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| Sunday, 24 April 2005 |
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Different outlook ...Of clothing by Arefa Tehsin The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this. - Mark Twain From being the indicators of civilization to the statement of fashion, clothes have become an extension of not just our skins but of our hearts and souls. Do we always wear what we want to or do we wear what society and people expect us to wear? Clothes just don't reflect the individuals but the societies as a whole as well By walking on the streets of Colombo, an Indian would realise that Sri Lankan society, particularly in Colombo, is much more westernised than India. This is the first impression an Indian would get by seeing the general dressing style of women here. Though Kandyan saris, Indian saris and skirts with jackets might catch your eyes here and there it is generally the working women or old ladies who seem to be adorning them. Lets talk more about India to give you a fairer idea. At every 10-15 miles the dialect changes, varieties of food change from place to place, traditions vary vastly and cultures differ significantly. India is a land of immense diversity. Yet India, though not picture perfect, is a portrait of unity. The foods intermingle, the dialects merge, the cultures blend and the traditions find a way to fuse. One thing that is present almost everywhere in this huge chunk of a land is this graceful, elegant women's clothing - the Sari. Perhaps one of the many unifying factors of this nation. There are numerous other dresses in all the regions of India but this is ubiquitous. You can go to the North, South-East, North-West, or any direction in India, you will get a glimpse of this flowing piece of cloth. From the beggars on the streets to the powerful women on elevated positions, from the beautiful heroines of Indian movies to the village women working in fields, from the newly wed brides to the old fading women, across the length and breadth of India this long unstitched piece of cloth drapes the lives of many. Generally it is considered the moral duty of married Indian women to cover themselves in saris. "It is long accepted by the missionaries that morality is inversely proportional to the amount of clothing people wore". Another outfit that has made its acceptance in the not so easily penetrable Indian culture is the Panjabi dress or Shalwar Kurta. But this is mainly acceptable only for the unmarried girls in college and schools, though this covers the body more than a sari. The history of the sari says that it was not always considered a means to keep women covered as is associated with it now. The original sari was worn without a blouse/jacket or a petticoat contrary to how it is worn in present times. Blouse or jacket was introduced very late by the Britishers, mainly English missionaries, at the time of British rule. It is also worth noting that though clothing of women in India has remained more or less the same, the men's clothing has westernised significantly. This also reflects the fat inequality of the sexes that has not grown much thinner in the centuries. Mostly the married women are required to keep their heads covered by the Pallu (end of the saree). But nowadays as the girls are becoming 'modern' some of the in-laws give them the liberty to not to put the pallu of their saris to cover their head. However, there are shreds and dots of Indian women who wear western clothes, mostly in big cities and generally young girls. Yes...clothes reflect a lot about societies and people and long debates can ensue on what is good and what is not. But this entire left aside, to end with, let me say again of clothes what the great Albert Einstein said long ago. "If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.... It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it".
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