Attire and Embellishment

While clothing is a basic necessity of the social human being, man is not satisfied by just covering himself.  He strives to add value to everything that he does and clothing is no exception.  And this introduction of thoughtfulness into our attire is called design.  When this design is subjective, it becomes fashion.    When it is objective and draws its principles of design from nature, then it becomes enduring in practice.  Fashions come and go every year, but the basic elements of our dressing remain enduring.

If you look at the human body, there are several systems that keep it alive – the pulmonary system, the circulatory system, the skeletal system, the muscular system, the nervous system and so on.  These are functional systems that are in a dynamic balance within the human framework and this human framework finds its protection and interaction with the external world through the external layer of the senses. 

The skin is the protecting layer that covers all the internal organs and is in turn connected, nourished and sustained by them.  The eyes and ears enable us to see and hear and thus protect us from accidents.  The mouth and nose enable us to ingest nutrition and air and provide a means for the sustenance of the body.  These senses and limbs are however not merely functional, they carry aesthetic embellishments.  The eyes are beautifully shaped with eyelashes to protect the eye.  At the same time, the embellishment of the eyebrow which is seemingly disconnected from the eye exists.  This eyebrow decorates the eye and also helps the human being express his emotions. Even the human limbs are shapely and aesthetically designed.  The ends of the fingers are embellished with nails, the joints are marked with lines on the skin and so on.  Every natural embellishment enhances a function and also protects the owner.

In the same way, ornamentation or embellishment that a human being wears must also enhance his ability to function in society as well as protect him or her.  It is true that all of human existence is fraught with a strange vulnerability.  In Sanskrit, one of the words for a woman is “abalaa”, implying that a woman must be protected, and hence embellishment has been a natural part of a woman’s personality, an integral part of her expression of beauty. 

It is also true that in Indian traditions, when a woman is given to a man in marriage, she is extolled as the companion who will take him across the troubled waters of the world and the worldly, and enable both of them to reach the high heavens.  She is decked from head to toe, embellished and given in marriage.  On the head she is decked with the sun and the moon and on her braid she wears the 27 stars – thus carrying the entire cosmos within her.  Her eyes are lined with kajal [eyeliner], ears with earrings, nose with a nose ring, neck with necklaces, hands with bangles, waist with waistband, her toes with toe rings, ankles with anklets, and limbs with the decoration of the auspicious henna.   She wears a silk sari and sparkles like a celestial being when she is given in marriage.  The groom though tries to leave the traditional Indian wedding ceremony and walk away to the city of Kashi [Varanasi], a place of learning and renunciation.  He is then brought back with a gift of footwear and with an umbrella and other gifts and convinced that he can achieve through marriage what he meant to achieve through his journey to Kashi.  And the marriage is consummated. 

In a situation where a woman is becoming intimate with a man, she removes her jewellery, her embellishments.  These protections are no longer required and are taken off.  Thus the act of removing jewellery is a natural act on her part when she is trying to become intimate.  This message is intuitively known to the man too.  Therefore if a woman who is wearing no jewellery at all approaches a man for conversation, it is natural that he feels a degree of discomfiture.   

  

Many women feel it is fashionable not to wear any jewellery at all and some think that when a woman is wearing western wear, then there is no need to wear jewellery.  But I have travelled the world and jewellery for a woman is as much in demand and sought after in western societies as it is in other parts of the world.  The choice and style of jewellery varies and based one’s skin colour, occupation, sense of personal aesthetics, a woman may choose different kinds of jewellery.  Even tribals wear jewellery and they make it from various kinds of materials such as clay, wood, stones, beads, seeds, etc.,. 

The Sanskrit word for jewellery is aabharan – ‘bharan’ means to protect, cherish.  And jewellery is meant to cherish and protect the human body as well as our sensibilities, our physical and mental well being and indeed our very life.  However, if one wears something very valuable in a public place or while travelling, the same embellishment may become a cause for vulnerability.  When applied with taste and understanding and in a manner suitable to the circumstances, it enhances our aesthetic sense and poise.    In ancient traditional practices, doctors would prescribe an amulet to be worn to protect the body from some disease.  Even today magnetic belts are worn to enhance the circulation to a specific part of the body to help it heal.  Gold which is an inert metal is said to protect our aura and wellness and is considered auspicious – and so are the many precious stones that are used. 

Some people think that it is a sign of simplicity that they don’t wear jewellery.  And yet if you look at the people in the mountains, in the villages and in the tribes that are leading truly simple lives in every aspect, you find often that even those societies that customarily wear no upper garment, adorn themselves with jewellery.  There is no natural relationship between embellishment and simplicity.  Simplicity in life is a very difficult thing to achieve in urban living and when we try to project by means of an easily attained outward appearance that one vouches for the idea of simplicity, it is well to introspect and examine all aspects of our life and our possessions to assess fairly as to whether we are truly being simple in our lives or not. 

Design elements for embellishment are found abundantly in nature which expresses itself through a fine precision and elegance in the natural features of plants and animals - in the crown and feathers of a peacock, in the eyes of a swan, in the stripes of a zebra, in the mane of a mare, in the eyelashes of a cow, in the hood of a cobra, in the wings of a butterfly, in the edges of the leaves of many decorative plants, in the colours and patterns of flowers, in the roughness of a bark, in the swirls of a creeper or a frond of a fern, in the embedded caves of a conch and so on.  And these can aid us in our design of embellishments.

However the design of clothes is a problem that is peculiar to man.  People in cold countries are aware that in order to protect oneself, one must cover oneself in several layers.  The air in between the layers serves as insulation and keeps you warm.  Similarly, it is commonplace that we wear two layers of clothes – underwear and over-wear.  The layer that is closest to the skin is made of some organic and absorbent fabric like cotton and is as thin as possible, absorbs sweat and is like an extension of the skin itself.  The outer layer is more of a cover.  And this layer must be a little bit loose.  If someone gives you a hug it may feel good.  But if he or she doesn't let go of the hug for more than a few seconds, you will begin to start feeling uncomfortable.  The longer the hug the more uncomfortable you are.  While we appreciate an affectionate gesture, no one prefers an affection that stifles one’s sense of freedom.  Our value for the idea of freedom occupies a much higher place than our value for affection.  Even a child that is hugged seeks to wriggle out of a physical show of affection. 

From our very birth we are aware that we want to be free, we want to be happy.  And hugging external wear is like this unwanted affection; it tires us, tires our skin, and even if someone decides that it enhances one’s appearance and wears tight hugging clothes to an event, the sense of freedom that one naturally feels when he or she eventually comes home and takes it off reveals the truth about the value of a design that is tight or hugging.   

And with what we wear we send a message, however mild or subtle.  And this message reflects our personality, our character.  The more sensitive we are as human beings, the more we are able to appreciate the finer nuances of life.  When a radio wave is broadcast, the main content is broadcast in a particular wave length or frequency but this principal wavelength is accompanied by two more waves of smaller amplitude on either side which protects the message from being interfered by signals from other sources.  That is why there is always a minimum difference between the frequency numbers of different radio stations.  This distance enables the signal to be clear and unruffled.  Thus even a radio wave carries an embellishment on either side and this embellishment helps in retaining the true character of the primary wave.   So is every deity that personifies a certain divine potential - it is accompanied by two protectors on either side.  This is a natural depiction. 

It is true that happiness is an internal state and no amount of searching outside can give us happiness that is durable.  However, a state of harmony on the outside is conducive to our internal quest for happiness.  And we must seek to moderate our external wear to attain a degree of harmony in the particular society that we reside.  Even though we may wish sometimes that our attire must attract attention as soon as we walk in, we must also not wear something that shocks others.  In real life we don’t mind a bit of surprise now and then.  We wish to keep a sense of wonder alive but no one wants to be given shocking news or be jolted out of one’s poise.  Thus if what we wear must increase our chances of becoming happy we must eschew that which shocks and encourage the wearing of an attire that both enhances our individuality and character while at the same time is pleasing in appearance and respectful of the sensibilities of others.

 

If what we wear must strengthen our personality then we must wear suitable attire and appropriate embellishments that will work in this direction.  Even aspects of our character such as a degree of cleanliness, chastity, purity, a natural degree of shame, being untouched by avarice and possessiveness, a complete absence of lack of self worth, lack of jealousy, and a respectful attitude for the other’s right to happiness, privacy and freedom - are embellishments of character that protect both men and women from failing to live up to their highest ideals. 

How a man or a woman chooses to protect oneself or expose oneself to an external risk through one’s attire and embellishment, through one’s character and manners, is left to one’s own wisdom and understanding.  But it is well that we realize that this human frame that we carry is extremely valuable and carries a tremendous potential for the expression of freedom and happiness – and this understanding must form the basis of all that we choose to be as a person and this choice will naturally be reflected in our attire and in our embellishments.