Ethnocentric

One of the most precious facets of style is the ability to pull inspiration from anywhere.

Culture and style go hand-in-hand. As a first generation Indian American, I take a lot of pride in fusing my two worlds together. There’s always a subtle element of my Indian heritage, whether it’s the small “tops” my mother makes me wear in my ears, or my fav “chappals” to roam in, my style is nothing without an Indian influence. While I never really “struggled” with my identity, I have grown so much more comfortable celebrating my culture in more obvious ways. A lot of that has to do with the fact that Indian things are becoming more mainstream and considered hipster in the west. Much of that also has to do with the fact that I just stopped giving a shit about what people thought.

I love these vests that I get from back home. Many of them are from actual traditional Indian clothes that I style with t-shirts instead. You can buy them from Urban Outfitters sporadically. People assume that anything Indian is just automatically a boho, hippie thing. No. Not true. Indian pieces can definitely be edgy and modern. Just because you slop a tikka, bindi, or headchain on your head doesn’t turn you into a hippie fairy bohemian princess. Nor do you have to wear these accessories in that manner. Why not wear a headchain on a classic button down, destroyed boyfriend denim, and a pair of Chucks?