The Women Who Wore My Heritage

The Women Who Wore My Heritage By: Ayesha Manzoor Karimuddin

Green and blue bangles click around my wrists while I adjust the dupatta (scarf) around my sister’s neck. I look around and notice the bright and dull colours of each woman’s outfit as they sit on the floor of my family home with their embroidered outfits that can only be done by hand. Growing up as an Indian girl, you are mesmerized by the beautiful Indian clothes, but it is as you grow older you realize the history, craftsmanship, tradition, adnd sense of identity and memories of the outfits. South Asian fashion is far more than what people wear - it tells stories that are passed between generations of women.

My Nani’s and Amma’s Wardrobe Were Their Stories

My Nani (maternal grandmother) and Amma (paternal grandmother) are both Indian, but from the North and South of India and that is where the difference of fashion comes in. My Amma’s go-to outfit for any function was the sari, which is basically a draped cloth and consists of an un-stitched stretch of fabric wrapped around a woman’s body. She had a sari in every colour imaginable and each with a unique intricate design. She used to carry a simple bag depending on the occasion and sprayed her favorite Dior perfume that blends perfectly with the rustic smells of sari fabric. Her hair was always in a clip to ensure safety when she cooks and wraps the sari around her waist like a belt. Meanwhile, my Nani, who is a working woman at her own boutique “Pewand” (patch), wears a shalwar kameez set that includes a long kurta shirt of kurta, shalwar pants, and a dupatta. The best part of a shalwar kameez is the ability to mix and match different sets as she does. You will notice she wears a mix of colours and usually a statement scarf like a black kurta with a bright yellow dupatta. Her hair is always tied up as she is busy and needs her hair out of her face. Both these women’s clothes represent practicality yet modest, elegance, and tradition. Their wardrobe is passed through generations like a family archive while including the latest fashion trends.

My Mother, Aunts, Cousins, Friends, Sisters, and I: Tradition Meets Modern Style

The generations of Millennial and Gen-Z wear South Asian fashion without abandoning tradition. We wear shorter kurtas that flow just below our waists with jeans and mix Indian fashion with Western clothing creating Indo-Western styles. Imagine a red kurta with black embroidery on the sides with flared blue jeans and white Adidas samba sneakers - to mix the culture and comfort. In Indian weddings nowadays, the colors of outfits have switched from the traditional red to pastel - which is arguably more pleasant. The idea of statement jewelry is replaced by simple pieces. Moreover, fashion becomes a shared family ritual. Half my wardrobe of Indian clothing is handed down by my aunts and their style becomes shared. Getting ready for an Indian function means my sisters and I helping each other with the many buttons on outfits and pinning each other dupattas just as my grandmothers did with their sisters. Among my many aunts, those who are working choose comfort, but still blend their Indian culture and wear jhumkas instead of regular earnings and kurtas with jeans and sneakers.

Every Piece of Clothing Has Meaning

Sari or Saree - Everytime my Amma opened her wardrobe, she wasn’t just choosing an outfit - she was choosing a memory. She skimmed through different fabrics such as silk for bigger celebrations, cotton for everyday wear, and chiffon or georgette for lighter events. She remembers where each sari is bought and I remember seeing them neatly stacked. My mother has taken some of her saris and turned the loose fabric into different kurtas and shirts for my sisters and I to wear. But, most of the saris still remain neatly stacked for us to wear later on.

Salwar Kameez - My Nani and aunt’s most prized possessions. Not only is the salwar kameez comfortable for everyday activities, it can also be worn for lunches and dinners if designed to be more fancier. Whether it be the floral prints, the embroidered necklines, or matching dupattas paired with the right sandals - it can go from simple to elegant.

The Lehenga: Clothing Reserved for Life’s Biggest Celebrations - When you think about weddings and engagements - you talk about lehengas. The preparation of a lehenga outfit becomes an event itself, to ensure the right jewelry, matching bangles, and steaming the outfit are all just some tasks. The laughter of trying different earnings and jhumkas or the experimentation of braids and updos makes the lehenga a celebration rather than clothing.

The Dupatta - Many people who are unfamiliar with South Asian fashion see the dupatta as simply a scarf. But, its meaning changes depending on culture, family traditions, occasion, and religion. The dupatta can represent modesty, respect, elegance, and personal style. Each woman wears it differently: some drape it over one shoulder, others pin it neatly, and others wear it loosely as if they don’t really feel the need for it. Each personality is reflected in the different styles.

Shoes and Jewelry: The Finishing Touches - In South Asia, jewelry is often more than decoration. Gold jewelry is often passed through generations and wedding jewelry holds emotional and family significance. Bangles, jhumkas, maang tikkas, necklaces, rings, and anklets each add to an outfit. My Nani wears gold bangles, while my Amma wears layers of gold necklaces for the more special occasions. My sisters and I each have gold necklaces with our names on it. Shoes are overlooked, but they’re an important part of South Asian fashion. Traditional juttis, mojaris, or embroidered sandals complement outfits. My aunts have lines of colorful juttis to choose from for each outfit. At weddings, when the music hits louder and the night gets older, women kick off their shoes to show that practicality eventually wins over fashion

Fashion as Memory - While going through old photo albums, a picture of my aunt wearing a short green kurta with white detailing was the exact one I was wearing at that moment. Clothes preserve memories. Whether it be opening an old wardrobe, recognizing a familiar perfume scent, finding the women of my family’s wedding outfits, and trying a relative’s outfit years later - fashion allows women to revisit different moments of their lives. My Amma has her secret recipe for biryani and wears the same sari when she is making it, and now so does my mother - the scents of spices and washed rice still remain.

Conclusion

My understanding of South Asian fashion has changed. Instead of only beautiful outfits and fabrics, it's now resilience, love, heritage, craftsmanship and generations of women. Long after trends fade, the clothes my Nani and Amma carefully folded and the outfits my mother and aunts proudly wear continue to stitch our family’s history together, one thread at a time

NOTE: there is an image for the article