In Aleena's and my new piece for The Quint — based largely on Aleena's activism and research on this subject — we have unpacked how what seems like a harmless meme trend isn't nearly as harmless; it’s dragging in centuries of caste, class, and regional politics around what’s considered aspirational, tasteful, and now, "cringe."

In Aleena's and my new piece for The Quint — based largely on Aleena's activism and research on this subject — we have unpacked how what seems like a harmless meme trend isn't nearly as harmless; it’s dragging in centuries of caste, class, and regional politics around what’s considered aspirational, tasteful, and now, "cringe."

Lucknow's famous chikankari has long been associated with sophistication refinement. But now, its mass-market availability is being met with ridicule.

Why does elegance suddenly become "icky" when it trickles down? This piece is about examining how aesthetic judgments are caste-coded, class-coded, and deeply gendered.

Fashion isn’t just fashion; it’s a battleground of belonging, access, and power. Thank you for giving us the space to argue and articulate that, Tanishka Sodhi!

Here’s the full read: https://shorturl.at/c0h6O

Aleena is a Dalit writer, poet, activist, and a winner of the Kerala State Sahitya Akademi Kanakashree award. You can (actually, you should) follow her on Instagram @iseesomeletters.

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