The World in Your Wardrobe
CULTURE
The World in Your Wardrobe
Globalised fashion
Mornings begin with the ritualistic process of rummaging through wardrobes to complement the day’ s journey. Often overlooked are the journeys that the clothes themselves have taken before arriving in your closet. feryswheel
Facing the World
Natural Beauty remedies the keffiyeh
The chequered scarf, synonymous with hipsters today, has quite a chequered history of its own. Originating in the Middle East, this traditional cotton-wool scarf is an indispensable part of Arab men’ s attire. The 1960s and 1970s saw Yasser Arafat use the keffiyeh as the symbol of Palestine’ s struggle. Soon enough left-wing western liberals adopted it and it entered boho street culture.
kimono
For all its aesthetic value both in Japan, where the kimono is seen as an artwork and the west where it has been a forerunner of avante-garde fashion, the kimono is simply Japanese for“ something to wear”. Interpretations of the kimono have evolved from the androgynous shift dresses of the American 1920s, to today’ s opulent geisha-inspired dresses and minimalistic tops.
indian jewellery
Bangles have effectively replaced the bracelet in mainstream fashion. The term bangle comes from the Hindi word bangdi, which means‘ glass’- the material bangles are traditionally made of. The colours, material and numbers of bangles worn vary from state to state and can indicate a woman’ s ethnic origins and marital status. While in the west, nose rings denote youth counter cultures and a sign of rebellion, in parts of Africa, Aboriginal Australia and majority of the Indian subcontinent they are an important cultural accessory.
gladiator sandals
Milan may be the fashion capital of Italy but it was its close neighbour, Rome, that gave the world the fashionable gladiator sandal. As the name suggests, the sandals were footwear of Ancient Roman gladiators who were essentially prisoners of war and criminals. Traditionally leather from cattle hide was used for fashioning soles and straps to help the warriors evade battleground blood. Not a pleasant past for the much loved footwear that has evolved into the perfect blend of comfort and style around the world.
tribal trend
The international fashion scene is currently heavily influenced by Afrocentric designs. The African inspired beadwork that appears on handbags, footwear and necklines of dresses are in fact indigenous to the nomadic Maasai of Kenya and Tanzania. The patterns and colours of the beaded jewellery are indicators of the age, ethnicity and background of the wearer with red symbolising warrior, blue for divinity and peace, and green for fertility.
// Shreeja Ravindranathan maegan tintari
Keeping up appearances on the move is not always an easy task. Thankfully, one can always depend upon Mother Nature for some natural beauty enhancers.
spots: lemon to the aid
A mixture of lemon juice and sugar provides a solution for spots. The citrus acid in lemon works as a great astringent, immediately easing redness and swelling. Sugar granules act as a natural scrub and open up clogged pores.
dry lips: butter up
When lip balms are not available for chapped lips, applying butter works wonders. A natural emollient that is used as a moisturiser in many countries, it is an easily obtainable means to softer lips.
sore eyes: tea
Tea bags are a wonderful way to rejuvenate tired eyes. The caffeine and anti-oxidants in tea are the same ingredients contained in eye creams and yield much the same results.
sun burn: the milky way
On the unhappy occasion that skin has been over exposed to sun, daub cotton swabs soaked in cool milk on the inflamed area.
Making a note of these tips will guarantee that it isn’ t the discomfort of the journey that photographs capture, but a fabulous looking traveller at their chosen destination.
// Shreeja Ravindranathan
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