Understanding Culture: Traditional Outfits From Kerala

Kerala the coastal beauty, is teeming with culture, religion, and historical value. One of the interesting facets of the state is the unique dressing style of which the people in Kerala. And this aspect of the state speaks volumes of the simplicity, sophistication, tradition and culture, and historical heritage that together determined the personality of the state and the way they live their lives. As we speak about their unique dressing style let’s take a look at their traditional outfits. Also, by extension, we must take a look at the way they accessorise their appearance with fashionable hairstyles.

The women in Kerala have a signature dressing style that cannot be matched with any other tradition. During the festivals like Onam and Vishu, all the women in Kerala dress up in their traditional avatar, which signifies being decked up in their jewellery with uniquely intricate designs. You must have noticed some of their gold jewellery in movies - this dressing style indeed gives the dresses of Kerala a definitive position in the traditional costume segment in India and the world.

Why Kerala’s people prefer white costumes

What makes the costumes of the Keralites so impressive is their preference for all white costumes which embodies their taste for elegance and the purity with which they follow their customs. White is always associated with the colour of peace, calmness, and purity, all of which can be observed in the traditional outfits worn by the Keralites. Starting from the dresses sported by the men and the super elegant Kerala cotton sarees worn by the women, the colour white always stands out among a crowd of colours which automatically depicts the warm and peace-loving nature of the people.

Kerala's traditional dress, Mundu

Mundu is a rectangular piece of cloth that is wrapped around the waist as a part of the traditional costume worn by the men in Kerala. Holding a close resemblance to pieces such as the dhotis and lungis, a Mundu is the lower portion of the outfit that is worn by the men in Kerala to cover from the waist to the foot. One of the distinct features of a Mundu is that it has a small border named kara, which is usually golden in colour but can have any other colour as well. It is the colour and design of the kara on the Mundu that renders a distinctive style to each of the pieces modelled by the men. Sometimes this kara is embellished with embroidery patterns or even ornaments when the piece is worn on a special occasion.

Mundum Neriyathum

The women are also not far behind in terms of donning super classy traditional attire in Kerala. Mundum Neriyathum is the traditional attire that women in Kerala prefer to wear and it closely resembles a sari. The drape looks fabulous on the women and symbolises the essence of Indian culture. With its simplistic yet elegant style, the Mundum Neriyathum is held as one of the epitomes of Indian costumes. Usually, the Mundus that are worn by the women are largely made of pure silk or cotton and the borders are highlighted with different embroidery patterns and designs, just like that of the outfits worn by the men as described above. When paired with some traditional jewellery of Kerala, Mundum Neriyathum looks divine on the women creating a regal look that one cannot take their eyes off, no matter what the occasion is!

Kerala saree

If you follow social media and certainly Bollywood then you are no stranger to the Kerala sarees and they are indeed bound to turn your head in the crowd. Whether you are an ardent saree lover or not, the Kerala saris, widely known as Kasavu saris, look exquisite in their natural hues with gold border. Any Kerala occasion is incomplete without women rocking the centre stage with their Kasavu costumes. It is named so because of the material that is used to weave these sarees. The origin of this saree can be traced back to several centuries ago when women used to wear a two-piece garment and were popularly known as Settu Mundu.

Kerala bridal wear

Although all Indian weddings are fixated on having a complete trousseau starting from the jewellery to the makeup and the outfit, of course, the South Indian weddings, however, especially the ones in Kerala, are something worth a conversation about. That is because of the gorgeous bridal wear that is worn by the beautiful women from this beautiful coastal state. The conventional bridal wear from Kerala is either a white or a red silk saree with a golden border. Even the Kasavu saris are one of the most preferred choices for the brides of Kerala because of their cultural value. It is believed that adorning the bride with this particular traditional saree of Kerala ushers in good luck to the bride.

When do people wear traditional dresses in Kerala?

The traditional dresses of Kerala that is Mundu and Mundum Neriyathum are mostly worn during the traditional ceremony run festivals by the men and women respectively. These are the traditional outfits that the men and women of Kerala unfailingly stay loyal to on all kinds of occasions starting from a religious ceremony to a wedding.

How Kerala's Dress has evolved over time

Gone are the days when the traditional outfits were worn by the women only during the customary festivals or any other occasion where any kind of unconventional outfit was less preferred. Although the dresses of Kerala were initially considered to be ceremonial, over time they have gained popularity among men and women of all ages on different kinds of occasions. Like all other fashion trends, Kerala's dressing style has also undergone dynamic evolution over the years as the preference for these outfits has transcended geographical boundaries. Besides that, many budding designer brands are adopting the custom design of the Kerala outfits and merging it with the modern trends to take the style quotient a notch higher.

Conclusion

Hence it can be observed that the way the outfits of Kerala have continued to grab the spotlight over the years proves its uniqueness and appeal to generations alike. Many saree lovers have found their new passion in the fusion version of Kerala's traditional costume popularised by different celebrities and movies. So, it is not just the humble off-white saree with gold border from Kerala anymore, in fact, the dresses from Kerala are occupying a significant place in the rapidly changing fashion landscape of India and the world.

FAQs

• The minimalistic beauty of the South Indian bridal wear has attracted many modern brides who are leaving behind the heavily adorned look to make way for the simple yet traditional South Indian look.

• Mundum Neriyathum mainly gained popularity during the Buddhist era and it is believed that it is inspired by the design of Palmyrene, which is a Greco-Roman costume.

• The traditional Mundu looks like a long skirt that can be worn by both men and women of Kerala alike on all occasions.