Fashion Culture: India

See Street Style of India

India is a culture that celebrates color, it breaths life into the multitudes of outlooks, lifestyles, and traditions. In Religion, Politics, and Celebrations, the symbolism of color stands out and controls every aspect of life.   

There love of color however, is not purely aesthetic. There is meaning behind each specific color, which may be surprising for most western cultures. For example, Black has connotations of being ugly, evil, negative, and inertia. It symbolizes anger and darkness and is associated with the absence of energy, barrenness, and death. Surprisingly different from Western fashions, and attitudes, "Black" is not a desirable

Base garments: Sari and kurta

A sari is the traditional Indian Garment. It is wrapped around one's shoulder to accentuate the female figure. The kurta is a tunic that can be worn for casual occasions. Both are richly embroidered and come in vibrant colors.

Theses are a modern take on a traditional sari gracing the runway of India. A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine meters in length, that is draped over the body in various styles. 

The color Red is translated in India as a dynamic and a creator of fire in the eyes of the beholder. It incites fear and is the color associated with one of the most revered goddesses in Hindu mythology , Durga. She is a fiery image with a  red tongue and almost red eyes.

Red also stands for purity and is the preferred color for a bride’s garment. Red has a deep meaning in the Indian psyche. It commemorates the union between two people and is visible right from the wedding, where the bride is decked in brilliant hues of red. A red tikka (spot on forehead) that she adorns after the wedding as a sign of her commitment. It is perhaps easy to see why red also symbolizes fertility and prosperity.

During weddings and festivals like Holi or the Featival of Color and Diwali (festival of lights), women decorate their hands, arms and feet with mehndi, or intricate patterns drawn onto the skin using henna. Here, skill is an equalizer; the rich and poor can have equally beautiful patterns.

White is actually a color specificially worn for widows. It is the selected color at funerals and ceremonies that mark death in the family. Widow white symbolizes her disconnecting from the pleasures and luxuries of active and normal participation in society and life around her. White is also widely accepted as the color of peace and purity.