What’s your butt’s ethnicity?

A premium denim company, Fiorana, is has created a “Latina-cut” jean.

“The Latina body is different in waist and hip structure,” says Mike Braden, Founder and President of Fiorana, Inc. “When wearing Anglo cut jeans, there is always a fit problem around the waist area. Our ‘Latina Cut’ collection will provide the American Hispanic woman a sexy, sophisticated premium jean that caters to their feminine curves.”

‘Cause all Latinas look like J-Lo? What? Laura Martinez responds,

Still, reading and re-reading the staggering conclusions of the apparel maker’s internal research among Hispanics, I couldn’t help but wonder: Could it be that the jean maker is simply generalizing about what a Latina body is supposed to look like? Either that or I’m going to have a serious talk with my parents, as perhaps I am really not what they told me I was, but the adopted child of a non-Latino, voluptuously challenged family clan from some far away place.

I am absolutely, 100% in favor of a wider range of denim cuts and styles (cue commentary about how hard it is for every woman to find jeans that fit well). And I don’t have a problem with culturally-conscious marketing. But this is different. It implies that curvaceous is the only “authentic” Latina shape. Women like Laura Martinez, who aren’t particularly curvy, don’t count. I mean, is Fiorana planning on rolling out a style of jeans for every race/ethnicity? “African cut,” “Asian cut,” etc.? The company would *never* make a “Caucasian cut.” Why? Because it’s acknowledged that white women come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There’s not one specific shape stereotype attached to the “white ass” (unless I’m unaware…). But, uh, last time I checked, women of all races came in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps Fiorana should stick to selling jeans by their measurements, not by ethnic stereotype.