Oh boy, Kim Kardashian has done it again. I swear, the amount of times members of this family have gotten in trouble for cultural appropriation, at this point it seems like they’re just being willfully ignorant. Kim K is in the cultural appropriation hot seat this week, all because of her brand new line of shapewear she just announced.
In the pantheon of Kardashian businesses, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than Kim making shapewear. Her body is legendary, and she’s worn her fair share of garments that obviously required some intense smoothing. She’s talked about cutting up Spanx before to conceal them under skimpy outfits. And her new line of shapewear c0mes in a wide range of colors and sizes, to be more accessible to more people! All of this sounds great, so what’s the problem here?
It’s f*cking called Kimono.
Finally I can share with you guys this project that I have been developing for the last year.
I’ve been passionate about this for 15 years.Kimono is my take on shapewear and solutions for women that actually work.
Photos by Vanessa Beecroft pic.twitter.com/YAACrRltX3
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 25, 2019
Honestly, I was taken aback when I first saw Kim’s announcement post. Despite all of the drama that this family has put us through for the past decade, this seemed like an especially wild move. Obviously I get the play on words with Kim’s name, but did no one ever stop to think that this might not be an amazing idea? And not only did Kim think it was okay, but celeb after celeb was commenting praise!
Even Chrissy Teigen, source of love and laughs and all that is good on the internet, didn’t seem to see any problem with Kimono.
I’m sending you the biggest package ever!!! Your gonna love!!! https://t.co/gaDXmnhw22
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 25, 2019
Ugh ugh ugh. Even though the famous people of Instagram and Twitter didn’t seem to get the issue, it didn’t take long for the backlash to start on social media. The comments on Kim’s post are flooded with criticism, and many people of Japanese heritage took to Twitter to shame Kim for her blatant disregard for an important aspect of Japanese culture.
One is KIMONO. One is Kim shamelessly selling a line of shapewear. Which y’all don’t need. #kimono pic.twitter.com/6mP0oDqPvn
— Tamlyn Tomita (@thetamlyntomita) June 25, 2019
Even though this is messy, there are lots of beautiful photos on Twitter of Japanese women wearing actual kimonos at weddings and other important events. It’s bad enough when women wear those dumb flowy shawl things and call them kimonos, because they’re literally not. (Dear everyone reading this, stop calling that a kimono.) But this is a whole other level of taking something and distorting it for your benefit.
Not only is Kim Kardashian using a word from Japanese culture for something that has nothing to do with Japanese culture, but she literally took ownership of it. People got especially mad after finding out that Kim trademarked “Kimono” and a variety of other related terms surrounding her shapewear line. It’s remarkable that someone actually let a white woman trademark a traditional Japanese style of clothing, but I’m hardly even surprised anymore.
Kimono: has a centuries long rich history and is deeply embedded in the traditions and culture of a country.
Kim Kardashian: OMg It hAs mY nAmE iN iT!#Kimohno
— Kyla Hsia (@kylahsia) June 26, 2019
Kim Kardashian hasn’t bothered to respond to any of the criticisms yet, and I kind of doubt she will. Yeah, she’s getting a fair amount of backlash on her social media, but there are probably thousands more people who will buy her shapewear without a second thought. I don’t hate the Kardashians in general, but it’s so frustrating that they keep doing this sh*t that could so easily be avoided. Sometimes we might overreact to the things these people do, but to me, it’s pretty bad that Kim is going to directly profit off of something she took from another culture.
So I guess, like, buy some other shapewear and cut it if you need to? Or tweet at Kim a bunch and hope she changes the name? Idk what the proper solution is here, but Kimono is definitely a yikes.
Updated: In a move that honestly surprised me, Kim apologized for cultural appropriation in a recent Instagram post. Well, sort of. She acknowledged that she had received backlash to the line (which she doesn’t typically do) and then said that she would be changing the name of her shape wear line.
“Being an entrepreneur and my own boss has been one of the most rewarding challenges I’ve been blessed with in my life,” she wrote. “What’s made it possible for me after all of these years has been the direct line of communication with my fans and the public. I am always listening, learning and growing – I so appreciate the passion and varied perspectives that people bring to me. When I announced the name of my shapewear line, I did so with the best intentions in mind. My brands and products are built with inclusivity and diversity at their core and after careful thought and consideration, I will be launching my Solutionwear brand under a new name. I will be in touch soon. Thank you for your understanding and support always.”
This is a pretty big departure from the way Kim tends to respond to criticism and controversies, which is to bury her head in the sand, say nothing, and wait for it to blow over (see: every other accusation of cultural appropriation and blackface in the past). But the backlash to this incident seemed more widespread than usual, with even the mayor of Kyoto urging Kim to change the name of her shapewear line from Kimono to… literally anything else. In a letter, he asked her to “reconsider your decision of using the name kimono in your trademark”, and even invited her to Kyoto to experience kimono culture for herself. So if you see Kim Kardashian Instagramming from Japan in a few days, you know why!
We don’t know yet what Kim is going to change the line of her name to be, but if I had to guess, it’s probably going to be something equally tone-deaf. Can’t wait!
Images: Shutterstock; KimKardashian (2), thetamlyntomita, kylahsia / Twitter; KimKardashian / Instagram
It’s only December, and I can already feel my winter weight creeping up on me. I’m sure it doesn’t help that my job’s cafeteria hosts Taco Tuesdays, either. I’d like to say I’m being proactive by running to SoulCycle or eating healthier, but by 1am, I find myself digging through a package of Oreos because salads are fucking disgusting. I can’t even think about the calorie-loaded holiday dinner with the fam and how much my grandma will try to “fatten me up.” I have a tight-ass dress to squeeze into shortly after for NYE. As much as I’d like to give my right arm to be skinny overnight, I’m left with no immediate option other than the dreaded but adored shapewear. It’s such a buzzkill to wear sometimes, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Since it’s literally never to cute to have your shapewear show underneath your dress or have visible thong lines under your leggings, here is cute af shapewear to make you look three pounds thinner.
1. Jewel Toned The Major Mini Dress
Jewel Toned is only a few years old, but the life-changing shapewear and lingerie brand is slowly becoming a game-changer, and more people need to know about it, tbh. From mesh going-out mini skirts to this LBD we can never have too many of, the brand offers a ton of apparel pieces that can basically be worn as your next outfit. Wear this dress alone next time you’re itching for vodka sodas and you won’t have to worry about bloat, awkward panty lines, or feeling like you can’t breathe after 30 minutes. You’ll def have your next Insta flooded with, “OMG, you look sooo good.” I can personally vouch for this as I’ve worn it after eating my weight in pasta and no one suspected a thing.
2. Spanx Essential Leggings
Since we’re all too familiar with the struggle of having to constantly buy high-quality black leggings, these leggings are like your favorite ones, but a million times better. Not only do you not—and I repeat, *not*—have to suck in while wearing, but the purposely structured design makes your butt and legs look as though you’ve done squats for weeks.
3. DKNY Firm Control All-In-One Mesh-Cup Bodysuit
Obviously, we all own a bodysuit by now, regardless of how long it took for us to give into the trend and purchase it. However, more often than not, they usually show our muffin tops and other flaws we desperately try to hide. With this contouring and all-over shaping bodysuit, you’ll look v skinny with perf cleavage and can even pair it with high-waisted jeans and heels for a chic last-minute outfit.
4. Maidenform Light Tummy-Control Comfort Devotion Camisole 2018
At the end of the day, we all need camis. I mean, we can’t just rely on bralettes from Victoria’s Secret if we have like, professional and adult-like activities to tend to. Whether you’re saving it for the summer or need an extra layer under that revealing sweater your HR passive-aggressively gave you shit for, Maidenform’s style is super comfy, breathable, and specifically targets the stomach for a flatter fit. Bless.
5. Bali Sheer Sleek Desire Brief
Because we’re only human, sometimes we need an extra confidence boost before jumping into bed with our next fling. With this basic-yet-totally-hot underwear, you can hide even the smallest of bloats and also make your butt look phenom and contoured. He literally won’t even know it’s “shapewear” (I doubt he knows what that is anyway) and will still find you sexy af.
