Asia is the largest continent of the world with its 17,300,000 sq. Miles area. The continent comprises of a whole of countries and each country varies from the other in terms of its culture, habits, tradition and fashion. It will be a Herculean task, rather an impossible one to bring Asia and its culture under one roof. It is so vast and variegated that all the words of expression would fall short for it. So it will be wise adequate to incorporate on only one of the aspects at aimed, choosing only a few countries. When we think of Asia, the name of the countries lurk into our mind are Japan, India and China. So let us incorporate on the customary attires of these countries and find out how these customary wear are getting infiltrated into the contemporary fashion trend.
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India: Being an Indian, I know Indian culture and tradition great than any other foreign country. So I would without fail like to talk about our customary clothing first. India is a country with as many as 29 states and each state has its own way of robes. But as far as the national dress is implicated it is identified with 'sari'. It is attire for women only. A 'sari' is nothing but a long rectangular piece of cloth about 5 to 9m in length. It is worn without any fastening, pins or buttons. The tightly fitted blouse worn under sari is known as 'choli' and the final distance of the saris hanging from the women's shoulder is called 'pallu'. The style, color, texture of a sari varies from one another. It may be printed, embroidered, stone and mirror embedded et al. The material of sari can be cotton, silk, artificial or man many more things. Besides its color and design, the most remarkable and charming feature about the sari is that it is not cut or tailored for any singular size and can fit any women. There are several ways of wearing a sari; and its manner of draping as well as its color and texture indicate the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman.
Asia
Beside sari, there are many other dresses that are worn by Indian women like 'salwar kameez', 'lehanga', churidar etc. A 'kameez' is a long tunic worn over 'pyjama' which is like a loose fitted trousers. A tight-fitted pant is known as 'churidar'.A pleated skirt is called a 'lehanga'. Some customary garments for men are 'kurta', 'lungi', 'dhoti' and 'pyjama'. 'kurta' is like a long top while 'lungi 'and 'dhoti' are apiece of cloth that is draped around the waist. 'pyjama'is the pants worn under the 'kurta'. A collarless khadi jacket is also beloved among men. But most of the India men, unlike women, wear the conventional western clothes. A majority of women in India wear 'sari' though some urban women love and feel comfortable in western dresses.
Clothing of Asia
Throughout the country there are many religious and regional variations in the costumes, such as Rajasthani women wear embroidered, mirrored and the tie-dye materials while in Arunachal Pradesh women are found draping home-spun long woolen skirts.
Indian dressing style is thus marked by many variations-both religious and regional; and one is likely to search for an abundance of colors, textures and style in garments of India.
Japan: The clothing of Edo period (1601-1867Ad) comes into one's mind when asked about Japanese customary clothing. This consists of the basic pieces like 'kimono', 'obi' and 'hakama'. The Japanese clothing is as simple as it is complex and elegant. The construction block of Japanese customary clothing begins with the "kimono'. During Edo period, this come to be an outer garment and was made up of all kinds fabrics. Before and During Edo period, fabric was class oriented, silk was reserved by the for the upper class people. All adult 'kimono' are cut into 8 pieces from 1 roll of cloth about 36cm, 14 inches wide and 11m long. The seams are cut level and all the time the same width regardless of the wearer's size, so cloth is left over. Any extra distance was tucked under or over the 'obi' depending on the gender. 'Kimono' is simple in build and there is no fasteners used to hold the 'kimono', close. 'Kimono' is designed according to age, communal status and gender. Just as a married woman would wear a 'kimono' made out of darker fabrics and with shorter sleeves than a young unmarried girl. Under the 'kimono', the lighter 'kimono' is called 'Nagajuban'. An 'Han-eri'(a scarf like collar) is worn in the middle of kimono and neck. Some other dresses worn by them are 'Yukatabira'(light and loose fitting robes), 'Happi'( a short coat), 'Kamishino'(two piece costume), "Kataginu' etc. "Hakama' is like pants and has 7 folds that signifies 7 human qualities such as courage, humility, justice,chivalry, honesty, loyalty and prestige. During monsoon they wore jackets made up of straw. 'Cording', 'sashes' and 'obi' are used to close dissimilar types of jackets.
All Japanese clothes are wonderfully embroidered and crafted with beautiful fabric works. Clothes are highly attractive that includes house crests, animals, bamboo, flowers, branches etc.
China: The 'Pien-fu' is an ancient two piece ceremonial garment of a tunic like top extending to the kneesand a skirt or trousers extending to the ankles. In China, clothing indicated not only class gender contrast but also ethnicity. Han Chinese and Manchu were two major ethnic groups in China who wore dissimilar cloths. The attractive band, appliquéd borders and richly variegated ornament and embroidered build is one of the unique features of the customary Chinese dress. 'He ch'ang-p'ao' is one-piece garment extending from the shoulders all the way to the heels. "Shen-I' is a cross in the middle of the 'pien-fu' and the 'ch'ang-p'ao'. It consists of a tunic and a skirt or trousers like the, 'pien-fu' but the tunic and the skirt are sewed together and essentially one piece like the 'ch'ang-pao' .Chinese clothing is not only an external expression but also an internal symbolism. Darker shades of color are beloved to lighter shades. Dresses with lighter color are worn by the citizen for daily use. Chinese associate few colors with seasons such as red stands for summer, black for winter, white for autumn and green for spring. They can be said to have fully industrialized a ideas of matching, coordinating and contrasting colors: and shades of light and dark in apparels.
Chinese clothing has a vitality of its own. It reflects a woman's modesty. Chinese customary silk clothing roughly varies with consistency which was roughly established by the era of the Yellow Emperor and the Emperor Yao and Shan. Remains of woven silk and hemp articles and ancient ceramic figures additional demonstrate the sophistication and refinement of clothing in the Shan Dynasty. Orient dresses roughly vary with a woman's figure. Mature women, in such attire can display their graceful and refined manner. In the 17thc in North China, a collarless tube shaped dresses were developed; they were the old ancestors of new dresses.
But this customary Asian Clothing is seen slowly infiltrating into the contemporary and trendy fashion of the day. Varied fashion designers have taken the approach of making dresses that citizen can wear everyday from the exotic treasures of Asian customary attire.
'Saris', Besides being the customary attire of India, has come to be an inseparable part of today's fashion. Women worldwide now are experimenting by draping this elegant designer's creation of India. In many grand parties, women from other countries also, are seen wearing a beautiful sari. Apparels like lehenga, choli, salwar kameez are already in the trend.
Black Japan printed floral Kimono wrap top, georgette geisha kimono, geisha bloom kimono top, Asia flap top and so on are some of the other imports to contemporary fashion from Japan.
Clothing of Asia varies from one country to another. More importantly in a country from one region to other it varies significantly. But if you are intimately following the trend over Varied Asian countries, you will find a inevitable pattern is followed everywhere. In one type of clothing a piece of cloth is draped which may be sari in India or kimono in Japan. The same trend is followed in Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and other Asian countries. In other trend a loose trouser like attire for lower limbs and a closed-chest coat like things for upper part are followed. Sometimes this top goes upto knee like kameez in India or ends at belly region. citizen who are near hilly region commonly wear colorful and embroidered garments, while citizen in plain land prefer to remain simple. Asian clothing is wide, vast and has sizable ranges. Like the citizen of Asia these are colorful, smooth, silky and comfortable. And above all these are as tantalizing as Asian land.
Clothing of Asia
