Native American: The latest culture exploited by the fashion industry

Just as Gwen Stefani turned bindis into the accessory du jour while she dated a No Doubt bandmate of Indian descent and Memoirs of a Geisha made kimonos into “the” dress of the moment when the movie came out, this season we have Native American chic. This means tees with graphics of tribal chief profiles, raw edged tops and dresses and even beaded moccasin-style shoes everywhere from Forever 21 to Intermix.

Personally, I don’t find the muted color palette and nature-based designs of traditional Native American style to be particularly exciting, but I love the delicate feather patterns I’ve been seeing.


Whitehorse Navajo summer halter top, Intermix Online, $65 (The purple keeps this top from looking too earth mama.)


Navajo print tunic, Forever 21, $15.80 (The batwings on this tee keep the look floaty and feminine.)


Truly Madly Deeply feathers tee, Urban Outfitters, $28 (An unexpected seasonal alternative to flowers or stripes.)


Be prepared to see lots of shoes like these beaded fringe thongs,Urban Outfitters.com only, $48. (Not sure that’s a good thing! This is just a friendly reminder not to get carried away with this—or any—trend.)