... and now...

If elegance and simplicity were the hallmarks of yester year, the mantra today is 'whatever you're comfortable in'. But, of course there are the exceptional cases (usually, overly trend conscious youngsters) who are more than willing to sacrifice 'comfort' for the sake of looking good.  While the traditional dresses continue to be worn, it should be noted that men and women of modern Kerala have been influenced considerably by styles from North India and the West.

For women:

For most women, the best, most beautiful and preferred outfit is still the sari. Usually worn by women after they turn 20, saris today come in a variety of colours, patterns and fabrics. They are worn in a number of different ways - in the Gujarathi style, with the pallu covering the front or in the traditional style, with the pallu elegantly falling over the shoulder.

However, now a number of women - both old and young are adopting the salwar-kameez as their outfit of choice for everyday wear. An import from North India, the ensemble consists of a loose pair of pants (kameez), a long top which reaches down to mid-calf (salwar)  and a long piece of cloth (dupatta) that is draped around the shoulders like a shawl or a scarf. The most attractive feature of the 'salwar kameez' is the 'comfort factor' especially when compared to a 6 metre sari draped all around you!

Another outfit that's quite popular among young girls, especially in the towns and villages is the pavada-blouse. The Pavada is a long skirt that falls to the ankles. In fact, 'pavada' means 'skirt' in Malayalam. It is usually worn with a short sleeved, simple blouse. Any kind of material can be used. For special occasions, Pavada-blouse sets with zari borders are used.

But for young women in the cities, Western fashion holds sway. Dresses, pants, jeans skirts, t-shirts, tops of all shapes and colors...they all have a place in the modern woman's wardrobe. You will get a good idea about the local fashion trends in the cities if you visit a local college! North Indian dresses like the Sharara and the Lehenga which consist of a long, flowing skirt, and a short, fitting, heavily embroidered blouse, are also quite popular at social gatherings and festive occassions.

The purdah system is still prevalent among the most orthodox Muslim women in some parts of north Kerala.

For men:

Well, guys, there don't seem to be as many choices for you. There's the usual pant-shirt combo. Now t-shirts offer a colorful alternative to shirts. And there are a wide range of pants in different styles and fabrics. Nevertheless men in Kerala do have more than your basic shirt-trouser routine to choose from. There's always the 'mundu'. There's the 'simple mundu' for everyday wear and the extravagant 'zari bordered mundu' for special ocassions.

For casual wear, there is the 'lungi' usually worn with a shirt, the 'lungi' remains the favorite of the common people. It is worn by people of all walks of life and is available in variety of bright colours and prints.

Men too are catching up on the Northern influence. The Sherwani suit is growing in popularity at upper class social functions. With its long, Nehru-collared coat worn over a pair of tight pants, it's almost like a salwar-kameez for men !

By Nut and Bolt