SESSION 1: THE HISTORICAL OBJECT

WHAT DOES MY CLOTHING SAY ABOUT ME?

Blog task 1: 

• Ensure you have a functioning blog. 
• Drawing upon the key ideas in the session – how a cultural text (i.e. a piece of clothing) can reflect the culture in which it was created.
• Photograph a piece of clothing from your own wardrobe and critique: design, materials and manufacture details, form v function, colour, cultural connotations etc (250 – 300 words). Upload photograph, critique (& any session notes) to your blog.

Before our session I would not have thought too much about what my clothing really says, but after going through the lecture I am prepared to talk more about my clothing. For this task I have decided to pick out an Indian saree.
 
The culture of the saree is a cultural piece of clothing that is worn by South Asian communities. South Asian women across the regions would wear different styles of sarees depending on their culture and religion. This stands out as how diverse India is, we are all linked by the styles of sarees. The way to style this suit is the have the chunni (scarf) to be worn around the neck. The saree is the most suitable attire to be worn by South Asian women. The saree can have various styles across all subcontinents (such as a Bengali style which would look different compared to the suit I have)
 
The function of a saree is for it to be a more fashionable look for formal events as the designs and patterns also help give the suits more definition and character to the piece. As I have a one-piece saree, they come with a bottom pairing making it more flexible to walk around than most traditional 9-yard sarees would making it more practical to wear outside as well as inside. I like wearing these one-pieced sarees as they feel more comfortable as well as enjoying the flowing movement the bottom ends of the suit give out
 
When it comes to the materials there are many variety’s to chose from. The fabrics used for my suit consist of cotton, a material that is most comfortable to wear and keep you cool in hot weather. There is also a mesh like layer over the cotton which brings out the design more – the texture of mesh seems really captivating. I have always been fascinated in the different styles that sarees come in and have wanted to try out the other different designs they come in although would not have many reasons to wear one as I used to.
 
Nonetheless it also comes down to the different colour variations you can get which makes them more appealing to the individual – personally I did not choose the colours of my suits as my grandpa had gotten me it during his trip to India and I was not at all that fussy on colour. My suit heavily consists of cyan which to me symbolizes being restful and calming. But there is also magenta which symbolizes peace, harmony and emotional balance (but also having violet (compassion) and red (passion) tendencies. 

​Personally, for me I do believe these colours best suit me although I like to wear a wide range of colours it all depends on personality and what colours we associate ourselves with. This suit is more towards standing out which I do not prefer but for events it feels more natural. I want to look and feel a lot more confident in these suits before I would be able to move onto more traditional two-piece suits where the chunni drapes around the shoulder to waist. To me this suit represents my culture and heritage which, I think, needs to be more appreciated for. ​​

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Session Notes