With festival season in full swing, you may find yourself in need of a few fun outfits. But, buyers beware: the bohemian trends spotted at music festivals may be culturally appropriative and just plain offensive. Your flowing dresses, lacey bra tops and denim cut-offs are safe; bindis, Aztec-inspired prints and feathered headdresses don’t make the cut.
The binidi (also known as the Third Eye), indicative of Hindu religion and culture, are worn to let positive vibes and greater insight into the body. They have been spotted on celebs like Kendall Jenner and Selena Gomez – whom many young women and girls idolize. Social movements, like #ReclaimTheBindi, are helping to fight against this.
The Aztecs, an ancient civilization native to Mexico, spent years carving nature- and war-inspired drawings into their architecture. The most common designs, being birds and bow-and-arrows, are often done in earthy browns and deep reds, and were actually an intricate guide to aid the dead during their journey in the afterlife. Trends like Flash tattoos mimic these patterns.
Feathered headdresses, believed to have originated from the Sioux tribe, are a symbol of honor among Native Americans. Only the tribes’ most righteous members wore these extremely sophisticated pieces to weddings, funerals and other ceremonial events.
So, before you wear something sacred during a weekend full of indulgence, remember that another culture’s garb is not your costume.