SILK 01

SILK

a basic guide to the fe m i n i n e fa s h i o n i n I n d i a

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CO N T E N T FOREWORD ....... 05 FASHION IN ANCIENT INDIA ....... 06 MUGHAL FASHION ....... 11 TRADITIONAL CLOTHES ....... 17 WESTERN INFLUENCE ....... 23

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F O R E WA R D

As cliche as it sounds, being a little brown girl in the US did have an impact on how I interacted with my own culture, Indian culture, whilst growing up.

When it came to Indian fashion and its effect on my personal style, I especially couldn’t help but feel confused. wearing traditional-wear during festivals, while completely erasing that aspect of my life with my friends in school became a norm that I am rather ashamed of. I can say t h a t n o w, a s a f r e s h m a n i n c o l l e g e w i t h a lot more confidence in myself and pride i n m y c u l t u r e , I h a v e c o m e a l o n g w a y.

I feel like I am finally finding a balance between these two polar opposite parts of my life. Now that I’m here, with a special adoration and respect for my Indian culture, I feel like it is only fitting that I fully explore my roots and understand what women’s fashion in India is all about: how do contemporary women dress today? How has it evolved over the y e a r s ? a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, w h a t i s t h e significance of fashion in India, yesterd a y, t o d a y, a n d f o r t h e y e a r s t o c o m e ?

FASHION IN ANCIENT INDIA To fully understand anything that is relevant today, it is important that we also understand its history.

Now, there is a common misconception with western scholars , that fashion is a new concept or a modern idea, when in reality, it has been around for centuries.

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via Unknown

Dress

and

body

adornment

techni-

ques can be traced all the way back to the INDUS

VALLEY

CIVILIZATION.

At the time, women specifically wore knee-length

skirts whilst leaving their upper body bare, sometimes also wearing ornaments and jewelry. Clothing was not worn for modesty; in fact, it was worn with the purpose of adorning and accentuating

one’s attributes and making them more attractive.

via Unknown

U T TA R I YA

K AYA B A N D H SAREE A N TA R I YA

Travelling into the Vedic period, we see women often wearing a two-pieced attire. The top was referred to as the U T T A R I Y A , essentially a shawl draped over the shoulder. The bottom piece had many names — ANTARIYA, PARIDHANA OR VASANA — and was a pleated garment worn at the waist. This garment was sometimes fastened with a K AYA B A N D H , or a belt of sorts. The practice of stitching eventually came about during this period, providing us with hints of the modern day saree. Cotton was the primary material used to make sarees, but wealthier women sometimes wore sarees made of silk. However, fashion was still fairly minimal in nature, especially compared to the maximalism that came with royalty.

THE THE

WORLD OF MUGHALS

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via Unknown

In the age of the dynasties, as different royal families took rule of the land, we saw a wide variety of traditional, hand-stitched clothing rise to fashion.

Each royal family brought their variety to the fashion evolution at the time.

The fashion of the Mughals had an especially notable impact. Their clothing was characterized by luxurious fabrics— silk, velvet, brocade and muslin— paired with the most elaborate of detailings. Embroidered handicrafts have always been a huge aspect of Indian fashion, and even more so during this time. Women mostly wore clothing inspired by Persian garments so think loose pants and loose tops with v-necks (often called kurtas).

image via Sahapedia

fa s h i o n e of th Maha ra n i

Jodh f aa &

ol

lo

we r s

However, the marriage of Akbar, a Mughal emperor, and Jodhaa, a princess, brought a change to women’s fashion.

Soon, there was an influx of Hindu clothing and in a way, Princess Jodhaa was a modern day trendsetter. She especially wore bright colors, PALLUS covering her head and an assortment of jewelry (JHUMKAS, waistbands, armbands and heavy necklaces), and many people followed. It’s safe to say that a lot of modern wedding clothing worn by Hindu women still takes heavy inspiration from Princess Jodhaa.

A CLOSER LOOK AT TRADITIONAL JEWELRY

Aishwariya Rai in Jodhaa Akbar (2008)

MATH BORA is the traditional head wear, often worn by brides, giving her strength, will and wisdom whilst protecting her from any evil eye. The center element is the maang tikka, while the complete head wear can be called the math bora, matha patti, and so on. Though it is typically worn by brides, anyone can wear it.

NATH is a nose ring, that was also mostly only worn by brides. Not only is it an ode to the goddess Parvati, it was also said to ease childbirth and menstruation. Again, it’s worn freely today.

JHUMKAS are earrings that can be found in various sizes, colors and styles. It is generally an umbrella term for traditional earrings and can be found worn all over India, along with other parts of South Asia.

HAAR generally refers to ‘necklace’ in Hindi, and can include a wide variety of neckpieces and chokers. In this context, it is extremely heavy and bewjewelled, signifying royalty.

I N D I A N T R A DI T IONA L CLOTHING: THE RUN DOWN

collection by Abhinav Mishra

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India is a country rich with culture, where every region, every state has its own attributes. Because of this, it is difficult to ever provide a comprehensive list of the traditional fashion in India. Instead, this only serves as an introduction or summary, if you will.

collection by Abhinav Mishra

SAREES are probably some of the most widely worn and recognized clothing in India. They can range from the simplest of daily wear, to the most elaborate outfits for parties. In some parts of India, they are even worn for weddings. Generally, the a blouse and petticoat are worn before fastening the saree around the waist, pleating it and then draping it over the shoulder.

Janhvi Kapoor

via Unknown

The SALWAR KAMEEZ is another commonly worn traditional outfit. It can be made of various different materials and styled differently depending on the region of the country.

It generally consists of long pants (fitted or loose) and the kameez (a long tunic).

Alongside these two garments, it’s worn with a scarf or shawl that is called the dupatta.

Last, but not the least, LEHENGHAS are often seen worn at events and weddings. They are on the fancier side, usually with heavy embroidery and rich colors. It has a blouse paired with a long skirt, also paired with a matching dupatta. via Unknown

The west has had a great influence on India in many ways, but especially fashion. With British colonial rule came a new pressure of western standards.

The clothing of the natives was looked down upon, while skirts, pants, blouses and dresses were introduced to the upper class society.

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via Grazia India

While traditional clothing was still worn by them, the western influence was apparent, especially with new fabrics like chiffon and lace being incorporated into fashion. Even post-independence, contemporary Indians and the newest generations continue to wear both western and traditional Indian clothing.

Hamel Patel (front & back)