Indian Clothes
Fashion has attracted global attention in all ages. Of course, everybody pursues his or her ideal fashion even in the modern age. The existence of clothes depends on the geographical environment, the material, their social and economic conditions, their mood and taste, and so on. Here, it is recommended that Indian historical clothes. This paper discusses the Indian way of life through their clothes, especially.
Many people imagine saris as unique clothes in India. Of course, a sari is a traditional Indian female dress of Hinduism. Hindus command an absolute majority in India, so, naturally, a lot of people think that all Indian women wear saris. In India, however, 6 religions are believed in. “Six major religions, including Buddhism and Jainism, account for 99.3 percent of the country’s religious adherents.” (Min,2010) Indian clothes vary from religion to religion. Additionally, in the same religion, they have lots of variations. This composition will suggest their way of Indian clothes. Even Indian clothes are different localities in terms of kind and the way of wearing. As it may change, the problem of Indian clothes can be delicate.
It is said that the origin of Indian clothes is a “toga”, which represents the citizenship of Romans. “The only physical sign of citizenship was the Roman toga.”(Jeffers,1999) This is a cloak in one piece which was dressed on underwear called “tunica” during the Roman period. Indian clothes originated in Greece. It was introduced into Western Asia from Greece, then brought into North India from Western Asia. Toga’s vestige is seen in Indian clothes. Male clothes such as Dhooty and Turban as well as Saree are usually made from a single fabric. This strange agreement about one piece of clothes suggests that the origin of Indian clothes is in Greece.
Sewn clothes are hated because unclean spirits are believed to go deep into the seams and clothes without seams are believed to be pure and clean. Traditionally, Indians are sensitive to a sense of impurity. “The insistence that social mobility was a group phenomenon is a logical corollary of the paradigm of Indian society as a fixed hierarchy ordered on the principle of purity and impurity.”(Tallbot,2001) For example, they eat by using their right hands in India because they define the left hand as something uncleanliness and they make use of disposable tableware frequently to move others’ sins away from themselves. This sense also shows on their garment. This is why sewing clothes are in little demand in the domestic market, so they export a lot of ones to other Asian countries, making use of cheap personal expenses which come from a large population.
People in North India began to wear their today clothes. South India is poorer than North India. Therefore, people in South India could not afford to buy foreign Greek clothes. When Britain had colonized India, the opposition forces against the British government were developing. “It also discussed the rebellion growing in opposition to British imperialism in India.” (Harrison,2001) It is thought that there is an elevation of nationalism behind this event. In the latter of the nineteenth through to the twentieth century, with the spread of the style of wearing Indian clothes, local areas have lost their cultural diversity. Saris began to establish itself as national clothes in India.
Sikh males wear turbans. Turban is one of the most conventional clothes in India. Jules (1873) found a turban embroidered with pearls, a robe of tissue of silk and gold, a scarf of cashmere sewed with diamonds, and the magnificent weapons of a Hindoo prince. Though the image of men with turbans in India is in the air among Japanese people, only Sick males wear turbans. Sikhs account for a low percentage in India, which is only 1.9 percent. When Sikh males with turbans visited Japan to carry on commerce, the Japanese are under the impression that all Indians wear turbans. This is a leading theory.
Females can wear shirts that pattern female behavior. They do not have to put on Saris only. They sometimes put on “kameez” and “salwar”. “Hindu and Muslim women in northern India wear the salwar and kameez; only Muslim women wear them in the south.” (Sun,2001) The former one is a kind of shirt and the latter are pants. This style makes them feel more at home than Sari, so it becomes easy for them to do domestic chores. There is a gown in India, its name is a “peran”, anyone can wear regardless of sex or age. Especially in Kashmir, it has become a popular winter garment. These clothes also help women to do housekeeping more easily, such as doing the dishes. In winter, doing the dishes can be very hard work for females.
Indian clothes are designed in a way that they are suitable for occasions and seasons. In principle, “rehengas” are worn for formal ceremonial occasions like wedding ceremonies. Rehengas consist of shirts and long skirts. A wedding in India is a great occasion, so it is proper to be loudly dressed. In the summer, women are usually clothed in “Punjab dress.” This is composed of a jacket like a tunic, a pair of leggings, and a stole. Punjab dress is said to be very functional. Men wear “kurta” frequently. This makes up a shirt without a collar and a pajama. “The kurta is a loose, long-sleeved shirt that is knee-length.”(Larrazabal,2013)
Indian clothes also laid out colorful. “The sari is a garment designed to enhance that beauty, but the inner gift must be there.”(Raine,1990)“Gurguras” are female national costumes in North India. It is so pictorial voluminous long skirt because of many gathers and flares. It is very popular among Indian females because of its wonderful design that emphasizes the sensibility or viewpoints of women. For instance, it usually has an embroidered hem. Not only Indian girls but also Japanese love this and buy them. Relating to coloring, the Katch district enjoys worldwide fame. People in Katch are good at making handicrafts. They produce many high-quality colorful national costumes.
Everyone can put on Indian clothes so easily. Male clothes such as Dhooty and Turban are made from a single cloth. Though the quality and wrapping way vary from region to region and class to class, everyone does not need to learn complex procedures by heart because of just a piece of cloth. Conversely, they are easy to take off unintentionally especially in a heavy crowd like New York City’s one. Shoba (2012) claimed that a sari is fragile and can fall apart at any moment. Sari was impractical for America. It can shorten her strides.
Sometimes they represent people’s “caste.” The four heredity social classes into which the people of India are divided, call India’s four castes. “Manu smriti thus divides the human society into four castes.” (Ahlamat,1951) For example, the lowest class tends to be employed as washermen and one may see his social class at a glance from the view of clothes. Surprisingly, class divisions are as evident in India today as ever even though discrimination based on caste is banned by the Constitution of India. Although Indian clothes are gorgeous, some important social problems are the states of being converted and hidden. They are still unsolved.
Every national costume is alike. People tend to respect the form of a national costume itself because of its long history, so they do not want to try to change it. Under such circumstances, eccentricities in design are hard to arouse from the context of national costumes. For example, it is hard to let the hem up and emphasize the lines of their body about national costumes, while it is easy to do about the average clothes. The problem of their design and the one of their religion are closely connected. In India, there are a lot of people who feel ill religiously about women showing their body lines intentionally. “In India, which has inherited the malady of discrimination against women from the past has not only continued the same but also added inabilities aplenty concerning her economic status.” (Devi,2000)
Hindi’s fashion is different from Muslim’s one. In the Islamic world, female clothes define by Islamic law, that is, females must hide their “a part of beauty.” The word means their lock of hair and or so. Strict Muslims even cover their faces. Therefore, women who believe in Islam tend to be tied to customary rules which are only acceptable to Muslims, what is called “sharia”, so they cannot much enjoy their fashion than females who have faith in Hindu. “The totality of beliefs and practices is called sharia.” (Karan,2004) For instance, Muslim women usually wear “niqab.” This is full-face and full-hair veils without eyes.
Muslim women still wear niqabs, black lace on their heads. “Niqab is a piece of cloth a woman wears to cover her face from men.” (Marafi,2012) Some outsiders claim that such common practice is a thing that is behind the times. Of course, That is not something so simple, however. Old traditions do not die easily. Perhaps it has, there is a more complicated problem. Muslims obey sharia not only on their clothes but also on every mortal thing. Sharia forms the basis of their livelihood to a phenomenal degree. If outsiders take away sharia from them, this event may confuse them. We must find a point of compromise between fashion and sharia.
In the colonial period, new European clothes flowed into India. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, England sought the expansion of their markets to Southeast Asia, mainly India, for the export of goods which was produced in large doses. English imported cotton which grew in India and they exported a lot of European clothes which were made from mass-produced fiber. “East India Company as early as 1621 imported an estimated fifty thousand pieces of cotton goods into Britain.” (Beckert,2014) Thus, the modernization of clothes is advancing in India. There was the movement of an opposing force against England and they tried to put on national costumes as they could possible, while there were many people who accepted rapid change on Indian clothes.
Indians enjoy not only saris but also many clothes in modern times. “Young men and women generally prefer not to follow traditional styles.” (Biswas,2017) Even only national costumes have various kinds, adding to European clothes which have much more kinds than national costumes. Most Indians put on European clothes at present. People in national costumes are rarely seen because European clothes are very highly practical design. Of course, some continue to wear national costumes. Many people enjoy their fashion. Fashion reflects the social condition. Indian fashion has diversity. This diversity may also suggest that so many diversities exist in India.
This paper discussed the Indian way of life through their clothes. People in North India who are sensitive to a sense of impurity began to wear clothes that originated in Greece. Their clothes have some advantages. They are designed colorful in a way that they are suitable for seasons and opportunities. Everyone can put on them so easily, but it means that they are easy to take off unintentionally. Additionally, it is no exaggeration to say that the thing that sometimes they represent people’s caste is a disadvantage. Indians enjoy not only saris but also many clothes in modern times. However, orthodox Muslim women tend to bind themselves by sharia, so many women put on niqabs.