→ the behaviour of those considered socially inferior

→ preventing them from wearing certain clothes

→ consuming certain foods and beverages

→ hunting game in certain areas.

3. Give any two examples of the ways in which European dress codes were different from Indian dress codes.

Answer

Mahatma Gandhi's dream of clothing the nation in khadi appealed only to some sections of Indians because of different reasons. For the socially deprived, emancipation opened new doors - they wanted to experiment with Western dress styles now that dress restrictions did not hamper with their wishes anymore. This adoption of Western clothing was symbolic of new-found self and public respect for them. Others found khadi expensive to buy, and women in south India complained that they could not afford nine yards of khadi (standard length of the sari in the south).

In-Text Questions

Page 161

Activity 1. Look at Figures,Write 150 words on what the differences in the pictures tell us about the society and culture in France at the time of the Revolution.

Answer The differences tell us about the social and cultural differences among the various sections of French society at that time. The members of the Jacobin clubs wore long trousers and even called themselves the sans culottes’ (meaning “without knee breeches”) to distinguish themselves from the aristocracy who wore the fashionable knee breeches.

The pictures also tell us that the women of the middle classes could be distinguished from the women of aristocratic families, as the latter wore a corset under their dress to look narrow-waisted, which was considered the accepted norm for women.

In the men also there are many differences in the headgear, with the aristocrats wearing elaborate wigs, whereas the middle class men wore the red cap of liberty and the revolutionary cockade pinned on to a hat. The simplicity of clothing in the middle classes was meant to express the idea of equality.

Page 163

Question 1 Read Sources A and B. What do they tell ideas of clothing in Victorian society? If you were the principal in Mary Somerville’s school how would you have justified the clothing practices?

Source A Mary Somerville, one of the first woman mathematicians, describes in her memoirs the experience of her childhood day. Although perfectly straight and well made, I was encased in stiff stays, with a steel busk in front, while above my frock, bands drew my shoulder back until the shoulder blades met. Then a steel rod with a semi-circle, which went under my chin, was clasped to he steel busk in my stays in this constrained state, and most of the younger girls had to prepare out lessons. From Martha Somerville, ed, Personal Recollections from Early Life to Old Age of Mary  Somerville, London 1873.

 

Source B Many government officials of the time were alarmed at the health implications the prevailing styles of dressing amongst women. Consider the following attack on corset: It is evident physiologically that air is the pabulum of life, and that the effect of a tight cord round the neck and of tight lacing differ only in degrees for the strangulations are both fatal. To wear tight stays in many cases is to wither, to waste, to die. The Registrar General in the Ninth Annual Report of 1857

Answer Sources A and B are exemplifying the fact that dresses of women in Victorian society were very tight. In fact, they were strangulating wearer and in some cases could even cause death. These dresses Supposed to signify the role of women in society as secondary to men were the Principal of Mary Somerville’s school, I would have justified the clothing practices, giving the following reasons

a) A woman has to be docile, dutiful, submissive and obedient. That is her role in society

b) These dresses are meant to inculcate these qualities into a girl by making her adjusted to some suffering in life, and so such dresses are justified.

Activity 2 In what ways do you think these notions of weakness and dependence came to be reflected in women’s clothing?

Answer Because women were considered weak and dependent, they needed to be strengthened in various ways, which included their clothing also. This reflected in the following items worn by women

1) Busk This was a stiff strip of made of wood, whalebone or steel worn in front of the corset to stiffen and support it.

2) Corset This was a close-fitting and stiff inner bodice to give shape and support to the woman’s figure.

3) Stays These supported the whole body so that the women did not bend.

4) Steel Rod with Semicircle This was to support the chin of the woman so that it did not droop.

Page 170

Activity 1 Imagine yourself to be a Muslim pleader in the Allahabad High Court in the late 19th century. What kind of clothes would you wear? Would they be very different from what you wore at home?

Answer  In court, I will wear a professional western dress with black coat under a black gown, white trousers and white tie, which was the normal dress of an advocate in court.

These would be totally different from what I would wear at home, where I will wear my comfortable traditional dress, a cotton pyjama and kurta.

Page 172

Activity 1 These two quotations (Sources E and F), from about the same period are from two different regions of India, Kerala and Bengal. What do they tell you about the very different notions of shame regarding women’s attire?

Source E Some people supported the attempt to change women’s clothing, others opposed it.Any civilised nation is against the kind of clothing in use in the present time among women of our country. Indeed it is a sign of shamelessness. Educated men have ben greatly agitated about it, almost everyone wishes for another kind of civilised clothing…there is a custom here of women wearing fine and transparent clothing which reveals the whole body. Such shameless attire in no way allows one to frequent civilised company…..such clothes can stand in the way of our moral improvement. Soudamini Khastagir, Striloker Paricchad (1872)

 

Source F C Kesavan’s autobiography Jeevita Samaram recalls his mother-in-law’s first encounter looked good, but I felt ticklish wearing it. It took it off, folded it carefully and brimming with a blouse gifted by her sister-in-law in the late 19h century: It looked good , but i felt ticklish wearing it.It took it off, folded it carefully and brimming with enthusiasm, showed it to my mother. She gave me a stern look and said “Where are you going to gallivant in this? Fold it and keep it in the box.”..I was scared of my mother. She could kill me. At night I wore the blouse and showed it to my husband said it looked good. [the next morning] I came out wearing the blouse…. I didn’t notice my mother coming. Suddenly I heard her break a piece from a coconut branch, When turned round, she was behind me fierce and furious. she said “Take it off… you want to walk around in shirts like Muslim women?”

Answer Source E is giving the views in Bengal whereas Source F is from Kerala. We see that in Bengal, a woman’s exposure of the body by wearing transparent clothing was considered shameful.

It was not acceptable to society. However, in Kerala, the upper parts of women’s bodies were normally not covered with any clothes. If some women covered the upper part of the body, they were considered not traditional, although the current generation accepted it (her husband liked it).

So, these sources tell us that the nations of shame in two different regions of India were totally different.

Page 173

Activity 1 If you were a poor peasant would you have willingly taken to given up mill-made cloth?

Answer  Yes, I would have willingly taken to given up mill-made cloth as would support the Swadeshi Movement, which has the interests of Indians in mind. However, it would have made me suffer some hardship, as khadi was costly and not easily available.

Page 176

Activity 1 Can you think of other reason why the use of khadi could not spread among some classes, castes and regions of India?

Answer  The wearing of khadi could not spread all over India for the reasons given below.

1) Khadi was costly and most people could not spin it at home and then weave it for cloth. Rich people were not interested in khadi cloths: they preferred western outfits.

2) Caste regulation limited people to wearing certain type of dresses only and in some cases, khadi clothes of the kind traditionally worn by them were not available.

3) The remote regions of India were not even aware of what kind was, Why they should wear it and where to get it. So the wearing of khadi did not penetrate all over India.

Activities

Page 178

Activity 1 Imagine you are the 14-year-old child of a trader. Write a paragraph on what you feel about the sumptuary laws in France.

Answer The sumptuary laws in France are aimed at controlling the behaviour of those considered socially inferior by the aristocracy. These laws prevented individuals from the lower strata of society, like my trading family, from wearing certain clothes, consuming certain foods and beverages, and hunting game in certain areas.

These laws have been in existence in France for 500 years. They do not want us enjoy our lives, even if we have the money to do so. This has also reduced our customers, as we are able to sell the good things to only a limited number of people. So, now my father is trying to sell the expensive goods in other European countries by exporting them.

Activity 2 Can you think of any expectations of proper and improper dress which exist today? Give examples of two forms of clothing which would be considered disrespectful in certain places but acceptable in others.

Answer  The quality and applicability of dresses on various occasions and at various locations make them acceptable or disrespectful. Our expectations of a dress would be that it should be comfortable and not hampering movement, cover the body adequately so it does not appear indecent and that it should cover us against any adverse weather conditions like intense heat, freezing cold and so on. 

Forms of clothing which may be considered acceptable or disrespectful in different situations can be as follows

(i) A pyjama -kurta will be acceptable if worn at home, but will not suit a dress for a modern office job, where western style dress will be more suitable.

(ii) If a lawyer is arguing a case in Court and attends it wearing Jeans and T-shirt, it will be considered disrespectful to the Court. However, if the lawyer is attending a picnic with his family and friends with the same Jeans and T-shirt, it will be considered appropriate