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Traditional Clothing of India

Introduction

M any countries in the world have original traditional clothes. There is a traditional dress called "Kimono" in my country of Japan. Traditional clothes are closely related to the country's culture. These clothes are supposed to be worn during official functions, such as weddings and funerals. There are many different kinds of traditional clothes worldwide. In this paper, I will explain about the traditional clothes of India, the relation with the culture, and its present usage.

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Traditional Clothes of India

T here are many kinds of Traditional clothes in India. I chose the typical two clothes called "dhoti" and "sari," and referred to the definition of these.

Dhoti
"Dhoti is a cotton cloth sometimes of 5 yards, 6 yards or even 9 yards wrapped around the waist. The style of wearing this dhoti again changes from place to place. Dhoti is called as 'lungi' in northern part, 'veshti' in southern part and so on." Mahajan, (2001)
"All dhotis begin with the same basic closing. It is the only drape that doesn't start from one pallav (end of the sari), but from the centre of the upper border. The middle of the clothe is tied around the hips. Each end of the cloth is then draped around the leg on its side" Boulanger, (2000).
Dhoti: A length of fabric about 1 1/2 yards by 6-9 yards, which is wrapped around the body with the loose end either tied at the waist or thrown over the shoulder Azzopardi, (2000).
Sari
"Women also wear cotton cloth called as SARI of 5 yards, 6 yards or 9 yards but for them its more colourful and with lots of designs." Mahajan, (2001)
According to the eStart Features, (2001), "The modern sari belongs to the nivi family. These drapes are wrapped around the body from bottom to the top, leaving a bunch of pleats in front and the pallu on the left shoulder."
Sari: A length of cloth about 2 yards by 6-10 yards(depending on the region) wrapped around the lower part of the body with the loose end being thrown Azzopardi, (2000).
*How to wear a Sari: I am very interested in how to wear a Sari. This site describes how to wear a Sari courteously.

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The Relationship between Traditional Clothes and Culture

W hat is the relation between traditional clothes and culture? It seems they are closely related with climate and caste.

Relationship of climate
Mahajan, (2001) said in his mail, "the climate in the country is reflected in the clothing," and according to Indian Tribal Tour, (1998), Indian climate would seem to be humid:
"In general, India's climate is governed by the monsoon, or seasonal, rain-bearing wind. Most of the country has three seasons: hot, wet, and cool. During the hot season, which usually lasts from early March to mid June, very high temperatures are accompanied by intermittent winds and occasional dust storms. Strong, humid winds from the southwest and south usually bringing very heavy rains that fall almost daily in the middle or late afternoon—the burst of the monsoon-herald the start of the wet season. It may begin as early as late May in the south. Eventually, the rains taper off, and by late October cool, dry, northerly air has replaced the humid marine air over all of India except the southeastern third of the peninsula. This "retreat of the monsoon" marks the start of the cool season."
Cotton would be the best cloth for such humid climate.
Caste
The clothes of India would have changed the style by an area or a rank of caste. Mahajan, (2001) said in his mail, "My country is India which I think has maximum no. of castes and races followed by people so their dress code changes for every few 100 miles," and furthermore, Britannica, (2000) describes the following: "The more affluent and higher-caste men are likely to wear a tailored shirt, increasingly of Western style. Muslims, Sikhs, and urban dwellers generally are more inclined to wear tailored clothing, including various types of trousers, jackets, and vests." In addition, about the relationship between sari and caste, Thiel, (2000) describes the following:
"Historically, the material, decoration, and drape of a sari indicated a woman's place in the social hierarchy of India's caste system and may still show evidence of the wearer's marital status, religion, occupation, or origin. Working-class women would drape the material so as to keep their arms and legs free, in order to allow them to work in the house or fields. Cotton or wool saris might be worn for such work, while silken saris, embroidered with gold or fringed with tassels, might be donned for special occasions."
The mentioned above, caste would have much effect on the design and the style of Indian clothes.

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The Usage of Traditional Clothes at the Present Time

A t the present time, are these traditional clothes worn with what kind of scene?

"In indian culture for different occasions/ festivals dress code is specified. For performing puja (rituals) we need to wear dhoti of silk which works as a uniform in school. It distinguishes you from rest of the people and lets you concentrate on god. Also for funeral white cloths are recommended. For sleeping loose cloths are recommended." Mahajan, (2001)

Meanwhile, Thiel, (2000) describes about present usage of Sari in her article, "From stars at the Academy Awards to revelers in the nightclubs of London, the Indian sari is making a fashion splash, oceans away from its homeland.", and she also describes the following:

"Many women no longer wear traditional sari drapes because they do not want to be associated with lower castes. Instead, they wear either Western clothing or a more modern and general version of the sari that is not representative of a specific class or region. This shift to a more universal, modern sari has reduced regional or class differences. Recognizing that many of these historical drapes could be lost, French anthropologist Chantal Boulanger published a comprehensive guide to sari styles in her 1997 book Saris: An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping."

Even now, Indian traditional clothes seem to be worn by many Indians on the formal scene. On the other hand, sari have changed the style, and the modern one would be worn by not only Indians but also many other women from other countries who follow the current fashion.

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Conclusion

T raditional clothes symbolize the background and heart of the country, and furthermore, those are being in our life while changing the style. Traditional clothes which exist many countries in the world tell us their own culture, and are succeeded as the country's typical fashion.
I hope that this paper triggers your interest in traditional clothes.

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References

Britannica.com Inc. (2001). India /Cutural life /Daily life /Clothing. [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=121166&tocid;=46446 (2001, April 8).

Boulanger C. (1997). The Indian sari: Draping bodies, revealing lives. [Online]. Available: http://www.shakti.clara.net/sari/expo.html (2001, April 9).

Boulanger C. (1997). Saris: An illustrated guide to the Indian art of draping. London: Chantal Boulanger Publishing.

Chantal Boulanger Publishing. (1997). Dhotis. [Online]. Available: http://www.shakti.clara.net/sari/dhot.html (2001, April 7).

Azzopardi D. (2000). Fashion in ancient India. [Online]. Available: http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/Donnclass/Indialife.html (2001, April 9).

Indian Tribal Tour. (1998). Climate, vegetation, animal life. [Online]. Available: http://www.indiavisit.com/india/climate.htm (2001, April 29).

Thiel S. (2000). The feel and flow of the timeless saris. [Online]. Available: http://www.britannica.com/original?article_id=14888 (2001, April 8).

Suda, Yoshiko (ys17@utah.edu) (2001, March 28). Traditional clothes. E-mail to Mahajan, Rajendra (connect_rm@rediffmail.com).

Worldviewer Dot com(india) Pvt. Ltd. (1999). How to wear a sari. [Online]. Available: http://www.kerala.com/fashion/hwsari.html (2001, April 8).

Faerber Y. S. (2001). Sari for all seasons. [Online]. Available: http://www.estart.com/india/lifestyles/sariseasons.html (2001, April 9).

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First created: April 10, 2001 / Last updated: May 5, 2001
Paper written by Yoshiko Suda ( ys17@utah.edu )