Fashion History: The Indian Continent

Sikhism

Sikh Women’s wear Chunnis/Dupattas are long scarfs that are worn on the heads and around the shoulders of Sikh women as a sign of respect and modesty. Chunnis are usually worn with a turban underneath the headscarf Historically, in the Punjab region of India, Chunnis/Dupattas are typically worn around elders Chunnis or dupattas can come in many different materials such as chiffon, silk and cotton. In Indo-western fashion Chunnis are worn as accessories, usually with a Kurta.

Sikh Men’s wear Sikhs strive for equality of all genders, and that reflects in their clothing. Kurtas and Dastaars are worn by both men and women. The dastaar (turban) is a symbol of honor and self respect. Hair is never cut, as per the wish of the last human guru. Sikh culture believes in the beauty of the body as is, without hair removal.

Here’s a man wearing a dastaar in a Tommy Hilfiger advertisement:

Sikh Wedding Attire for brides A bride usually wears a lehanga, which is a long, pleated beautifully embroidered skirt. All of her clothes must be red, as the color symbolizes prosperity and auspiciousness. The brides hair is covered during the ceremony with a dupatta. She wears bangles gifted by her family, the bangles are kept on a few months after the wedding ceremony to symbolize her status as a new bride. A ranihaar (long necklace made of gold) a tikka and a nath that is embelished with pearls are also worn.

Sikh wedding attire for grooms A groom wears a churidar with kameez (loose trousers) or a sherwani, which is a coat like garment. All Sikh grooms must have their heads covered by a turban. Covering their hair is a sign of utmost respect for the gods. Colors are bold. Sikh grooms aren’t afraid of flamboyant ornamentation, styling their turbans with jewels and feathers. A Krijpan is a sword that is worn an the side of the grooms belt as a symbol of his responsibility to protect his wife and family from harm. Many grooms use fake swords represent the meaning without the potential harm.

Hinduism

Bindis A Bindi is a bright red dot of color worn in the centre of the forehead, typically worn by married women as a commitment to long life and well being of their husbands. Unmarried women can wear bindis too, but it isn’t mandatory. The bindi is also a symbol of the cosmos in its un-manifested state. It’s associated with the ajna chakra, also known as the third eye chakra, seen as “concealed wisdom” The third eye chakra is linked to the pineal gland which is a muscle that produces melatonin, this gland can great very spiritual experiences through meditation. Just recently, iodine infused bindis were handed out to tribal women to fight iodine deficiency in villages near Nashik and Ahmednagar. Unfortunately, some western women have adopted the bindi, worn as a “cute” accessory at music festivals, completely disrespecting the spiritual and religious significance.

Hindu funeral attire Unlike Western traditions, where white is worn to weddings, Hindu tradition is to wear white while mourning. The color white is vital at a Hindu funeral, because it symbolizes purity and is used to show respect. The deceased commonly wear white as well, but if the deceased is a young unmarried woman, she may be dressed in yellow or orange. If the deceased is a woman who had died before her husband, she may be dressed in red, which is the traditional color of a hindu wedding dress.

High Fashion in India

The modern Indian fashion industry India has an emerging fashion industry. Though there were a handful of high fashion designers decades before, the 1990s saw a spurt of growth. This was due to the economic liberalisation of the Indian Economy in The economic liberalisation gave India an economic boom and an exposure to global fashion.

Indian fashion designers Manish Malhotra is one of India’s most loved fashion designers. He’s known for making the costumes for Bollywood’s leading stars, as well as Hollywood’s stars like Reese Witherspoon and super models such as Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. Sabyasachi is known for his dramatic outfits, which are inspired by his hometown Kolkata. He uses dark earthy colors. Masaba Gupta is India’s youngest top designer, at the age of 25. She’s known for her modern twists on traditional clothing as well as incorporation Hindi and Tamil scripts into her designs.

THAT’S ALL!

Questions: What exposed India to global fashion? In your opinion, what is cultural appropriation? When is the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation crossed?