What Do Indian Dresses Mean To the World?
One of the most fascinating aspect of the Indian dresses which one can think of straight away is their inherent philosophy of present the women with grace and elegance, shorn of the boldness which is quite common in the west. Perhaps, culture is one of the significant contributors to this philosophy which has evolved and continued for thousands of years. The time stamp of history is also visible in the way innovations have been done, accepted and popularized with these dresses.
Status of Women in India
Women have been worshipped as goddesses in this country ever since the beginning of civilization. This very high status of women in this society conditioned the minds to make such garments for them which would hide their modesty and bring out the grace in them. Therefore, when people talk of Indian garments, the element of conservative dressing would not be lost. This does not mean that the people are averse to adoption of the cuts, frills, drapes and styles in Indian clothes. There is good degree of acceptability but within the limitations of what the culture has projected women as all this time.
Indian Culture Under Threat- A Misconception
Some experts opine that the increasing adoption of western styles in Indian clothing is a threat to our traditional culture. This is rather a misplaced notion. This is because, except for a very few percentage of women who take to western clothing styles for showcasing their boldness, there is not much acceptability or are accepted within the boundaries of what will be okay for the society. Therefore, there is no threat to the culture as such. At the same time, the youth of India have a pretty good knowledge and sense of their culture and traditions. They are acutely aware of strong ethos prevalent within the society related to women clothing. This is not to say that anyone would threaten them if you try to innovate beyond a point but, yes, the displeasure will be shown.
Changes in clothing, Changes in society
Clothing pattern changes signal a shift in the society. If a particular society is becoming more closed and conservative, you can expect the womenfolk from that community to be completely covered by clothing. On the contrary, if the society is becoming more open, more globalized, more open to the world and capable of assimilating the others’ cultural elements into its own, completely or partially, the same will be reflected in the clothing patterns in demand for women of that society. To this extent, the Indian dresses have shown diversity in styling and designing patterns. The traditional clothing elements are also being worked upon for the benefit of modern women. We now have readymade sarees and saree cum gowns made out of the ethnic saree.
Status of Women in India
Women have been worshipped as goddesses in this country ever since the beginning of civilization. This very high status of women in this society conditioned the minds to make such garments for them which would hide their modesty and bring out the grace in them. Therefore, when people talk of Indian garments, the element of conservative dressing would not be lost. This does not mean that the people are averse to adoption of the cuts, frills, drapes and styles in Indian clothes. There is good degree of acceptability but within the limitations of what the culture has projected women as all this time.
Indian Culture Under Threat- A Misconception
Some experts opine that the increasing adoption of western styles in Indian clothing is a threat to our traditional culture. This is rather a misplaced notion. This is because, except for a very few percentage of women who take to western clothing styles for showcasing their boldness, there is not much acceptability or are accepted within the boundaries of what will be okay for the society. Therefore, there is no threat to the culture as such. At the same time, the youth of India have a pretty good knowledge and sense of their culture and traditions. They are acutely aware of strong ethos prevalent within the society related to women clothing. This is not to say that anyone would threaten them if you try to innovate beyond a point but, yes, the displeasure will be shown.
Changes in clothing, Changes in society
Clothing pattern changes signal a shift in the society. If a particular society is becoming more closed and conservative, you can expect the womenfolk from that community to be completely covered by clothing. On the contrary, if the society is becoming more open, more globalized, more open to the world and capable of assimilating the others’ cultural elements into its own, completely or partially, the same will be reflected in the clothing patterns in demand for women of that society. To this extent, the Indian dresses have shown diversity in styling and designing patterns. The traditional clothing elements are also being worked upon for the benefit of modern women. We now have readymade sarees and saree cum gowns made out of the ethnic saree.
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