Viva La Chola

2022

From the zoot suiters in the 1930s and '40s to the flannel donned cholo's of the '60s, 70's, and 80's, Mexican-American (Chicano) fashion has greatly influenced and been appropriated by today's fashion. 

The oversized look of the Chicano's of LA dubbed the Cholo/Chola look, had and has been met with negative criticism and appropriation, with prevalent racist tones in every line. My mother, growing up in the 80's and 90's, faced these hardships when she dressed like this, by her parents and then some. Despite the ridicule, my mother found a way to wear her oversized dickies, flannels, and brown lipstick, finding pride in her style. 

    Today, however, these styles are being worn by a new generation and sold without care, understanding, or respect to the ones who started it all. The dickies, flannels, and oversized shirts, were all being worn even though a few decades earlier, Chicano/a's like my mother were being condemned for wearing such outfits. 

    As a Chicana, I sought to explore and exploit this transition from Chola to the popular retro "Street style" that existed in both the 90s and 2020s, paying homage to my mother, the Cholo/a style, and Chicano culture by donning my parent's original clothes they used to wear while illustrating the similarities in the clothing my generation and I wear today, letting the colors of the Mexican flag continue to stay present in the background as it has throughout history.

This piece was displayed in the For Women, By Women gallery in 2022.