, and accessories that I am really proud of owning. They are absolutly beautiful (and made by sapmi crafts people and bought from the makers directly and accually chosen by the people that made them to suit me). For halloween I am going to dress up as my selfe.... the 6ft, read head slightly historical bounded I am. No parties or anything, middle of the week and I am working anyways.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

It sounds weird, but I always have a hard time dressing up on Halloween too! I'm not good at the "who/what are you dressed as" kind of costuming.

@lucyannethrope7569

9 ай бұрын

@@SnappyDragon one time I told everybody I was a warewolf , but it wasn't full moon, so I looked like I use to 😉. I'm kind of the same there, how ever been to a few helloweenparties in costume. Since both me and the hubbie is kind of big an muscular we went as Conan and Red Sonya on one occation, our first we where Hades and Persephone together. My over all clothing style is a bit on the gothic aesthetics side of the spectrum, people other times just assumed I was a witch (off cause no green skin and big nose and pointy hat....not my thing) even tho I wasn't in costume. (People (small kids mostly)have called me witch in every day situation....and some times Sith-lord)

There's this amazing shop here in my city in which you can buy garments, accessories, jewelry and house decoration made by native american people from all over the continent. They are all handmade by their respective native cultures, they're all made to be open practice items you can buy and wear and display, and they all come with descriptions and stories of what they are and how they are relevant in the culture. The products are also relatively expensive because they pay the artisans fairly!

As a Bulgarian i love love loove seeing people wearing our traditional nosia. We love sharing our culture

Taking the small out dressed as an x-wing pilot, so either I pull out the vader onesie, the wookie onesie, or dig out a DIY Leia look. Depends on mood, what's clean in my closet, how much time/energy I possess day-of (those hairstyles are no joke), and the weather.

@sarahr8311

9 ай бұрын

Braids and hair taping make for great Leia buns. It took me maybe 30 minutes to do, and most of that was brushing out my tangles and doing two long braids.

I love “be your own conscience” and “get better at it” as a lesson here. An enthusiastic amen!

I love this video. Fantastic look at the nuance of a multicultural world! As someone who is working to explore the historic art of my mother’s culture, while visually white passing, a bunch of these takes hit home with me.

I've been struggling a lot with these questions lately. I've started going to an old larp this summer and there are many "regions" in that world that use different esthetics from different cultures. 95% of the people going there are white. My guild is arabic inspired and I can't help feeling bad wearing arabic clothes. Is that ok? We are considered one of the "goog guys" and most people do buy their clothes from arabic artisans, does that make it ok? Personally I'm part south italian so my ancestors would have worn arabic fashion for hundreds of years, but at the same time modern Italy is extremely racist towards north Africans. It's hurting my brain. I just want to wear beautiful medieval arabic clothes without hurting anyone or feeling terrible :(

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

That sounds like a complicated question and one that's going to depend a lot on the details of your LARP and community!

I won't get to watch this until this evening or later but THANK YOU for having this very important conversation. I am as white as they come with Protestant roots on both sides. It is well documented the atrocities that have happened in the past from slave ownership, murdering of indigenous people (in particular Red Sticks by Davy Crockett), womanizing, and so on, and in the past 120+ years leaving Europe on the one side because of Germany and then the following guild the family felt that their spot could have saved another Jewish family that needed it more because they were Protestant (Christian). Doing any costum of a ethic, cultural, or national region has always felt very disrespectful and for me particularly to my elders. My grandmother on my mother's side was always telling me it was important to know the true story of Davy Crockett, not the fairytale, the real man he was and it wasn't a pretty one. My grandfather on my fathers side was to young to serve in WWI and to old to serve in WWII but was in the Coast Guard, he felt he could never do enough to make up for atrocities of Germany and that it was very important for me to learning the history, the real history and cost. To dress up as any of the peoples of other cultures and ethnicities for Halloween would in a way undo the hard work my family has tried to do to recognize and in their own way become better / learn from in many cases the crimes of our previous generations. In to many cases it is white people like myself that are dressing up as "Indians" or other extremely inappropriate costumes. The same white people who's ancestors slaughtered the same indigenous people, stole their land, and so much more.

Almost every year I do the same costume (because it's already made and thus super convenient): My wild fae outfit. I have a mix of stripe/spot makeup that I do and a cool mantel I've made covered in feathers I either found or gathered from my chickens (chickens shed feathers like cats shed fur) and either a matching pair of shorts or the matching skirt, depending on the temperature. If I ever finish my snake tail, I may switch over to sometimes doing my oracle character, because I think it's design is just very snazzy (and it really freaks people out when you can see and it does not look like you should be able to), but making the tail is proving.... Annoying.

Halloween this year is probably going to be cycling around town in a pirate shirt that I need to break in. No costumed gatherings because I have 3 high risk factors. I have a doric chiton (ancient Greek dress) and Wonder Woman merch that's just awaiting somewhere to go, but in the summer.

@MiahGrace

9 ай бұрын

For many haloweens in a row I've dressed up all fancy and watched spooky things while eating spooky treats in my living room ❤ It's worth it

Very specific question. I saw a post the other day of a couple as Lilo and Stich for Halloween. The woman (had black hair) wore a hula Lilo *inspired* outfit. A red tube top and floaty green skirt. The debate was whether or not the Lilo costume was disrespectful. I thought it was just Disney bounding as a character that was drawn (to my knowledge) was designed respectfully. So my question is, was that disrespectful?

@S3lkie-Gutz

9 ай бұрын

I'm not a Hawaiian native so I can't really give a practical answer with all the important nuances it'd have, but as a mixed indigenous Canadian it does make me a fair bit uncomfortable and I personally wouldn't recommend it

@RainCheck797

9 ай бұрын

@21stcentury-schizoid-dude ok thank you, you've helped influence my perspective. One thing I find that trips me up sometimes on things like this is not hearing from the specific people involved. (No criticism to you, i appreciate your input) I'm a gay, disabled woman. I'm not comparing oppression or anything. I find it helps me understand these issues if I analyze the equivalent through the lense of my own experience. Example at the end. I definitely think we need to support each other. The oppressors should never tell the oppressed how to feel. Nor do I think one niche of an oppressed people should be listened to over, or in place of another niche group that the issue concerns (you definitely seem aware though). Also some people of a niche may feel slightly different opinion than others in the same niche. Disabled people encompasses both physically disabled and I'llness disabled, and of course there's *lots* of cross over. I am both. There are unique challenges to each side. If someone wanted input on making a new building accessible and asked an able bodied person disabled by illness won't have the experience to check level tiles, how doors open, if the legal compliant ramp is actually even usable. (This is a real problem, regulation are a joke, more than half my medical facilities are *legally* accessible but not practically, because they don't ask people in wheel chairs. Just the same, someone who has an amputated limb advice on dietary exceptions at a restaurant. Hell I've heard some Gen Alpha and Gen Z come up with the most redid PC rules, and spreading it on social media. Dude I don't want people arguing 'disabled people vs people with disabilities' I just want to access a building alone as an independent adult and eat an appropriate portion of food that won't send me to the ER. More simply, most everyone in the Rainbow family is fighting for the same rights There is so much crossover. But I'm sure as shit not going to tell eople how to treat or support trans people that the trans community isn't already vocal about. I'd definitely be pissed if a gay man tried to address how lesbians are portrayed in media if it wasn't a lesbian telling him what to say. Historically media has done us all dirty. But the way media handles gay men is vastly different than how it handles lesbians and Saphic women. Don't get me started on the trash representation of trans peoples. We should stand with and fight for each other but not speak for each. I'm so sorry for rambling. That is all say, your input was helpful. I do wish I could hear from a native indigenous Hawaiian though. It's understandable though. They've got much, much bigger things to worry about. Thank you ( I believed in "reverse racism" or racism against white people until I asked myself if I believed men could be oppressed by women or heteros oppressed by LGBT+. I decided no)

I’m planning on hiding at home and pretending nobody is in! Probably wearing nothing but snug under the bedcovers 😂😂😂 I’m a high-functioning autistic and the whole Halloween thing overwhelms me somewhat.

@SnappyDragon

9 ай бұрын

May your doorbell remain un-rung!

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

If possible, turn off the lights on the front side of the house, or at least the light by the front door.

@wendyheatherwood

9 ай бұрын

​@ragnkja this is what I do every year. My bedroom and the bathroom are on the back of the house and can't be viewed from the street, so my Halloween plans are take snacks upstairs and read or watch KZread in bed.

@ragnkja

9 ай бұрын

@@wendyheatherwood Sounds like a perfect plan to me👍

@sarahr8311

9 ай бұрын

If you want to make sure your bell isn't rung, put a bowl outside the door. If it has candy, people will take a few pieces and go away. If it doesn't, people will assume you put out candy but it's gone now and go away.

I feel like it'd probably be fine to wear your Asterix-inspired Viking costume as a knowing joke to Viking cosplay or for Halloween. In fact, I think it would be particularly funny to coordinate to do it as a team costume a more realistically dressed Viking friend.