Salwar Kameez suggestions

[beerdrinkinlass]

I recently got the go-ahead from my boss to purchase a couple of these for some upcoming conferences. If you're not familiar, the outfit consists of a knee length tunic (kameez), loose fitting pants that are long enough to pool at the ankles (salwar), and a scarf (dupatta). They are typically worn with shoes like thesePros of the salwar kameez

Comments

[elizawrites]

A white friend of mine occasionally wears Salwar Kameez, but her husband is Pakistani and I know she spends a lot of time in Pakistan. I personally would not feel comfortable as a white person wearing them.

[onceupon]

I kind of second this. I spent a month in India and wore them while I was there because it was the most appropriate clothing. But I haven't worn them since I've been back - it just doesn't seem respectful.

Interestingly, the shoes don't concern me as much. Like, the clothing feels appropriative when I think about wearing it but not the shoes. Huh.

[beerdrinkinlass]

Why doesn't it seem respectful? Did you get this from the folks you spoke with in India while you were there? I'm not trying to be antagonistic, but I'm looking for experience-based opinions, not just feelings. I'm sincerely interested because I certainly don't want to wear something that has inclusive meaning to a certain culture (like the items mentioned in asryal's post.

And what is the difference between the outfits and the shoes in your mind?

[onceupon]

The salwar kameez is traditional cultural clothing. Its lack of religious significance doesn't remove its cultural identification. I wore it in India because otherwise I attracted a LOT of stares and caused disruption even though I was careful to dress extremely modestly

[beerdrinkinlass]

I can see where you are coming from with this comment, but it makes me wonder if you are taking a viewpoint that the actual people of that region don't share.

And if you think wearing a salwar kameez to a conference is going to get you LESS attention, I would argue with that as well. Less sexual attention, yes, due to the modest cut of the clothing. Less attention in general, I hope not; the bright colors are part of the reason I like these garments.

[onceupon]

I have no adequate response - showing respect to a culture doesn't seem to matter to you unless the majority of that culture has explicitly stated that something you want to do is offensive.

And, really, a garment doesn't have to be "immodest" to attract sexual attention, particularly when it has an "exotic" appeal.

[beerdrinkinlass]

I have no adequate response - showing respect to a culture doesn't seem to matter to you unless the majority of that culture has explicitly stated that something you want to do is offensive.

I do apologize if I come off that way, but it really isn't my intent. I'm not looking for 50.1%of the population to say, "yeah, go for it!".

[onceupon]

Can you maybe please elaborate a bit on your intent, then? Maybe that will help. What I am reading, in a lot of your comments, is that you want someone from India to offer you a factual assessment of how the majority of the country views this issue. MY issue with that is, as I said in a different thread, I don't think it is possible for that sort of consensus to necessarily exist and, as bias_cut said, this community is REALLY white and the likelihood of a person who possessed that knowledge seeing this and responding is incredibly low.

My own strategy, when I have doubts about whether or not something is appropriative, is to not wear it.

[beerdrinkinlass]

I don't think it is possible for that sort of consensus to necessarily exist and, as bias_cut said, this community is REALLY white and the likelihood of a person who possessed that knowledge seeing this and responding is incredibly low.

Yes, having read those points after all of the initial discussion, I agree, and am more knowledgeable for it. I guess I assumed (and we all know the saying on that one!) that the garment would only be popular in regions of India, not the entire country, and even if it was, that there would be a general consensus on it kind of like Americans do with jeans (not appropriate for most formal occasions, for example). Not everyone might agree with that statement, but I think it's the general opinion.

[yencommakris]

I'll go ahead and say that I agree with most of this post. However, I will say that wearing clothing from a specific culture that has no religious or ceremonial significance, and is not stereotypically negatively charged, is not problematic in my mind. I may not have a good grasp of what appropriation is. But if you wear items that makes functional sense or is aesthetically pleasing in your situation, I think that's fine. I've seen little old Asian ladies wearing veils over their faces and babushkas and bonnets on their heads to keep the sun off. I doubt anyone would call them out for being culturally appropriative.

I wore a salwar kameez without knowing what it was called to a punjabi wedding once, and my date had his head wrapped. It was the groom's idea and everyone seemed to get a big kick out of it. However, I also would never go out in public wearing one.

[onceupon]

In some other thread I said that the central issue, when it comes to appropriation, is one of cultural power and who has it. White Western culture "borrows" things, then strips then of any cultural significance they may have had, claiming it is all in the name of the melting pot.

I would have a lot less trouble with "borrowing" if we were actually aware of and respectful towards the cultures from whom we claim to borrow. I wore a salwar kameez when I was in India because it was respectful of the culture - it caused much less disruption and didn't garner undo attention the way my Western clothes did. You wore traditional clothing to a traditional wedding. I think that is good.

But wearing a salwaw kameez and claiming it is "just fashion" really indicates that white American culture (because I can't speak for what is going on in Europe) still has no intention of doing anything other than coopting the things they "borrow" for own our comfort and ease.

[onceupon]

Well, I am obviously not the cultural appropriation police but I don't know that *I* would be comfortable wearing clothing that was identifiable as the traditional dress of another culture. I think plenty of different national costumes are utterly gorgeous but my comfort - i.e., the compliments I receive wearing something beautiful, the literal comfort of the garment, that sort of thing - is secondary to the voices of the people of color I have heard speaking out about how appropriation makes them feel, especially in a community like this one

[petitfour]

Wait, so are you saying that retro clothing reinforces the dominant values of the time-period they're from?

[onceupon]

I don't think, given the tenor of our past exchanges, that it would be in any way fruitful to try to explain what I meant to you. I was not making a blanket statement.

[petitfour]

Wow, I asked for a clarification on a metaphor you used, and you've decided that because I've disagreed with you in the past that I'm not worth talking to ever again.

Why comment back to me at all then? Because I would rather be ignored than belittled.