The way a woman dresses…is everybody’s business!!
Whether it is Indian or it is Western…when she is small, the parents decide as to how to dress her. When in college again, the dress should not be objectionable and when she is married….
One day, I met Smita on the road and she forcefully took me to her house. Smita was a girl I knew to be a bindass babe in school. Completely tom boyish, carefree and wore only Jeans and shorts. And here, I see the same Smita dressed in a saree , of course looking very pretty with a big bindi, and long hair with flowers, long gold earrings. I was shocked to see her.
Can a person change so much? I asked myself. We entered her house and I had this very traditional feeling when I entered, incense fragrance, coffee aroma…wow! Her mother in law (MIL) was making coffee. She saw me, said hello and got coffee for all three of us. We sat down to chat.
MIL: So you are Smita’s college friend.
Me: Yes, aunty..we were very close in college. But after her wedding, she seemed to disappear only to be seen now.
MIL: Yes, she was busy with the family.
Smita: How are your mom and dad? And did you marry or not finally?
Me: Of course I am married for eleven years now and have two sons.
Smita: Wow! Doesn’t look like.
MIL: Yes doesn’t look like. How does your husband and in-laws allow you to wear such clothes?
Me: Why what is wrong in my clothing aunty? It’s just a Western outfit that I have worn.
MIL: This is not our culture. Sleeveless blouse and skirt. I cannot imagine my daughter in law wearing such clothes. A woman’s clothing is treated a symbol of her respect for tradition, culture, family values, religion, family honor etc.
God save me from such thinking!! Give us women, a break. It is not important that the clothing should be comfortable for the wearer. I could not understand how sleeveless blouses and skirts could be found objectionable. Why can’t people just learn to live and let live, especially when it comes to what women wear!
Even now in some cultures of the society, in this hot, humid weather women have to keep their hair covered all the time … Poor Muslim women….it’s the height when it comes to their traditional dressing…Burkha!! How does covered and sweat-soaked hair at 40 degrees Celsius protect a culture or show respect? Isn’t wrapping of heads in pallus , dupattas and burkhas during the summer months uncomfortable, and even unclean?
Forget that, there are houses, where women still sleep in sarees…..this is the most uncomfortable thing on earth..and still she does it because pleasing others is more important to her than her comfort!
Even the famous saas-bahu serials still show the saas as well as the bahu only in tight shiffon saris with low cut blouses…traditionally modern, I must say. High time the producers and the directors of these serials realise how un-comfortable these actors must be feeling shooting in the saris for the full day.
By saying, all this I am not trying to say, Sari is bad. In fact I vouch for the fact that Sari is the most beautiful costume which can make the woman look her best and most beautiful. But, my point still remains of comfort. Earlier days, there were no options and women wore what others want. But today, things have changed…
Most of my girl friends agreed with me and here’s what most of them replied - It’s makes women look confident and hence attractive. It shows women are capable of living their lives and are independent. It’s a sign of freedom. It’s sends signals saying ‘Don’t mess with me’. It shows you aren’t meek and that you will stand up and fight for what is right. And most of all convenience ranks the prime. And while Indian clothes are glamorous subtly, western clothes are glamorous as is by virtue of their design!!
Whatever we wear..we still are Bharatiya Naris and we know our limits… so it should be no one’s business what a woman wears!! Jago India Jago!!
Whether it is Indian or it is Western…when she is small, the parents decide as to how to dress her. When in college again, the dress should not be objectionable and when she is married….
One day, I met Smita on the road and she forcefully took me to her house. Smita was a girl I knew to be a bindass babe in school. Completely tom boyish, carefree and wore only Jeans and shorts. And here, I see the same Smita dressed in a saree , of course looking very pretty with a big bindi, and long hair with flowers, long gold earrings. I was shocked to see her.
Can a person change so much? I asked myself. We entered her house and I had this very traditional feeling when I entered, incense fragrance, coffee aroma…wow! Her mother in law (MIL) was making coffee. She saw me, said hello and got coffee for all three of us. We sat down to chat.
MIL: So you are Smita’s college friend.
Me: Yes, aunty..we were very close in college. But after her wedding, she seemed to disappear only to be seen now.
MIL: Yes, she was busy with the family.
Smita: How are your mom and dad? And did you marry or not finally?
Me: Of course I am married for eleven years now and have two sons.
Smita: Wow! Doesn’t look like.
MIL: Yes doesn’t look like. How does your husband and in-laws allow you to wear such clothes?
Me: Why what is wrong in my clothing aunty? It’s just a Western outfit that I have worn.
MIL: This is not our culture. Sleeveless blouse and skirt. I cannot imagine my daughter in law wearing such clothes. A woman’s clothing is treated a symbol of her respect for tradition, culture, family values, religion, family honor etc.
God save me from such thinking!! Give us women, a break. It is not important that the clothing should be comfortable for the wearer. I could not understand how sleeveless blouses and skirts could be found objectionable. Why can’t people just learn to live and let live, especially when it comes to what women wear!
Even now in some cultures of the society, in this hot, humid weather women have to keep their hair covered all the time … Poor Muslim women….it’s the height when it comes to their traditional dressing…Burkha!! How does covered and sweat-soaked hair at 40 degrees Celsius protect a culture or show respect? Isn’t wrapping of heads in pallus , dupattas and burkhas during the summer months uncomfortable, and even unclean?
Forget that, there are houses, where women still sleep in sarees…..this is the most uncomfortable thing on earth..and still she does it because pleasing others is more important to her than her comfort!
Even the famous saas-bahu serials still show the saas as well as the bahu only in tight shiffon saris with low cut blouses…traditionally modern, I must say. High time the producers and the directors of these serials realise how un-comfortable these actors must be feeling shooting in the saris for the full day.
By saying, all this I am not trying to say, Sari is bad. In fact I vouch for the fact that Sari is the most beautiful costume which can make the woman look her best and most beautiful. But, my point still remains of comfort. Earlier days, there were no options and women wore what others want. But today, things have changed…
Most of my girl friends agreed with me and here’s what most of them replied - It’s makes women look confident and hence attractive. It shows women are capable of living their lives and are independent. It’s a sign of freedom. It’s sends signals saying ‘Don’t mess with me’. It shows you aren’t meek and that you will stand up and fight for what is right. And most of all convenience ranks the prime. And while Indian clothes are glamorous subtly, western clothes are glamorous as is by virtue of their design!!
Whatever we wear..we still are Bharatiya Naris and we know our limits… so it should be no one’s business what a woman wears!! Jago India Jago!!
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