Clothing and culture = Ete your 1. Define terms related to clothing: dress, style, fashion, fad, vogue, silhouette, couture, etc. 2 Describe the dress of Caribbean people as it relates to our culture, and the culture from which it came. 8 Describe clothing used in various ceremonial rites and festivals. 4 List reasons for wearing clothes. fof design. ments and ling and ion of terms , +» Fashion. A particular style of clothing that is popular at a given time. « Style. A type of garment that has specific characteristics that make it unique Styles have special names that are used by people in the fashion industry. ‘There are different siyles of pants, dresses, skirts, necklines, etc. An A-line skirt isa style of skirt +-Classic. A style that stays in fashion for a long time. « Fad. A style that is popular for a short period of time, « Silhouette. Outline shape that shows when we look in the mirror. Three basic silhouettes or shapes go through the fashion cyce about every 100 years. ‘These Silhouettes are: the bell, back fullness and the tubular. «+ Vogue. In fashion: what is in style at the moment is “in vogue’. + Couture. Clothes made to Theasure for individual customers. Haute couture garments are made of the finest and most luxurious fabrics, use superb needlework and a great deal of handwofk. They are very expensive, Haute couture ‘houses’ refers to firms whose designers (in French, cousurier for male jesigner and conturiéve for female), twice a yeat, create and present for sale a Zollection of original designs that are then duplicated for individual customers ona made to oner bass. - « Fashion cycle. The periodic return of specific styles afid general shapes. ean people and dress You can tell a lot about Caribbean people by the clothes they wear. ‘Throughout the centuries, social changes brought about changes in iashion. What we wear reflects our lifestyles and values, as well as advancement in technology. Our ancestors lived in small isolated groupings and wore animal skins as clothing, Different tribes wore special animal skins, such as lion and tiger, to stand out and be recognized. Elaborate headdresses, tattoos and Clothing and cuture 73 RS om pe TY egTRO RE frre jewellery were worn to display a special status. At that time clothing was made using hand tools and limited skills. Technology led to the production of fabrics by spinning and weaving. At that time wealth was one way of distinguishing between social classes. The Poor wore homemade garments, while the wealthy wore more expensive clothing made from imported fabric. Farmers and factory workers had very few clothes. A woman might have one dress for special occasions, while a man had one suit for church and funerals, In some rural communities today, this is still the case. With the advent of the-industrial revolution and the use of electricity, labour-saving devices were born. This development saw more women going out to work. Some became nurses, teachers and clerks. Ready-made mass-produced clothing became available, with the shirtwaist dress being the first ready-to-wear clothing available for women : Today, Caribbean people are {reer to dress as they wish, However, there are general Social standards regarding dress even though the rules are less rigid. The general trend is towards more edsual wear, even sometimes at work. In some workplaces, employees cag hardly wait for a Friday to ‘dress down’. This form of dress is usually jeans and the company’s T-shirt or an ordinary shirt. There is a wide variety of clothing available due to mass production. More people have money, enabling them to purchase more clothes than earlier generations. The media influence how we dress. When a clothing style is worn on television or in newspapers, people become more aware of it. They may decide to adopt that partiediar Style. Because our association with the United States, Canada and Europe is so strong in terms of Caribbean people migrating there, we receive dress styles from these places on a regular basis from friends and family. The minute a style becomes in-¥ogue it is on the Caribbean market. Our proximity to these countries where fashion is born makes this possible. Clothing details go through fashion cycles. The width of pant legs and neckties changes from wide to narrow to wide again over time. Skirt lengths are near the ankles one year and over the knees the next. The Caribbean show-windows for dress design and fashion are a replica of the show-windows of the larger countries mentioned above. While this makes us Caribbean people no different in wear from our more affluent neighbours, there are also certain particular factors which make us unique. This is mainly in our clothing customs for ceremonial rites and festivals that originate in part from several other cultures. Traditional clothing Despite pressures to adopt Western fashion, many Caribbean people have maintained or readopted traditional dress, either for everyday usc or for special occasions. Also, many styles of traditional dress have been assimilated into Western clothing. The reasons for preserving traditional dress are as follows: -onomics for CSEC* Examinations: ¢* Traditional dress tends to be durable and slow to change, so it discourages buying new fashions + It reinforces the values that the originating culture holds towards the body and gender and is consistent with the original religious teaching +I reinforces tribal or national identity and may indicate a visual separation from the Western culture and values. * Traditional dress is used even within Western culture when a statement needs to be made about what are regarded as unchanging values. That is why traditional dress is used at graduations, investitures, weddings, funerals and many other activities. * Traditional dress also expresses the aesthetic values of a particular culture. The bold geometric colourful design of the African dress is often seen in the Caribbean. + It is also designed for practical use in the climate and conditions of an African influence on Caribbean dress ‘The majority of Caribbean people are descendents of Africans who were brought across the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa to work on plantations in the West Indies. The roots of the African influence on our current Caribbean fashion reach as far back as ancient Egypt. Egyptians used their native flax to fashion linen loincloths for men and rectangular sheaths for women. The weaving process used by the ancient Egyptians led to the development of the horizontal loom that is used to weave many of the cloths found in Africa, Usually men weave on horizontal looms with a single pair of hedges that produce a narrow strip of cloth. These strips are called ‘kente’ strips. Several of the strips may be sewn together edge to edge to produce a larger cloth, which may be sewn into a garment or used as a wrapper or blanket The men wear the danshiki (shirt), the sokoto (trousers) and the filia (cap). The kofia or chepeo are other types of head covering worn by men. There may also be a flowing vest or poncho overgarment, the agabada, worn over the danshiki. This garment gives the traditional regal African male appearance. The agabada is generally worn on special and more formal occasions. Women wear the asa oke in a number of styles. The flowing type of top is called a buba. This particular style originated in Senegal and is a comfortable and elegant garment for women of all sizes. A typical African Gress is called a kanzu or gauni, a skirt is called a skati. Women’s asa oke are fashioned not only with embroidery but also with a technique called appliqué. This technique was originally used to patch holes in a fabric and to create symbolic designs on wall hangings for kings. Women’s asa oke usually come in a four-piece outfit. + wrapper * buba + headtie + shoulder pieceChinese influence on Caribbean dress LNT PITTA LE FO ‘The asa oke is worn on special occasions such as weddings, christenings and graduations. Recently Kente has become one of the most popular fabries among Africans, It is now a status symbol within communities in Africa that produce this hand- woven artful masterpiece, and even today it is esteemed as society's most elegant traditional attire. ‘The African influence on Caribbean dress is o! great importance today. Firstly, many Caribbean people in search of their roots identify with their heritage by wearing African dress, especially 2) formal occasions, What is worn is very close to the ‘asa oke style with the wrapper, headtie, buba and shoulder piece, usually in African-design fabric if not the authentic kente. The fabric design Is gaining prominence in today’s dothing market more in some islands than others, Caribbean people are drawn to the same bold colours geometric patterns and flowing shapes, which today are reinterpreted into modern silhouettes. Shiny iridescent tunics, pants and decorated jackets are worn, Textured fabrics with a hand crafted feel, such as washed linens, textured rayons, crinkle and crochet, are also worn as they give a warm human touch. Decorated fabrics feature gold embroidered African symbols, beading and appliqué. For many, wearing these styles is 4 way of showing pride in their African heritage ning and Textilessuch as ecently fabrics within hand- y it is ‘ional bean their lly at 10 the 2 and brie if arket, pbean which ettes, rated and- ured hey bries ding The Chinese used fabrics and decorative motifs for symbolic purposes. The motifs were like a visual vocabulary. They formed words or phrases and when combined created sentences, These were used to adorn and decone the Chinese dress. Today, these same prints are very much in vogue in Caribbean wear, particularly in shirts and blouses, Indian influence on Caribbean dress Indian sithouetes A silhouctte refers to the outer shape of a garment. The basic sithouettes that may be incorporated into the Indian silhouette are: * Arline. The hem is larger in proportion to the chest and waist, thus giving an A-shaped appearance * Shift. This has a straight cylindrical shape achieved by siving the same ‘measurement to the chest, waist and hem. This is best achieved when it has a close fit ‘Tent. Here the garment is flared from the armhole. It must be dose fitting at the bust. Empire line. There is a panel dividing the garment horizontally from below the bust. Asymmetrical. This does not have a symmetrical form. It can be achieved by varying the true colours, panels and hemlines, Empire ne shit Asymmetrical All the above silhouettes have been in style in the Caribbean over the years. Today there are still variations to be found of all of them,Clothing for ceremonial rites and festivals Ceremonial dress differs from everyday dress in the quantity and level of ornaments and decoration attached. Ceremonial dress is deeply tied to tradition, for example the opening of the high court dictates that all lawyers magistrates and judges wear their special court attire with wigs as part of their dress. Some religious ceremonies also use dress to indicate the type of ceremony: for example the priest’s vestments indicate the type of mass. The two most universal ceremonies celebrated throughout most of the world since recorded history began are the recognition of a marriage, or some similar union for procreation, and the recognition of a death. Weddings rf TALL. LAI 7 Wedding attire In the Caribbean, weddings represent a joyous occasion. A wedding is seen 5 the beginning of a new family unit, potential growth of the society and = strengthening of ties between two families. Most dress associated with wedding is symbolic of beauty, fertility, purity and strength. Wearing certain items als .C* Examinations: Clothing and Textilesenhances protection or good fortune. Originally the veil was supposed to protect, the bride from the ‘evil eye’. Rice thrown at the couple symbolizes fertility. The bride wears something new, something old and something borrowed, for good luck, A white dress symbolizes the bride's virginity when the bride is not pregnant. This association with virginity has decreased as sexual values and behaviours have changed. The bridal bouquet is of special significance as itis, thrown up in the air as the bride leaves for her honeymoon. It is believed that the lady who catches this bouquet will marry soon. The groom also removes the bride’s garter and throws it up in the air for a prospective groom to catch. The wedding dress is usually well designed, long and flowing, often with a train and beautifully decorated with lace and beads, The groom wears a fine tuxedo that, is usually well tailored. The maid of honour who is privileged to assist the bride throughout the ceremony wears a slightly different colour from the other bridesmaids. They too are dressed claborately with similar colours and designs, Funerals Funeral attire- rte fre -_ = ~ The recognition of death or mourning is a sad and frightening occasion for most persons. Special clothing for mourning has been used throughout the world, mainly to demonstrate grief. Some people wear black exclusively when a close relative or friend dies. As the mourning period continues, a touch of white may be added, followed by purple, before moving on to other colours. The length and intensity of the mourning period varies according to the closeness of one’s relationship with the deceased ~ from one day for a friend to the rest of their life for a spouse. Reasons for wearing clothes Your clothes can speak for you. They can help to express your personality, your values and your self-image. You wear clothes everyday and they help you to look your best. ll people have certain basic needs. Clothing can help to satisfy physical, psychological and social needs. Protection, comfort and safety are physical needs. Status and prestige are social needs. Clothing can help to meet all these needs Protection Protection from the weather is one of the most important physical roles played by clothing. People in cold countries wear warm clothing, while we in the Caribbean wear cool clothing to help us remain cool in our warm climate. Safety and security Clothing is also worn to protect us by keeping us safe from harm and injury. Safety clothing is needed in some occupations. Fire fighters wear flame- resistant clothing with heavy boots and specially designed hats. Medical workers wear gloves and masks to protect them from. disease-causing bacteria. These coverings are disposed of after use. Love and acceptance People have a need to receive affection and love from others and will dress in a certain manner if they think that it will help satisfy this need. They also want to feel that they belong to a particular group, and this too guides them in their clothing. Standards of behaviour are learnt from an early age and what we learn about what is expected of us in dress is no exception. These standards of dress vary from one culture to another. Modesty In the Caribbean, modesty in dress i still prized. Although people seem to be showing off more and more of their bodies, modesty is still the norm, Modesty in dress refers to covering the body according to what is considered proper by the local community. In the Caribbean too much exposure of the body is still considered immodest. These standards depend on the situation: