‘Put on some pants’

Kacey Musgraves ripped for sexualizing Vietnamese outfit

Country singer Kacey

Musgraves is already known for pushing boundaries, musical or otherwise. She has spoken out in favour of gun control and called on fans to “hold your politicians accountable,” going against the grain of her genre. Her lyrics mention same-sex romance, and she’s been known to sport kitschy, over-the-top outfits on the red carpet.

But some critics say the six-time Grammy Award winner went too far last week during a concert in Dallas, where she wore only the top part of an ao dai — a traditional two-piece Vietnamese outfit that includes both a tunic and pants — without other clothing underneath.

The wardrobe choice has drawn swift criticism in recent days, from media outlets in Vietnam as well as Vietnamese Americans in the United States, who have called out Musgraves for disrespecting and degrading their culture. Not only does the singer’s skimpy look reek of cultural appropriation, they say, but it also sexualizes an outfit that’s meant to be serious and dignified.

“When people do things like this, all it does is contribute to the dangerous notion of Southeast Asian femininity as inherently sexual,” Mai Nguyen Do, a poet and PhD student, wrote on Twitter, adding, “Please don’t further degrade this key part of Vietnamese culture and put on some pants like everyone else that wears ao dai.”