National dress and Western dress: Isn't it all about preference?

Jayashantha Jayawardhana

National or Western dress: which is best?

What is the best attire for Sri Lankan men and women: the national suit and the saree or trousers, shirts, skirts and blouses coming from the West? Send in your views to 'Daily News Debate', Daily News, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited, PO Box 1217, Colombo, or via e-mail to [email protected] before January 31, 2007.

"All Nature is but Art, unknown to thee;
All Chance, Direction, which thou canst not see;
All Discord, Harmony, not understood;
All partial Evil, universal Good:
And, spite of Pride, in erring Reason's spite,
One truth is clear, "Whatever IS, is RIGHT"
Essay on Man

Alexander Pope

In the frequently quoted Polonius' advice to his son, Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet, I remember there are some lines reading like this: "Costly thy habit as they purse can buy - But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy - For the apparel often proclaims the man."

Though the times are as different as they can be that the apparel often proclaims the man is accepted and believed even today in this ultra-modern society. Or to be more precise, it is a universal truth.

Needless to mention, this very expression means that the dress plays quite a central role in the civilized world.

A basic need

Even a fourth grader knows we wear dresses primarily to protect ourselves from extreme heat, excessive cold, dust, and the like and to cover the privates.

Though it is doubtful whether all the people wear dresses for the second purpose (considering, of course, the skimpy clothes some women in general, and some celebrities in particular wear today in the name of fashion), it is certainly true that few people can do without clothes when it comes to the first purpose. Decidedly dress protects people from serious health hazards in addition to providing comfort, and some attractiveness.

A symbol of status

Dress, I hope few people will disagree with me, is sometimes a symbol of status. The well-dressed passenger who gets into a bus engaged in public transportation, will be treated less impolitely by the conductor than the betel-chewing, humble man clad in a cheap sarong and a faded shirt; the elegantly dressed lady who happens to enter a government office to get something done, will be less delayed than the shabbily dressed woman who come to the same office to get the same thing done (there are, of course, ways and means of getting things done without delay in some government offices which are otherwise rife with dilatory staff).

Admittedly, however all the human beings are more or less biased towards the physical attractiveness to which one's dress and deportment makes a huge contribution. Also, dress reflects one's social status and more specifically one's personality. All this will eventually boil down, undoubtedly, to physical attractiveness.

A popular myth

There is, unfortunately, a popular myth among the not so educated people that western dress is superior to national dress. This I regard as a stupid lie since to my knowledge western dress is western dress and national dress is national dress. How can, then, western dress be superior to national dress or vice versa?

If someone looks down on national dress or those who wear it, I must say that person is a perfect simpleton. Besides, in my humble opinion, a fool is a fool whether he is clad in western dress or national dress; a knave will always be a knave whether he wears a sarong or a pair of trousers; and a gentleman will always be a gentleman whether he wears coat and trousers or sarong and shirt.

Preference

Every individual is unique and has a unique set of preferences. So according to one's preference or taste one may choose to wear either national dress or western dress. Some people, therefore, may prefer western dress to national dress or vice versa. A broad minded person will not rate such preferences; instead he will find out why people wear one kind of dress rather than the other.

An intelligent person, when choosing what to wear, will take into account such factors as cost, comfort, climate, and occasion. For example, it will be extremely ludicrous for a man to walk in the sweltering heat, wearing a heavy black coat and a pair of trousers.

This may sometimes be all about commonsense; the truth, you will agree with me is too plain to ignore on such occasions as this. But if people deliberately choose to suffer for one reason or another, I suppose, it is hardly our business to try to correct them. Even if we were to preach them, I doubt, if they would ever listen to us let alone follow our sensible advice.

Cultural influence

Culture often influences on a persons' dress. When one wears a certain type of dress, it may be criticized or appreciated or simply ignored by others who are driven by beliefs and attitudes which culture itself inculcates in them.

So what is downright insignificant in the European culture may create more or less controversy in an Asian context. This explains why one should dress oneself in keeping with the cultural realities. But, again I believe we need not be too insular in the matter of culture which is just another man-made, abstract concept with nebulous boundaries.

So may I presume to ask, 'Can't a maker be a changer?' It is better beyond doubt if we can wear dresses which are always consonant with the deep-rooted beliefs which culture has created in people's minds; but if culture puts undue restraint (which I believe it very rarely does) on our lives in the name of tradition or morality, we should not forget that culture itself is a man-made concept and man himself has every right to change or adjust it so that it suits the day's needs. In doing so, however, we must remember not to exceed the limits of morality.

Conclusion

Frankly, I have seen many a fool garbed in western dress; many wise men clad in national dress. Likewise, I have seen many a knave clad in national dress; many great men clad in western dress. So, all in all, I believe it is not what one wears that really matters but what one does for one's family, one's village, one's country, and the whole humanity at large.

Therefore, though a man may wear the purest white all the time, and may set himself an example for others, propagating patriotism, if he is a good-for nothing fellow, he will be none but a good-for-nothing fellow himself.

Before I conclude my article I would also like to remind my fellow readers that president Abraham Lincoln wore coat and trouser in the American style, that Mahathma Gandhi wore loin cloth in a very different style, that Mother Theresa wore white saree in the Indian style, that president Premadasa wore national dress in the Sri Lankan style, that they served their own countries and world in their own style, and that people remember more what they did for them than what they wore?

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The trouser is ideal

As for the suggestion by Mr. Fernando, why not go the whole hog and dress our police officers in kakhi sarongs, the Navy in white sarongs, the Army in khaki sarongs and the Air Force in blue sarongs. What nonsense, attire has nothing to do with national pride its only a practical solution.

A cotton trouser and shirt is ideal for tropical countries, The sarong is such an inconvenient garment for the work force especially carpenters, masons, mechanics etc. as there is the danger of it getting entangled in power tools. It is not very conducive to work on scaffolding etc.

The trouser is the ideal garment for all purposes.

Faqi Hussain

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Why not try national dress

I read the article 'National Dress suits our country, climate and culture' contributed by W.T.A Leslie Fernando. The question as to whether 'Western or National Dress, which is the best', seems to be a problem which has been with us for quite some time unresolved.

I am in favour of the national dress for all occasions. One day when I walked to town from a residential area in sarong and shirt (not national) at about 10 a.m., I was asked by a friend whom I met on the way whether I had taken to politics.

When I told my wife that I would like to wear nationals for my son's wedding, she asked me whether I was going mad. I have never worn nationals in my life. I am afraid I never will.

There seems to be some sort of uneasiness in the minds of many of us when confronted with this choice, Western or National Dress, which is best.

So in this situation let us be sympathetic to each other and resolve this question in a very sympathetic way.

I like to offer this suggestions as a way out of the problem and hope it will be accepted. All children from Montessori to year 13 can wear national for boys and half saree for girls as their school uniform.

Once our children get used to wearing the national dress at a young age, they won't find it difficult wearing it in adult life.

A reader

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Feel free to wear any attire you wish

Ian Jayasinha

It all began in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were in the nude. Then Eve tempted Adam and gave him to eat of the forbidden fruit. Then they wore fig leaves to cover their genitals. Then came in sin. What a pity?

In Sri Lanka first came the 'amude'. How comfortable this is. If you have to cover up it is the very essence of comfort. Didn't W. Dahanayake a former Parliamentarian wear an 'amude' to parliament as a protest to a shortage of clothing? Didn't our warrior Puran Appu wear an 'amude' or loin cloth?

Then there was no such thing as National or Wetern dress. There was no saree to cover up the beautiful hour glass shape of a woman.

In time, man became more sophisticated and in the West was born the full suit, coat and torusers worn with a tie and shirt. It was sartorial elegance at its best. But does this attire suit Sri Lankan men? Even our women wear this for style today. Let us see.

Going back to the 'amude' I would like to relate an anecdote. We were all from elitist families who attended an esoteric college. The Sinhala master, who incidentally wore the national asked us what is an 'amude'? No one knew or they were not interested. The master next day asked them the same question.

The boys were non-plussed.

The third day came and he asked the same question. The boys eyes looked at one another. They were dumbfounded. Then what did the master do who wore the national. He lifted his cloth to show the boys his 'amude'.

Lo! and behold that particular day he had forgotten to wear his 'amude'. The boys were flabbergasted and there was a riot of laughter. Since then this master was nicknamed 'Amudaya'.

"Clothes maketh a man", said a great man. Maybe it does. In America they say 'you look neat' when you are well pruned. But then how about Mahatma Gandhi, who wore only a loin cloth. He was dubbed as 'the half-naked fakir' by no other than Winsten Chruchill. The great Mahatma was as cool as a cucumber.

American culture has crept into our culture. The so-called VIPs are dressed to kill as the saying goes. Our women wear the latest in western clothing.

The saree is the most graceful of attires for a woman. It enhances their figure. Most western women admire our women who wear sarees. Some women show off their navels and wrap the saree around with a big gap in their midriff between the jacket and the saree.

We men say, "My gosh, look at the lunch interval", for the gap. Maybe, women want to get more fresh air in that hour-glass area!

American jeans are worn by women to look bi-sexual. To a man these jeans are very casual and comfortable. But beware! There are times when the zipper gets caught to one's foreskin. I know a case where on had to go to a doctor for detachment.

How about skirts for men as in some androgynous, areas in the West. It seems to be a most comfortable clothing to wear in our climes. When I told a foreigner that we in Sri Lanka wear sarongs "Oh! he said that is where men wear dresses". I pooh-poohed him.

To conclude having given the many aspects of visualisation of dress it is pretty obvious that the 'National' is most suitable for this tropical isle. However, I must say that many politicians wear this for political mileage. Most of these politicos are schrophrenics. They wear the national locally, but when they trip abroad go in for the western modes.

Maybe for the cooler climate! But there are the radical chauvinists who in time, maybe have a 'clothing war' when the ethnic war ends.

Just as the 'Kaduwa' and go back to our forbearers who were called "Redda Assa Mahattaya" who wore a trouser over the sarong. They were a tribe of their own.

As a democracy people should be free to wear any attire as they feel fit. Today as fashion keeps changing every six months, it is not the climate that takes top billing but the fashions.