It's a Dupatta – Not a "Scandinavian Scarf"
As more creators are done watching their culture get rebranded, the pushback against appropriation is becoming impossible to ignore.
What’s going on?
It’s the latest fashion microtrend: women in the spotlight (think: Coachella attendees, fashionista Devon Lee Carlson for her Reformation collab, and influencers like model Nara Smith) are styling sheer scarves (often with beading) backwards around their necks.
They’re calling it the “Scandinavian scarf.” But as especially South Asian creators are pointing out, the style already has a name: it’s a dupatta.
Of course, the discourse has taken on a life of its own. South Asian creators are calling out the appropriation, often to further pushback (including the internet’s favorite gaslighty dismissal: “it’s not that deep”). But instead of just arguing, they’re also reclaiming the moment to showcase their traditional outfits with sardonic commentary: Pip says he’s “Posting this [outfit] before it becomes Scandinavian too,” while Sachi argues “Since they keep trying to take our clothes and culture, I’m showing up to work like this every day.”
Actual Scandinavians are also weighing in, with confusion and slight embarassment – but also sharing what real Scandinavian scarves look like.
What’s driving it?
Cultural appropriation has a long history – especially South Asian cultures have been mined for aesthetics from 1700s chintz to bindis and henna in 1990s pop. Even the Scandi scarf conversation has been brewing since last summer as per Harper’s Bazaar India.
Now, the response is shifting as people are more comfortable (and more equipped) to call it out. “Brownie-glazed lips” saw major pushback in 2022, and “my culture is not your costume” has moved from activist circles into everyday discourse – at times said with irony, but also with real meaning.
That’s because the stakes aren’t superficial: as creator Sunia points out, European-descended influencers at Coachella were also wearing their “Scandi scarves” draped over their heads – basically in the style of hijabs, for which women of colour have been policed and harassed. There are real consequences when cultural symbols are celebrated on some, but criminalized on others.
What does it mean?
Despite what the trolls are saying, this backlash isn’t an overreaction. It’s a response to centuries of erasure and discrimination and seeing one’s culture reframed, renamed, and resold without credit. What’s changed is that creators are getting louder. They’re holding cultural appropriators (and their defenders) accountable with more reach, context, and confidence than ever before. And they’re no longer accepting “it’s not that deep” as an excuse.
This reflects a larger shift: voices from the Global South are no longer sidelined. They know they have the tools, the platforms, and the numbers to push back, publicly and powerfully – leveraging platforms, communities, and momentum.
Final takeaway
To end on a hopeful note: while searches for “Scandinavian scarf” spiked these last weeks, interest in “dupatta” also went up in parallel.
The majority of the dupatta conversation is loud, proud, and deep – and (many) people are eager to learn more. Given how bleak the current newscycle is, that kind of cultural curiosity feels genuinely encouraging.
This won’t be the last time fashion gets rebranded or reattributed (including South Asian fasion, which is clearly having a moment – creator Nikita shared a photo of H&M UK’s take on kurta pyjamas on April 12). But here’s how to show appreciation, not appropriation:
Don’t claim, rename, or rebrand what isn’t yours
Don’t erase the source
Don’t underestimate how people who genuinely know better will clap back – especially through channels like TikTok