9 Fashion Trends That Are Rooted in Latin Culture

I don't think anyone would disagree when I say that our fast-paced lives have so many implications on our fashion choices. On the one hand, we've never been more connected on a global scale than we are now. The fact that a writer like myself in New York can publish a story about what people are wearing in Milan the same day or uncover an emerging Latin-owned brand and shout it out to the world is a beautiful thing. But on the other hand, we consume and wear new trends faster than ever and it's often at the detriment of understanding the context that brought said fashion trend to life (aka the backstory).

So today, we're taking a closer look at the cultural history behind several now-famous fashion items—each of which has roots in Latin culture. It's not to say that the following nine pieces only originated from Latin culture, but an important piece of their history comes from it, and that's what we're here to celebrate. We tapped Jeniffer Varela, a fashion writer with an MA in fashion studies from Parsons, to share her insight on the backstory to several popular fashion items, some of which you might already have in your closet.

Latin culture is expansive, to be sure, and includes cultures that span 20 countries and multiple continents. So the heritage of the fashion items up ahead like gaucho pants, saddlebags, and boleros is just as nuanced and multifaceted as the cultures that gave them to us. With that, keep reading to discover the backstories of nine popular trends and see how fashion people are wearing them now.

By:

Anna Laplaca