What we wore

In the matter of dress and ornaments, Kerala presents through the age a picture of astonishing variety. Simplicity and elegance of dress is a trait of the Malayali character.

For the men:

The traditional formal dress for Malayali men was the 'Kasava Mundu'. Made of pure, white or cream cotton with a silk border, the mundu is about 3 to 4 meters long  and is worn around the waist. Men of the higher castes (like Brahmins and Nairs) covered their upper body with a silk cloth called the 'Melmundu' which they wore around the shoulders. On their feet, they wore wooden slippers called 'Methiyadi'.

Men of lower castes usually wore just a Kaily or a lungi around the waist. Similar to the mundu, this was also made of cotton but was more colourful. A small upper garment called a thorthu was sometimes worn over the shoulder.

In fact, the mundu and the lungi are still worn today. However, instead of caste, now it's the occassion that dictates the dress code. While the mundu is reserved for formal and ceremonial functions, the lungi is usually worn at home or for everyday use as a casual, informal dress.

For the women:

The women of several castes and communities have their distinctive forms of dress. The Hindu and Christian women generally preferred white clothes. A jacket is worn over the upper part of the body. The Muslim women wear a cloth called Kacha mundu or a colored cloth, a white loose jacket and a scarf on the head.

 Mundu and chatta among the Christian women, and mundu, rawka and neryiath is common among the Hindu women.