Sunday, November 12, 2006

Dressing Etiquette

It was a fine sunday morning and we were half asleep in our room watching an anthakshari programme. We had a disagreement on which channel to watch and finally settled on a debate program discussing on Dressing Etiquette of women. The topic was whether women can wear glamorous(dont know what this word exactly means in their context) dresses. There was a Tv star supporting for and a director against the topic. The girls argued that its their freedom to wear dresses as they wish and that they donot dress to attract guys. The guys argued that their dress should not be so vulgar and they are inducing boys to tease them etc.. They had a point that girls should maintain their dignity in the way they dress. But the girls didnot bother and persisitently said their freedom and democratic country and all those craps.
At the end of the show a Psychiatrist (women) entered as judge and gave her views about the topic. Her view was that girls had their own freedom to dress and they dress that way to attract the opposite sex. If there were no males in the world then women need not dress. Finally her point was that if women liked to expose her only to her mate she should maintain her dignity and dress in a proper way(in the sense covering her full enough). If they donot wish so they can be on their own.
The show ended but we in room continued the debate and thought of the need to switch to western outfits especially for girls. We have our own tradition and culture of over 5000 years. Our ancestors have designed dresses which is suitable for our climatic conditions. But we still go for tight jeans in this cruel 38 degrees. Now a days girls have started wearing churidars in a weird way. Why go for dresses that least suit us and our climate when have the good saris and half saris and stuff? Not only for girls. Why do guys wear pants and shirts in this hot climate? I have seen crazy people wearing blazers in polaris in this chennai sun and walking in the omr road in lunch break. If we use our common sense for a moment and start thinking we will find it all crazy.
In my company brochure i noticed a rule saying we are prevented to wear dhotis and kurthas. The obvious reason is that clients may visit us and we are not supposed to be wearing such dresses. If there comes a situation where India outsources its work to americans and if we expect them to wear dhotis when we visit them, will they ever accept it? Then why should we succumb to them? Let's have our own way and follow our own culture..

Iniya ulavaga innadhu kooral
kaniyirupa kaai kavarndhatru...

The same applies to dresses and culture.

3 comments:

Sarangan said...

As you are mentioning about the dresses of our culture, I have this doubt:

1) What is our culture? Is Wearing Jacket/Blowse our culture? There are no references in any books that ladies used to wear Jacket? (as they wear now). So, do not involve culture into all these things.

2) But yes. I accept. Ladies could wear the dress more properly. It is not only their freedom, which is involved but also the instincts of the opposite sex. So, They have to wear the dresses properly.

3) If we start analyzing the root, then we can find the education system, way the parents grow their children.. these are all the reasons. So, these things also have to be corrected.

Sivaraj Subramanian said...

Culture here can be considered as tradition.

Anonymous said...

Eveyting begins at home.
Be it Education, charity or any character for that sake.
So if u want gals to change the way they dress.
u start that from ur home.
Ask ur sister to wear saree or half saree to her office.
dont buy her pant and shirt.
enna sariya ?????