UNIVERSITY OF DURBA...~-WESTVD:J:E

TEE ATTITUDES OF THE HINDU AND MUSLD1

FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENl'S

TOWARDS THE USE AND ACCEPTANCE

OF THE INDIAN TRADITIONAL

DRESS

D. CHETTY

STUDENT

REG NO.

COURSE

DATE

._-------

THE ATTITUDES OF THE HINDU AND MUSLIM FEMALE

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TOWARDS THE

USE AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE

INDAIN TRADITIONAL DRESS

MISS D. CHETTY

21232

HOME ECONOMICS RESEARCH PROJECT

20-10-1988

, .L..at.~'T" _

LIST OF GRAPHS

GRAPH 1 THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDE~TS OF THE TWO GROUPS (HINDUS AXD

MUSLIMS) THAT POSSESS NONE, ONE, TWO, THREE-FIVE, FIVE-TEN,:2 ~

AND MORE THAN TEN TRADITIONAL OUTFITS.

GRAPH 2

GRAPH 3

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE THE TRADITIONAL

OUTFIT ONCE A YEAR, ONCE I~ SIX MONTHS, ONCE EVERY FIVE

YEARS, RESPONSES NOT APPLICABLE.

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE THE TRADITIONAL

OUTFITS IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS.

25

27GRAPH 4 THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE ONE, TWO, THREE, OR

2()

. MORE THAN THREE TRADITIO~AL OUTFITS AT A TIME. ()

GRAPH 5 THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIO~AL

OUTFIT DAILY, WEEKLY, MO~THLY, YEARLY. 2DGRAPH 6 :THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL

OUTFIT TO THE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. 3 ()GRAPH 7 THE PERCENTAGE OF PARENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT

DAILY, WEEKLY, MONTHLY, YEARLY, OTHERS.

The Centre does not claim respon~ibility forthe authenticity and accuracy of the contentsof unpublished material such as students'theses etc.

1-- ----------- -----

32

: ;

LIST OF TABLES .---

A WESTERN OUTFIT.

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDE~TS THrlT PAY THE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR

A TRADITIONAL OUTFIT. ~ f)

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDE~TS THAT PAY THE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR

2G

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT PREFER TO WEAR THE WESTERN

TABLE 3

TABLE 4

THE PERCENTAGE OF STCDE~TS THAT PREFER TO WEAR THE

TRADITIONAL OUTFIT TO UNIVERSITY.

OUTFIT TO SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

31

31

. L. ::e

1) CHOLA

2) DHOTI

3) DUPATTA

4) KAMARBAND

5) MANTLE

6) SAFA

7) TUNIC

\

\,

TERMINOLOGY

A blouse that covers the upper part of the wooan's

body.

A piece of cloth fastened around the waist - worn

mainly by men.

: A mantle / veil.

A cloth girdle usually fastened around Den's waist.

A veil - worn by women & sooetirnes by men.

A turban or a cloth band for the hair.

A long shirt with slits either at the sides or at the

back.

$ . Q

CONTENT

1 ) INTRODUCTION

2 ) THE ART OF CLOTHING IN GENERAL

3 ) THE TYPES AND FORMS OF INDIAN CLOTHES

3.1 ) THE DHOTI

3.2) THE SARI

3.3) THE SKIRT

3.4) THE TROCSERS

3.5) THE BODICE

3.6) THE SHIRT

3.7) THE COAT

3.8) TBE MANTLE

3.9) THE TURBAN

3.10) THE CAP

3.11) pOOn'lEAR

4 ) I~DL~)J COSTUMES FROr-I THE EARLIEST THIES TO THE FIRST

CENTURY B. C.

5) I~DIAN COSTCMES PROM THE FIRST CENTURY A.D. TO THE

BEGI~~ING OF THE-POURTH CENTURY.

~) INDIAN COSTUMES FROM THE THIRD CENTURY TO THE END

OF THE SEVENTH CENTURY A.D.

7) INDIA);' COSTUMES FROM THE EIGHT CENTURY TO THE TWELFTH

CENT[RY.

8) COS~ETICS THAT WERE [SED IN ANCIENT INDIA.

9) THE DRESS OF THE WOMEN OF INDIA.

10) THE ~OGCL INFLCENCE ON THE INDIAN TRADITIONAL DRESS.

PAGE

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11

I:?

13

14

16

17

11) THE INFLUENCE OF THE WESTERX CCLTURE O~ THE I~DIA~

TRADITIONAL DRESS.

12) THE FUTURE OF I~DIAN CLOTHES.

13) AIM.

14) METHODOLOGY

14.1) THE SUBJECTS

14.2) THE PROCEDURE

15) RESULTS.

16) DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION.

17) REFERENCES.

18) APPENDIX

20

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37

38

1) INTRODUCTION:

The study is a report of the responses of certain groups of

Indian university students towards the use and acceptance of

their traditional dress. It is directly related to the impact

of westernisation on the current use of the Indian dress.

The three quarter million Indian population comprises of

Hindus (70%) ;Muslims (20%); and Christians (10%) (Department

of Information ,1975 in Lambey 1980 ). The Christian group

was not considered for the purpose of this research because

of their minority. It was only the females that were

considered for this research. The styles of clothing are

among many of other readily observable acceptances of westernJ

cultural itens that bear evidence of the progessive influenceI

of the process of westernisation. Westernisation is a change

towards a mode of life characteristically found and developed

in Western Europe and North America(Schoombee and

Mantzaris,1985). Schoonbee & Mantzaris (1985) quote Srinivas as saying

"The social contact that takes place in everyday life between varlOUS

people ,ethnic and class groups has a direct effect on their

behaviour,custons,culture,and way of life"

1

2) THE ART OF CLOTHING IN GENERAL :

Dress denotes all the various arts and devices invented by

man to transform his physical features by means of covering,

mutilation or paints."There are three stages in the history

of dress namely nakedness,covering and clothes;and they are

the three stages in civilisation. It is good a division as

any -man naked,man covered,man clothed - nature,decency,art -

nothing,something,beauty,"(Cavers in Dar,1982). This

thought can be easily illustrated in the history of Indian

clothing. The Indian population originated as a group dressed

very barely but as time passed they became accustomed to

covering their bodies,something which they eventually

considered a neccesity. An increasing fashion trend today is•

the displacement of emphasis from the mere covering purpose

of clothes,to the beauty thereof.

clothes are besides the only channel through which ·man can

fit himself into the colour scheme of Nature and impart a

loveliness to his physical characteristics. The apparel

shapes man. The human body does frequently stand in need of

clothes for the formation of its correct aesthetic outline.

However the chief attribute of clothes is their shape which

gives them character (Dar, 1982).

2-

•

3) THE TYPES AND FORMS OF INDIAN CLOTHES ~

The evolution of Indian costume has been a process of

expansion and survival. A brief description of the types

and forms of Indian clothes will be discussed:

3.1) The dhoti (waist ~ cloth of men)

This garment, for the lower limbs, is a scanty piece of cloth

fastened around the waist , its ends carried tightly between

the legs to the back and tucked at the waist. This dress is

conmon anong Hindus in Madras. However a p1ece of fabric

is also worn by the Muslins but in a different forn,(Dar,

1982).

3.2) The sari or the body cloth of women ~

The sari is a feminine garment which even ln its most modernI

state seems to have retained sonething of its original

antique charm. It is worn in numerous ways depending upon the

province.It can be very simple or elaborate depending on the

type of fabric it is made of. The sari is worn over a tight~

fitting ,short-sleeved or sleeveless bodice or sometimes even

a long-sleeved bodice. A long petticoat is worn which reaches

to the ankles and is tied at the waist with a dra"string. The

sari is wrapped around the petticoat,pleated in front and

tucked in at the ~aist. The long end is draped over the

shoulder. It can also be draped over the head or tucked into

the waist to form a drape,(Dar,1982).

3.3) The skirt :

The Indian skirt,denied from the immenorial sari 1S a garment

adopted mainly by Hindu women in the western and northern

parts of India. They are designed 1n var10US styles and are

3

given different names. The Muslim ~oman's go~n also ccnsis~

of a skirt. An ornamental border at the lower edge is a very

characteristic feature of nanv of the skirts worn b~ the

females (Dar, 198~).

3.4) The trousers ~

The pajana,or trousers,is both a male and a female garment in

India. It is made ~ '-<=OI a palr 0-,- legs of medium width, dropping

straight fron the waist to the ankles, and joined toget~e~

at the uppe r part by means of a gusset. There is also a f::>:-::-i '.JI: ::lose-

fitting trousers which 'sit glovetight' from knees to ankles.

These are worn both by the Hindus and Muslims of the upper

classes (Da.r , 198~).

4

3.5) The bodice fa choli :

Most Indian women drape the upper part of their bodies

in a kind of brassiere - a garment designed to support the

breast whose form it d~fines and, by its pattern accentuates.

The Indian bodice 1S fastened i~ £ron~ ~y buttons or

ribbons and the collar is generally adorned tv~tt ~n edging of

silk cord. The bodice is worn bv both the Hindus and Muslims.

( Da r, 1982).

5

3.6) The shirt

The shirt is a loose upper garment which is worn outside

the drawers. When worn by women,the shirt is short-sleeved

and seldon reaches lower than the hips. A hip - length

shirt is rapidly being displaced by a knee - length

shirt with a low cut neckline. The shirt worn long with a

sari is shorter in length (Dar, 1982).

The Indian coat has seen so many changes in the course of its

history. These were also available in various, styles ego

a shaggy leathern coat,or long coat buttoned tightly from

the neck to the waist but open in the skirt (Dar, 1982)

3.8) The mantle:

This lS a wonan's garment though i~ IS occassionally also

worn bv men. The mantle forms a Hindu woman's only veil

in that it is the only garment at her disposal with which

she can screen her face frOD public view. A Muslin wonan's

6

veil is much more COplOUS. It consists of a long closely -

pleated skirt,half slit in front and furnished with small,

square-cut eye-holes and a round skull cap. The skirt

encircles the whole body and covers her from head to foot

(Dar, 1982).

3.9) The turban

The term ~turban' embraces the entire range of cloth bands

for the head. These bands are a complete head-dress. The

manner of tying the turban denotes a man's social position

and culture. Those who lay claim to a superior culture

and more refined tastes,wrap them round their-heads with

such care that the outer surface looks polished and smooth.I

(Dar, 1982).

7

3.10) The cap:

Towards the eastern parts of India,the head-dresses became

smaller and scantier which maybe due to the descending

degree in which Indian society was influenced by Islamic

culture. The cap is not a female article of dress in

India,it is essentially a part of man's dress. The Muslims

wear cylindrical caps while the Hindus prefer low round

caps (Dar, 1982).

3.11) Footwear:

Shoes are not generally worn in India especially in Southern

and Eastern India. In Northern India,the common shoe is

boat-shaped constructed of leather with a low heel and

flat sole. In the past it was very coarse and heavy but

nowadays the various European-shaped slippers and shoes

are extensively being used by men and women in large

Indian towns (Dar,1982).

Athough the wardrobe of Indian men and wonen continues

to be replenished due to the influence of the West,it

still retains enough of its orientalisn (Dar,1982).

8

4) INDIAN COSTUMES FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE FIRST CENTURY B.C.

The costumes from the very begining have played a very

important part in expressing the advancement of material

culture of the human race. In India with its warm climate the

articles of clothing in the beginning were quite simple.

A dhoti, a dupatta, a safa and a ka~arband completed a man's

wardrobe. A sari, a mantle and exuberance of ornaments were

sufficient for the women. These simple articles of dress

were worn in different ways to give them artistic touch.

The Indians continued to patronise their own national dress.

An interesting phase in the history of Indian costume arose

in the fourth century when sewn garments became prevalent•

especially on the bodies of servants, dancers and soldiers.

However kings and queens went bare bodied. Each period had

its own fashion and the mode of dressing shows that the

Indians were as much alive to the vagaries of fashion as any

other nation in the world. The skirt or sari worn during

this period terminated well above the knees. The upper par~s

of the bodies of men and women were covered by another

~arment which was either a jacket or bodice. The drapi\

WaS worn by Den and WODen of social standing. The queen\

wore a turban as a token of her status (Chandra,1973)

Patterned and coloured garments were prohibited anong

certain subgroups within the Hindu religion. So was the use

of cloth with cut borders, long borders and enbroiderd

borders. Shoes and sandals of different shapes,colours and

materials formed an important article of the costume. Shoes

9

that covered the ankles, full boots and shoes padded with.

cotton-wool were in great fashion. But these were forbidden

to certain groups within the Hindu religion. The garnents

were worked in gold and ornamented with precious stones.

The upper part of most of the female figures seem to be

devoid of clothing. The heads of the women are always

covered with beautiful veils (Chandra,1973).

\

10

5) INDIAN COSTUMES FROM THE FIRST CENTURY A.D. TO THE BEGINNING OF

THE FOURTH CENTURY •

In North-Western India, besides the typical Indian costume consisting

of dhoti, mantle and turban, and the sari, there are foreign elements

consisting of tunics, trousers, high boots and caps. The dress of the

Tamil people differed according to their rank in society. People of the

middle class in the Tamil society wore two pieces of cotton cloth-

one wrapped around the limbs and the other tied around the

head. They wore their hair long, loose or plaited. coloured

strings of silk fibres were used by the people of the higher

class to fasten their hair. The Tamil women ordinarily wore a

sari reaching to the ankles; the upper part of the body was /

entirely b~re. The torso .was decorated with sandal paste and

other fragant powders.

However the female costume also consisted of shirt,coat

and tunic. The shirt generally fell to the knees, was

fastened with a button and was so cut as to leave the naval

exposed. The shirt is either worn over. the petticoat or under

it. The women in South India did not over-burden their

bodies with unnecessary garmen~s; a sari, a scarf and a

mJntle being sufficient. Some primitive women wore leaf

skirts. Generally the women were fond of hairdressing an~ thev

showed preference for crowns and veils (Chandra,1973).

11

6) INDIAN COSTUMES FROM THE THIRD CENTURY A.D. TO THE END OF THE

SEVENTH CENTURY A.D.

Although it must be admitted that the Indians knew of sewn

garments from very early times, the introduction of sewn

garments in India on an extensive scale influenced to a

certain extent the costumes of majority of the people. It is

one of the prerequisites of fashionable society that its

members should be well dressed. It was common knowledge that

the majority of Indian garments were unsewn and that men

wore dhotis and the women saris. Throughout the year, the

country experiences high to extremely high temperatures. As a

result the dhoti and the sari remain the most suitable,

apparel from any point of view. However this did not preclude

the Indians f~~~"';;earing sewn and tailored garments.

Nevertheless there were variouss modes of wearing the unsewn

garments which imparted grace to the wearer and broke the

monotony. The clothes were adjusted by the women to the

seasons. The people of higher social status dressed in the

-garments befitting their position in society.The kurta was an

\article of clothing worn commory.ly in Northern India during

\,this period. The mode of wearing sewn garments of Central Asiatic

patterns (originated in Central Asia) seem to have made

headway among all classes of Indians. The costumes of ladies

of high rank were simple except for their ornamentation. It

can be seen that mere aesthetic considerations did not Dove

them to discard the mor~ convenient and hygienic dhoti,scarf

and sari in favour of tight tunics and trousers which were

12

the most uncomfortable articles in summer. Nonetheless the

simplicity of the costumes of the majority of the ancient

Indians lent itself to artistic modes of wearing

them (Chandra,1973).

7) INDIAN COSTUMES FROM THE EIGHT TO THE TWELFTH CENTURY :

The dress for girls and boys was not specifically defined.

However the description of the girls' dress was given. Girls

covered their breasts with a bodice and wore short saris to

cover their lower limbs. While growing up she tried the dress

befitting a young woman. They smeared their bodies with ash,

and applied collyriun (black substance) to their eyes.The

women of Northern and Western India wore hanging earrings and.~';;r~~~~.·'-,~";

hanging tremulous necklaces. In keeping with ancient

tradition the medieval Indian kings changed their garments

according to the weather ego in spring he wore smooth and

light and in rainy weather he wore red or brown garments

(Chandra,1973 ).

~ith the close of the thirteenth century the costume history

of India entered another phase. The Muslim conquest of

Northern India and subsequent consolidation of Muslim power

introduced alien fashions into the costumes of the century

{Chandra,1973l. However for a century,South India remained

imnune from the Muslim intrusion but by the end of the

thirteenth century, the costume history of parts of India

became one. Describing the dress of the Muslims,Barbosa in

"13

Chandra (1973) observes, "They go very well attired in rich

cloth of gold ,silk,cotton and camlets (mixed silk and

wool). They all wear turbans on their heads which are

long;drawers,and boots that are up to the knees. These boots

are made of very thick leather worked in very dainty devices

within and without the tip of the shoe."

8) COSMETICS THAT WERE USED IN ANCIENT INDIA:

Among the ancients certain colours were looked upon as life

givers; they were thought to have a magical power to increase

the vitality and strengthen the health of those who wore !

them. Today, also in Hindu rituals tumeric powder and red powder

are used as they are auspicious colours to the dieties to

which the Hindus pray. Different colours indicate particular

states of mind and body eg.black is associated with evil

passion and it must be inspired with an efficacy which is

powerful enough to drive away evil spirits. Cosmetics played

an important part in the ritual while they also satified the

vanity of men and women by adding charm to their personality\and increasing their natural beauty. Women and men used the

\

black substance for their eyes. Scents were favoured by

women (Chandra, 1973).

In India certain articles of perfumes such as sandalwood,

bdellium and camphor are supposed to be endowed with magical

qualities which drive away evil spirits. As an aid to their

natural charm the women painted their bodies and used

14

./

fragrant ointments. The women also dyed their finger tips and

toes with crimson red-like copper coloured substance. In

ancient India lips were coloured with beetle juice or herbal

dyes for increasing one's attractiveness. Curds and clotted

creams were sometimes rubbed into the hair - roots before

being washed to increase their gloss and softness. The

natural sheen and blackness of the hair were further

heightened by constant application of oils and by frequent

exposure to the rays of the sun (Dar,1982).

The people of India were fond of flowers and perfumes yielded

by the flowers. The women wore flower garlands on their

heads. widows were forbbiden to wear them. Garlands wreathed

of particular flowers were also worn by the Tamil kings as a

distinguishing mark. Women's ornaments consisted of anklets,

girdles,bracelets,bangles and earrings which gave them

adequate opportunity to bedeck themselves as they pleased.

ego below is an illustration of the Hindu mode of wearing dress and

ornaments.

15 a

DOLL SHO\VING HINDU MODE OF WEARING DRESSA:"'D OR~A:-'lE~TS, 19th CE~T. •

\ .DOLL SHOWING MODE OF WEARING DRESS AND

JEWELLER Y IN NORTH INDIA, 19th CENT.

-----,-.."",...~--,. -

9) THE DRESS OF THE WOMEN OF INDIA:

The dress of the people differed from place to place and from

class to class. The dress of the Hindus generally consisted of

two pieces of broad cotton cloth- one folded around the waist

reaching the ankles; the other was cast gracefully over the shoulders

There was also a shawl or turban tied round the head. It appears that

the Hindus of lower classes did not use sewn clothes. Meadow Taylor i:

Raychoudary(1978l said "Until after the Muhammadan(ie.Musliml

conquest, no clothes cut out and sewn together appear to have

been worn by Hindus ." However the Hindus of the higher

classes dressed like the Muslim nobility.

/

Women usually wore two types of garments

CI)A long,fine sheet of muslin-like the modern sari and a

bodice with the hem of the muslin.

(2) A long and very loose skirt and a chola .A long scarf was

also used for covering the head. The Hindu and Muslim

communities prefered light colours and prints on the fabric.

Musl im women hot....ever took to the sewn garments in place of

draped costumes, tRaychoudary,1978l. The dress of the women

of Kashmir were often criticised for being effeminate. They

wore loose gown buttoning at the neck and falling to the

ankles. Women wore skull cap surrounded by a fillet of red

colour for Muslims and a fillet of white colour for Hindus

(Iqbal and ~irash,1978). The leisured and rich classes paid

greater attention to physical adornment. However the women

paid greater attention to their physical charm than men. They

used antimony (black) for their eyes,vermillion for making

the parting of the hair, mask for the breast and betel-leaves

1C

for the lips. They also used black powder for the eye-brows.

Nevertheless widows did not use jewellery or any other forms

of ornamentation.

10) THE MOGUL INFLUENCE ON THE INDIAN TRADITIONAL DRESS

It was not until the time of the great Akbar(became a ruler of

India) that the task of creating that mutual sympathy between

the ruler and the ruled was really achieved. To achieve

this,the most effective method was to shatter the tradition

of the earlier Muslim courts by showing a greater interest in

the religion and customs of his subjects(Moguls - ie.Mongolians

that came from Mongolia). He tried to remove any communal

differences in dress and external appearances of the people

that might have tended to disturb the communal harmony which

he strove to bring about. When the Mogul ladies first set

their foot in India,they were dressed in long gowns,caps and

trousers. An inner garment was worn beneath the gown as a

short bodice reaching to the hips. A jacket was put on over

\the gown like a vest (Dar,1982).

There were frequent contacts between the Indians and Moguls.

Hindu and Muslim festivals were publicly celebrated with

great ceremonies and arrangements. The Mogul kings were very

found of organizing wonen's bazaars in which buyers and

sellers were exclusively women. The skirted robe which was

slit in front from the waist to the bottom,was similar to the

17~.. ----.-~---

gown Korn by the ~ogul females. Thus the garment can be seen

as a derivation,an imitation or a modification of the Mogul

gown. Hindu women wore either long drawers or a short under-

petticoat. Some of the Hindus and ~uslims were easily

influenced bv the Mogul dress whilst others were not.

They were not left uninfluenced altogether by the costumes of

the rulers. Cnder the influence of the Moguls, there was an

inclination for the shortening of the skirt;and the ~uslin

pants appears to have been

their looseness.

LADY IN TRADITIONAL MOGUL COSTUME

tapering shape, reducing

keep their women hidden; thick veils had become a nark of

respectability among both the Eindus and the ~usliDs. for a lady of

respectable rank to walk unveiled in public was consideced to be an ae

of extreme humiliation (Dar,198~).

18

The turban and coat laid the foundation what maybe called the

Indo-~ogul style of costume, ego a man in a ~ogul costune.

Akbar tied the turban after the popular Indian style of costune ~nc

altered the shape of the coat to make it conforn to the fashi0~

favoured by the Hindu. By the time the religion and culture oE ~~~

~!ogu13 had nade a pernanent nark on Indian history,the intergro~~h o~

the old and new forms of clothing had resulted in a multiforn

subdivision of costumes. )Jevertheless conDon bODd.

social fellowship or affiliations that united bodies of

people into groups with a conDon costume. Within the sane

""y::ial o r ecc;nODlC r,J.nr;e,nl~n of all c a s t e adopted t he s arne

class of atire. A Hindu can be easily distinguished by his

d~ess EroD a ~llisliuQ (Darf198~).

J9

\

11) THE INFLUENCE OF THE WESTERN CULTURE ON INDIAN TRADITIONAL DRESS

It was in the beginning of the seventeenth century that the English

first set foot in India as a company of traders. The Englishmen never

actively encouraged the adapt ion of European styles by the Indians.

Even after their rule was established, they did not seem to have any

ambitions beyond exploitation of wealth. It was when benevolent

administrators turned to the redress of India's social evils, the

greatest being the illiteracy of her masses, that western culture

began to cast its shadow on the Indian mind. with changes in Indian

fashions, English dresses were being worn more extensively by the

enlightened section of the Indian people. To a certain extent there

was an admixture of Eastern and Western fashions. New patterns

supplemented old ones thus there was an expansion of the mode of

dress (Dar,1982).

In India, the earliest types of dresses are today observed side by

side with modes of recent origin (Dar, 1982). Nevertheless with all

these styles in existence the sari stands today as the principal

national costume of the Indian woman. The costumes of the modern Indi

women gained in complexity and scantiness. However the wonen's costum

did not get repleted like the men's costume with strange English

dresses. But by the twenties of the present century Indian girls bega

to receive education in English schools and have close association

with Englishwomen. The Hindu and" Muslim ladies were emerging from

their seclusion, they began to move in public. Some of the women

utilised their impressions in modernising their present attire and a

race for seductiveness was started in woDen's fashions (Dar,1982).

20

Novelty and sensuousness are being looked upon as the essence of

modernity in fashions in India. Women's clothes are now being priced

for their sensual appeal and seductiveness. Novelty and change

are finding expression in the revival of some of the old modes of

personal adornment. It was the trappings of "modernised westernized

make-up that found most favour although antiquity at times seemed to

hold its own. The attainment of freedom by Indian women opened up ne~

vistas of" progress. Finally they attained a rich heritage of ornament

and clothing which given proper lead has a bright and glorious future

ahead (Dar, 1982).

12) THE FUTURE OF INDIAN CLOTHES :

We, fh~~ndividuals of human society, throw off dogmas and beliefs a

we grow in knowledge; reject ideals and standards as our experience 1

widened. Most people are however inclined to interpret and assess the

life-patterns of the different ages with their personal, moral and

civic standards. The future of clothes is bound up with the future of

the world. Because of the advance towards democracy, ideas of caste

and gentility have declined and there are no more queens to set the

fashions. In the future men's dresses are likely to be plainer and

more variable then the past. Two of the main elements in the social

history of India today that are likely to affect the structure of her

dress in the future are urbanisation and anti-feudalism (Dar, 1982).

Urbanisation is a process in which people begin to be drawn off in

large nunloers to the big cities because of greater social and economic

opportunities. Dress will cease to be an indicator of social

21

ttiH&,'rm ht

hierarchy. Similar modes and patterns will be manufactured by

designers to suit all pockets and tastes. Anti-feudalism is a social

philosophy which resents the denial of human rights. It will be the

task of the fashion-artists to make their products acceptable to all

ranks of consumers. They will be the ones to lead public taste and se

the future of fashions which has started in urban areas (Dar, 1982).

The Indian woman does not forget to appear presentably therefore she

is hardly likely to suffer from neglect regarding her dress. Clothing

is bound to hold a place of primary importance as one of the essentia

coefficients of existence. There is a rising popularity and growth of

fashions]

I

??

13) AIM:

The attitudes of the Hindu and Muslim female university students

towards the use and acceptance of the Indian traditional dress.

14) METHODOLOGY

14.1) SUBJECTS : Fifteen Muslim and fifty three Hindu fenale students

irrespective of age, were chosen randomly from the main library at th

University of Durban Westville.

14.2) PROCEDURE :

14.2.1) FORMULATION OF QUESTIONAIRE :

Open-ended questions were formulated with emphasis on subjective

possession and use of the Indian traditional outfit. The Likert scale

was used in rating the responses.

14.2.2l DISTRIBUTION OF QUESTIONAIRES ~

The questionaires were handed out to .Muslin and Hindu female students

in the library. Th~y were asked to fill in their responses; the

questionaires were then collected.

14.2.3) COLLECTING OF DATA---The questionaires answered by the Hindus were separated fron those

answered by the Muslims. They were numbered 1-140 and 1-40,

respectively. Using the randon number tables, fifty three numbers wer

chosen for the farner group and fifteen nunbers were chosen for the

latter group. These numbers were then used as a criteria in choosing

the corresponding questionaires. The responses recorded in these

chosen guestionaires were used in the analysis of results.

15) RESULTS

15.1) GRAPH 1 ~ THE ~ OF STUDENTS OF THE TWO GROUPS (HINDUS AND MUSLIM)

THAT POSSESS NONE L ONE L TWO L THREE-FIVE

THAN TEN TRADITIONAL OUTFITS.

L FIVE-TEN AND MORE

50

40

10

o-t-----r-

NONE ONE

• HindusII Muslims

TWO THREE-f l\J.f IVE- TEN ) 10

No _of Outfits

\Froothe above it can be seen that 0% of the students possess none,

,\

"28,3% of the Hindus possess only one traditional outfit , " 1wnlJ.e

the Muslims possess just one outfit. 16,9% and 13,3% of the Hindus and

Muslims,respectively,possess two outfits. 18,9% of the Hindus and 33,3%

of the ~luslims possess three - five outfits. 13. :':0, and 13.3:: of the

Hindus "and ~usliDsrrespectivelYr plJssess five-ten Olltfits. ~~(6?: of the

Hindus and 40% of the Muslims possess more than ten traditional

outfits.

?L:l

]

]

]

}5.2) GRAPH

]

]

J] - t,z...

Q

~

]Q'I

~ J".)4'04-.1t: ~W W

] O"tlL. ='111+'Oau)

]

]

]

]

1 ~ THE % OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT

ONCE A YEAR, ONCE IN SIX MONTHS, ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS.

NOT APPLICABLE :

bll • Hindus.II Muslims

50

40

30

20

10

(I

OiiC~ -d YO?-:tl"-Orl()(l in 6 m·OnoQ Qt¥ory 5yNot ;,pplio~bl~

Time

),The graph above illustrate? that 41,5% of the Hindus and 46,7% of the

Muslims,purchase the traditional outfit once a year; 33,9% of the

IHindus and 53,3~ of the Muslims purchase the outfit once in six nonths.

2~,6~ of the Hindus purchase the outfit once every five years while to

1,9~ of theD the above responses are not applicable.

15.3) TABLE 1 ~ THE ~ OF STUDENTS THAT PAY THE FOLLOWING PRICES FOR A

TRADITIONAL OUTFIT :

+--------+----------+---------+---------+---------+---------+: GROUP <R30 :R30-R50 :R50-R150 :R150-R500: >R500+--------+----------+---------+---------+---------+---------+:Hindus 1,9 15,1 49,1 26,4 11,3+--------+----------+---------+---------+---------+---------+:Muslims : 6,7 13,3 73,3 6,7+--------~----------+---------+---------+---------~---- - - - - - +

The above table illustrates that 1,9% of the Hindus and 6,7% of the

Muslims pay less than R30 for a traditional outfit. 15,1% and 13,3%

of the Hindus and Muslims,respectively, pay R30-R50 for a traditional

outfit. 49,1% of the Hindus and 73,3% of the Muslims pay R50-R150;26,4 J,

and 6,7% of the Hindus and Muslims,respectively, pay RlS0-R500 for a

traditional outfit. However it is only the Hindus (11,3%) that pay

more than R50d for a traditional outfit.

15.4) TABLE 2: THE % OF STUDENTS THAT PAY THE FOLLIWING PRICES FOR A----- ------ ---

WESTERN OUTFIT :

~----------~-------+------------~-------------+-------~

, STUDENTS :< R 50 : RSO - RI00 : R100 - R1S0 : >RlS0 :T~---------+-------+------------~-------------+-------~

: Hindus 13,2 ~ 52,8 24,5 11, 3 :~----------~-------+------------~-------------~-------+

: Muslims 20,0 :26,6 33,3 13,3 :T----------~-------+------------~-------------+-------~

The ~bove table illustrates that 13,2% of the Hindus and 20:0~ of the

Muslims pay less than R30 for a weste=n outfit. 52,8% of the Hindus

and 26,6% of the ~uslims pay R30-R100 for a western outfit. 2~,5% and

33,3% of the Hindus and Muslins, respectively, pay R100-R150; 11,3% of

the Hindus and 13,3% of the Muslims pay more than R150 for a complete

we'3tern outfit.

15.5) GRAPH 1 :THE ! OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT

IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS .---

m Hindusm t-tushrns

100

80...C

G1 60~

tTl '".... otJC C" I' 40o~L ~G.J ....0..(1)

20

o OY..•

\

India Durban Jhb R.S.A Overseas

Pl~c~ of Purchase

It can be seen froD the above graph that 15,1% of the Hindus and 13,3%

of the Muslims purchase their traditional outfits from India whereas

86/8~ and 93,3~ of the H~ndus & Muslims,respectively, purchase thei~

traditional outfits froD Durban. 6,7% of the Muslims(only) purchase

then fron Johannesburg.1,9~ of the Hindus purchase the outfits from

R.S.A. & 6,7% of the Muslims purchase them overseas.

27

15.6) GRAPH 4 :THE ~ OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE ONE, TWO,THREE, OR MORE

THAN THREE OUTFITS :

'4­oJ1ttili'lj Vl~" $I~ Ct!J OJ(,)~

6 :1<11 .....o..fJ)

80

E.O

40

20

(lne

• HindusII !"'1uslirns

Two Three More than ThroeNo_of Outfits

The above graph shows that 73,6% of the Hindus and 53,3% of the Muslins

purchase only one outfit at a time. 16,9%- and 40% of the Hindus and

Muslims,respectively, purchase t\VO outfits. 5,6% of the Hindus and 6,7%

of the MusliDs purchase three outfits. However only 3,8% of the Hindus

purchise more than three outfits at a time.

15.7) GRAPH 5 _ THE ~ OF STUDENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT

DAILY,WEEKLY,MONTHLY,YEARLY

80

'¥o 600Q,IOJ." Vi

40+'+,c cCI! G,J

0"L :st1r+,0.00 20 -

o

• Hindus.. Muslims

'w'a?8kly Month19

Oecurene~

It can be seen from the above graph that 13,3~ of the Muslins,only,

d!ess in the traditional outfit daily. 16,9;; of the Hindus and 40% of

the Muslims wear the traditional outfit weekly. 28,3% and 26,7% of the

Hindus and Muslims,respectively, wear then nonthly. Nevertheless, 50,9~

of the Hindus and 20,0% of the Muslins dress in their traditional

outfit yearly.None of the above responses were applicable to 3,8% of

the Hindus.

29

15.8) GRAPH &~ THE % OF STUDENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT TO

THE THE FOLLOWING OCCASIONS

BI Hindus1m i"'1u51ims

80

.... 600

4,1Q'I~ VI 40.........c CGI 4,10"0... ='~+' ,Q.tIJ 20

oPr .aIJer Funer .aCht-istenin'w'~dl P.at-ent Pt->?S;;l OUI~?t-5

Occasion

The above graph shows that 47,2% of the Hi·ndus and 66, 7% of the

Muslins wear the traditional outfit to prayer; 9,4% of the Hindus and

33,3% of the Muslims wear the outfit to a funeral. A wedding pronpts

73,6 3) of the Hindus and 20,0% of the Muslims to wear the traditional

outfit. 6,7% of the Muslims wear the traditional outfit due to parent

pressure. 18,9~ and 26,7% of the Hindus and Muslims,respectively,

dreS3 traditionally for other reasons.

30

15.9) TABLE 1 ~ THE % OF STUDENTS THAT PREFER TO WEAR THE TRADITIONAL

OUTFIT TO UNIVERSITY ~

+---------------+---------+---------+: STUDENTS YES NO+---------------~---------+---------+

HINDUS 22,6 77,4+---------------+---------+---------~

MUSLIMS 40,0 60,0+---------------+---------._-------_.

It can be seen from the above table that 22,6% of the Hindus and 40.0%

of the Muslims prefer to wear the traditional outfit to university;

while 77,4% and 60,0% of the Muslims do not prefer to do so.

15.10) TABLE 4 : THE % OF STUDENTS THAT PREFER TO WEAR THE WESTERN__ _ _ _ .:..cc.=.=:...=c::::.=::..:.

OUTFIT TO SPECIAL OCCASIONS

+--------------+---------+--------+STUDENTS YES NO

._-------------+---------+--------+HINDUS 7L7 28,3

~-------------_._--------+--------+

MUSLIMS 60,0 40,0~--------------+---------~--------~

It can be seen from the table above that 71,7% of the Hindus and 60.0~

of the Muslins do prefer to wear the western outfit to special

occasions; 28,3% of the-Hindus and 40,0% of the Muslims do not pr~~~c

to wear the western outfit to special occasions.

31

15.11) GRAPH 7 THE % OF PARENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT---- ------

DAILY,WEEKLY,MONTHLY,YEARLY,OTHERS

Hindu:.

t'luslims

60

50

...0 40

"C'lI'Q 30.... ItI .'

,

c ....4,1 Co IIL. L 20II ."0-11.

10

0D~ily "tleekly Monthly

Oeeurence

The above graph sno~~s that 35,8% of the Hindu parents and 53,3% of the

Muslim parents wear the traditional outfit daily. 33,9% and 6,7% of the

Hindu and ~uslim parents,respectively,wear their traditional outfit

weekly. 11,3% of the Hindus and 20,0% of the Muslims wear them monthly.

11.3% and 6,7% of the Hindus and Muslirns,respectively, Kear them

yearly. 7,5% of the Hindu parents and 13,3% of the Muslin parents have

si~en others as their responses.

16) DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

It is evident from the results obtained that although there are

students who accept the traditional outfit, they do not prefer to wear

them daily. It is interesting to see that 40.0% of the Muslim students

possess more than ten traditional outfits; and the greatest number of

Hindu students (28,3%) possess just one outfit. This may imply that the

Hindus are more prone to western influences but this is rather crude,

as the Muslims are increasingly becoming more inclined to western

dress. However this process is a gradual change in the latter group.

It is not very often that these traditional outfits are purchased.

Some students say that a wedding prompts them to purchase a

traditional. outfit. This may not occur every year. There lS a tendency

for the Hindus to spend more than R150 for a traditional outfit(37,7%)

which differed from the prices paid by the Muslims (6,7%). This could

be so because a sari is generally more expensive than a Muslim

traditional outfit. The price of a sari varies depending on the type

of fabric and the design of the sari ego a silk sari costs more than a

chiffon sari ; an embroidered silk sari costs more than a plain silk

sarlo

\

S~udents say that they have chosen the western dress over the

traditional dress because the former is more econoDical. This is

evident in the average prices they pay for a complete western outfit

as compared to a traditional outfit. In addition they feel that the

western outfit is more comfortable ,more durable and less

constricting. 73,6% of the Hindus and 53,3% of the Muslims (coDprising

the majority) purchase one outfit at a time and a meagre number of

33

students do purchase three and more.However the traditional outfits

are not purchased that often to be worn daily. Majority of the Hindu

students do wear the traditional outfit" to weddings (73,6%) whereas

majority of the Muslims (66,6%) we~r the traditional outfit to

prayers. Students say that they are becoming accustomed to western

dress because the dominating western influences mask their cultural

and traditional values,norms,and customs. They believe that they have

to adapt to the western standards and lifestyles in order to be part

of the crowd ie.to be in harmony with the rest of society.

Y. Patel of the Durban Islamic Centre stressed that: "Islam is not

against the qualities of westernisation or western civilisation such

as technolqgy. However they wished all Muslims to bear in mind all

the rules and laws of Islam ie.modesty;integrity and piety"

(Schoombee and Mantzaris 1985,p.19). The Indian community cannot be

resistant towards the rapid changes which dominate their everyday

life. It is unfortunate that they cannot completely retain their

cultural customs and traditions. Instead they are receptive to certain

social changes in the western society while at the same time still

monitoring certain ~spects of their traditional,cultural,living

~atterns.Srinivas has shown that "westernisation had a significant

i~pact on many social groupings ln India" (Schoombee and

Mantzaris 1985,p.21). It has to be borne in mind that India was not

influenced by a western dominating society as S.A. Therefore in

S.A.the impact of western values ,traditions and customs is

influential on the Indian society,likewise on any other cultural

group.

34

The fact that majority of the students show no preference for the use

of the traditional outfit to university and that majority do show

preference for wearing the western outfit to special occasions implies

that the traditional dress is being taken over by the western dress.

The western dress has, to a lesser extent, also influenced the

parent's use of the traditional dress. 40,0% of the Muslim parents and

35,8% of the Hindu parents dress daily in their traditional outfit.

Just a meagre percent dress seldom ln the traditional outfit. In a

study of Hindu Tamil-speaking females of three generations

grandmothers,mothers and daughters) regarding traditional and

westernised patterns of behaviour in relation to health, religion,

folkore,social and vocational activities,Pillay (1972) found ~hat

the third g~neration daughters identified with most of the values that

··are predominant in the western S.A.culture and they differed

significantly from both their mothers and grandmothers (in Schoonbee

and Mantzaris,1985). The mothers who constituted the second generation

and grown up in two cultures (Indian and Western) seemed to occup~ a

marginal position neither accepted by or adjusted to either culture.

In the case of grandmothers many aspects of their lives were unchanged

and deeply rooted in-the traditions of their country of origin.

We~tern trends projected through magazines and films are more uniforn

in all areas. with education and an improved social standing ,tastes

tend to be more uniform. Indigenous habits are shed and new ones are

acc2ted (Khanna, 1970).

It can therefore be seen that students are becoming accustoned to

western dress and they give preference for the use of the western

35

dress. But this does not seeQ applicable to all students. In

particular a few Muslim students have totally accepted the traditional

dress. Thus it can be deduced that the attitudes of the Hindus differ

from the attitudes of the Muslims. Generally ,from the results

obtained it can be seen that there is a trend towards western dress

due to western influences.

\

\

36

REFERENCES:

1) . BEHR, A. L . (1973) METHODS & TECHNIQUES IN EDUCATIONAL &

PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH. PRETORIA, J.L. VAN SCHAlK LTD.

2) CHANDRA, M. (1973): COSTUMES, TEXTILES, COSMETICS & COIFFURES

IN ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL I~DIA. DELHI, ORIENTAL PUBLISHERS.

3) DAR, S.N. (1982) : COSTUMES OF INDIA & PAKISTAN. I~DIA,

TARAPEREVALA SONS & CO.

4) FABRI, C. (1960) : I~DIA~ DRESS. NEW DELHI, ORIE~T LONG~~N LTD.

5) KHANNA, V. (1970) : INDIAN WOMEN TODAY. BOMBAY, VIKAS PUBLICATIONS.

6) LAMBEY, M.T.I. (1980) : A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RESPONSES OF

CERTAIN GROUPS OF INDIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ON THE FAMOUS INDIAN

SAYINGS TEST. DURBAN, UNIVERSITY OF DURBAN - WESTVILLE.

7) MAYAT, Z. (1981) NANI~~'S CHEST. DURBAN, WOMEN'S CULTURAL GROCP.

8) NIRASH, R.L. & IQB~L, S.:!. (1978) : THE CULTURE OF KASH~IR. XEW

DELHI, ~nR~vAH PUBLIC\TIONS.

~) OPPE~HEI~, A.N. (1973): QUESTIO~AIRE DESIGN & ATTITUDE

:lEfSCRE?vlENT. LONDON, HEINE:'-L=\X:\ EDCC.=\TIONAL BOOKS.

10) RAYCHOUDARY, S.C. (1978) : SOCIAL, CCLTURAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY

OF INDIA. DELHI, SUKJEET P[BLICATIO~S.

11) SCHOO~BEE, G.F. & MANTZARIS, E.A. (1985) : ATTITUDES OF SOCTH

AFRICAN INDIA~S TOtvARDS ~ESTERNISATIO~ & ITS EFFECTS ON THEIR fA~ILY

LIFE. DURBAN, UXIVERSITY Of DURBAN - WESTVILLE.

37

APPENDIX A

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS OF THE TWO GROUPS THAT POSSESS NONE, ONE,

TWO, THREE -FILE, FIVE -TEN AND MORE THAN TEN TRADITIONAL OUTFITS.

+--------------------+---------+---------+RESPONSES : HINDUS : MUSLIMS :

+--------------------+---------+---------+1.1 o

+--------------------+---------+---------+1.2 15

+--------------------+---------+---------+1.3 9 2

+--------------------+---------+---------+1.4 10 5

+--------------------+---------+---------+1.5 7 2

+--------------------+---------+---------+1.6 12 6

+--------------------+---------+---------+

APPENDIX B

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT ONCE A-- -- ----YEAR, ONCE IN SIX MONTHS, ONCE EVERY FIVE YEARS, NOT APPLICABLE.

+---------------+------------+-----------+RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS

~---------------+------------+-----------+

2.1 22 7+---------------+------------+-----------+

2.2 18 8~---------------+------------+-----------+

2.3 12~---------------+------------+-----------+

+---------------+------------+-----------+\

\

2.4 1

38

APPENDIX ~

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT PAY THE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR A TRADITIONAL

OUTFIT.

+---------------+------------+-----------~RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS

+---------------+------------+-----------+3.1 1 1

+---------------+------------+-----------~3.2 8 2

+---------------+------------+-----------+3.3 26 11

+---------------+------------+-----------+3.4 14 1

+---------------+------------+-----------~

3.5 5+---------------+------------+-----------~

APPENDIX D

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT PAY THE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR ~ WESTERN

OUTFIT.

+--~------------+-----------+------------+

RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS+---------------~-----------+------------~

4.1 7 3----------------~-----------+------------+

4.2 28 4+---------------+-----------+------------~

4.3 13 5+---------------7-----------+------------+

+---------------~-----------+------------~

\ 4.4

N/A

6 :2

1----------------+-----------+------------~

39

APPENDIX E

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE THE TRADITIONAL OUTFITS IN THE

DIFFERENT AREAS.

+---------------+------------+----------+RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS :

+---------------+------------+----------+5.1 8 2

+---------------+------------+----------+5.2 46 14

+---------------+------------+----------+5.3 1

+---------------+------------~----------~

5.4 1~---------------+------------~----------+

5.5 1

+---------------+------------~----------~

APPENDIX F

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT PURCHASE ONE, TWO, THREE, OR MORE THAN

THREE OUTFITS.

+---------------+------------~-----------~

RESPONSES HI~DCS MCSLI:1S+---------------~------------~-----------+

6.1 39 8+---------------~------------~-----------+

6.2 9 6+---------------+------------~-----------+

6.3 3 1+---------------~------------~-----------+

6.4+---------------+------------~-----------+

\

40

APPENDIX G

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT DAILY, WEEKLY,

MONTHLY, YEARLY.

+----------------~-----------+-----------+RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS

+----------------~-----------+-----------+

7.1 2+----------------+-----------+-----------+

7.2 9 6+----------------+-----------+-----------+

7.3 15 4

+----------------+-----------~-----------+

7.4 27 3+----------------+-----------~-----------+

N/A 2+----------------+-----------+-----------~

APPENDIX H

THE NUMBER OF. STUDENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT TO THE

DIFFERENT OCCASIONS :

+---------------+------------+-----------+RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS

+---------------+------------+-----------+8.1 25 10

+---------------+------------~-----------~

8.2 5 5+---------------+------------+-----------+

8.3+---------------~------------~-----------~

8.4 39 3+-------~-------+------------~-----------+

8.5 1+---------------+------------~-----------+

8.6 10+---------------7------------~-----------~

41

APPENDIX 1. :

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT PREFER TO WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT

TO UNIVERSITY

+---------------+------------+-----------+RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS

+---------------+------------+-----------+9.1 12 6

+---------------+------------+-----------+9.2 41 9

+--------------_._-----------+-----------+

APPENDIX J

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TEAT PREFER TO WEAR THE WESTERN OUTFIT TO

SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

+---------------+------------+-----------~• I

I RESPONSES HINDUS MUSLIMS+---------------+------------+-----------+

10.1 38 9+---------------+------------+-----------+

10.2 6+---------------~------------~------------

APPENDIX K:

THE NUMBER OF PARENTS THAT WEAR THE TRADITIONAL OUTFIT DAILY, WEEKLY,

MONTHLY, YEARLY, OTHERS.

+-------~-------+------------~-----------~

+---------------+------------~-----------~

+---------------+------------~----------_.~

\

,\

RESPONSES

11.1

11. 2

arxor s

19

18

;YIC S L IYlS

8

1+---------------~------------~-----------~

11.3 6 3~---------------~------------7-----------~

11.4 6 1~ ~ ~ l

11.5 47---------------+------------+-----------+

42

J]

DEPARTMENT OF HOME ECONOMICS----------------------------

How many traditional outfits do you have in your wardrobe?

1.1 none1.2 one1.1' twoI.• three to fi ve•. s fi ve to ten"" more than ten

] STUDENTS REG. NO.: .

RELIGION: .

]1.

]

]

]2. How often do you purchase these traditional outfits?

~.I once a year

]2.:1 once in six months'1.1 once every five years

] 3.

1.13.2

];.~"1.5

]4.140JJj.. "3

What are the average prices you pay for a traditional outfit?

less than R30R30 to RSOR50 to R1S0R1S0 to R500Greater than R500.

What are the avera~e prices you pay for a complete western dress?ego dress, tops and pants.

Less than RSOR50 to R100R100 to R150More than R150.

5, wh2re do you normally purchase the tr~di:iGnal outfits:1)5.1 Indi2.5.~ Durban5.1 Johannesburg5.4- el sewhere in R.S.A.'~.5 el sevhere overseas.

: 6. HOI" many outfits do you purchase at a time?

~.J one~.~ twoL.3 three

'l.1- and mOI'e than three

7. How often do you wear the traditional outfit?

/.1I.J

1.1

DailyHeek 1yt~onthly

Y~arl:(Cnoos~ the appropriate answer, where possible mention

~~ ---­tiJ-----how many times you wear t~em.- -

8. What prompts you to wear a traditional outfit?

~.I A prayer~.'l funera1'i."3 Christen i ng~.... Wedding~.5 Parent pressure~.!. If other specify: .

9. Do you prefer to wear a traditional outfit to university?

'.1 Yes

,.1. No

10. Do you prefer to wear a western outfit to special occassions?

10.1 Yes

10.'1 No

11. How often do your parents wear the traditional outfits?

ill[TI

11.1

1I.'l

".31I.1f.

11.5

Da i lyWeeklyMonthlyYearlyIf other specify

12. If you have accepted western dress, why is this so?

--------------------------------

THANK.YCU FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION.\

~~ISS 0 I C:~€TT,{

S. HOME ECONOMICSDEPT. OF HOME ECONOMICS.