Chola

About

Chola is a Chicana cultural identity that crystallised in East LA from the 1960s and 1970s as the female counterpart to the Cholo lineage, with its own distinct beauty and dress codes. Hair is slicked back into a high pony or feathered/teased bangs held with strong hairspray; brows are thinly drawn or shaved; eyeliner runs liquid black wing; lip liner is dark brown or black with a contrasting lighter lipstick. The wardrobe pairs oversized white tees, men's flannel shirts (Pendleton, Dickies) buttoned only at the top, baggy creased chinos or Dickies, sometimes a halter or bandeau, with thin gold hoops, name-plate necklaces, and Old-English knuckle tattoos. The look is generational, layered with Catholic iconography (rosaries, Virgen de Guadalupe), and inseparable from lowrider culture and the Chicana feminist tradition. Frida-Kahlo-coded references and Selena Quintanilla's later style overlap with Chola codes. Designers from Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy to MAC's Selena collection have lifted the look — generally without credit to the East LA Chicana communities who built it.

Not a Halloween costume — Chola is a living Chicana cultural identity from East LA with deep roots in family, barrio, and feminism; treat as heritage, not theme.

On platforms

Hashtags to copy, brands to know, and live listings — per platform.