Integrating Traditional Clothing into your Wardrobe

Written by Elisa Peters

Photos by Rishita Nannapaneni and Elisa Peters

Models: Natalia Cordero, Elisa Peters, Sira Limbu, and Rishita Nannapaneni

For as long as I can remember, my family has been keen to pass down traditional hand-sewn garments, necklaces, bracelets, wallets, and other traditional artisanal products from México so I could wear them. Growing up in a bi-cultural household with a Mexican mom and an American dad in Springfield, Missouri, my life proves to be an interesting combination of two significantly different cultures and languages. One specific way that I was able to highlight my culture and understand its complexity was through clothing. By knowing which community the clothing came from and the often tedious process by which the clothes were made, I was able to find a greater appreciation for artisanal work. I am able to feel pride for a part of myself that was underrepresented according to where I have lived all my life.

It is important to normalize and become educated on how we perceive traditional clothing in a modern setting. Often, consumer society sees traditional clothes of a specific culture transformed into knockoffs that are then exploited by fast fashion companies. Mass production of these pieces for fast fashion companies results in inhumane working conditions and unlivable wages. We receive none, or at best, disingenuous information regarding the origin of a specific pattern or a type of traditional garment. 

It is pertinent to directly support local artisans who create traditional clothing you can connect and associate with. Doing so avoids the exploitation of workers in garment factories. This gives rise to what is known as “slow fashion,” a more sustainable, ethical, and realistic way of producing clothes. In this process, the turnaround time from production and consumer use to disposal is much slower. This term has been used by the online fashion company, Hut Mentality, that sources authentic, artisan-made textiles from tribal villages in the area of Rann of Kutch, India. Through co-ops and businesses that directly employ artisans, Hut Mentality has created pieces of clothing that are able to showcase the beauty of handmade work. Understanding this concept and teaching others about it is one way to correctly represent artisans from native communities when wearing their clothing. 

So, when given the opportunity to wear clothes that are associated with traditional work from your culture or a culture you strongly connect with, do it, and do it unapologetically. The act of wearing these clothes is inherently an appreciation of the craft. Seeing these garments regularly, mixed in with other staples from your closet is going to allow for traditional clothing to be genuinely represented and in an ethical manner. It may even provide a learning opportunity for the people you encounter.

Elisa is wearing a garment called a huipil [wee-peel]. The word huipil originates from the indigenous náhuatl peoples’ language native to Central Mexico and the Aztecs and translates as “embellished shirt or dress.” The specific huipil was purchased at a local artisanal shop in Valle de Bravo, Mexico but is of Oaxacan (a state in Mexico) origin. 

 Rishita is wearing a Kurti [kur-thi] which is a dress top that is commonly worn by women in India. A Kurti is traditionally accompanied with modest pants. Rishita purchased her Kurti while visiting her family in Vijayawada, India. 

Natalia is wearing a sweatshirt that is made from traditional otavaleño textiles. Otavaleños are small-scale shops run by Cholitas, indigenous women specific to the region of Cuenca, Ecuador, that sell colorful and patterned textiles. Natalia bought her sweatshirt from el Centro Histórico de Cuenca (historic downtown of Cuenca).

Sira is wearing a sarwal kameez and chura bangles. The kameez is a tunic typically worn by women in Nepal, India, and other South Asian countries. Chura bangles are traditionally worn by women daily or for several different occasions in their life. Sira was gifted her sarwal kameez and chura bangles by a relative living in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

En Español

Integrando ropa tradicional en tu guardarropa

Escrito por Elisa Peters

Fotos de Rishita Nannapaneni y Elisa Peters

Modelos: Natalia Cordero, Elisa Peters, Sira Limbu, Rishita Nannapaneni

Desde que tengo memoria, mi familia me ha regalado ropa, collares, pulseras, carteras y otras artesanías mexicanas hechas a mano con la intención de que las use. Haber crecido en un hogar bi-cultural con una madre mexicana y padre americano en Springfield, Missouri, mi vida ha resultado en una combinación interesante entre dos culturas e idiomas muy distintos. Una manera específica en donde he podido recalcar mi herencia y entender su complejidad ha sido por medio de la ropa. Por el hecho de saber de qué comunidad viene una pieza de ropa y el laborioso y arduo trabajo que significa elaborarla, he podido sentir orgullo por una parte de mi vida que estaba subrepresentada debido al lugar donde he vivido toda mi vida.

Creo que es importante normalizar y respetar a quienes visten con ropa tradicional de manera cotidiana. Muchas veces, en una sociedad consumista, las ropas tradicionales son fácilmente transformadas en imitaciones baratas por empresas de “moda rápida''.  Así que, no recibimos nada, o en el mejor de los casos, información falsa del origen de los tipos y bordados de ropa tradicional. Además, la producción excesiva de ropa se refleja directamente en la calidad de vida de los empleados que son explotados en países menos desarrollados para poder producir prendas baratas. La producción a gran escala de estas piezas resulta en condiciones laborales terribles y salarios insostenibles.

Es pertinente apoyar a artesanos que crean ropa tradicional con la que uno se puede conectar y relacionar. Es más, la idea de “moda lenta,” es una forma más sostenible, ético, y realista de producir ropa. En este proceso, el tiempo entre producción, consumo, y eliminación de una prenda es mucho más lento. Este término es usado por una empresa de moda en línea llamada Hut Mentality. En Hut Mentality, se usan textiles auténticos y hechos por artesanos de pueblos tribales en el área de Rann de Kutch, India. Entre cooperativas y empresas que directamente emplean a artesanos, Hut Mentality ha creado piezas de ropa que demuestran la belleza del trabajo artesanal. Comprender e informar a otros sobre lo anterior mencionado es una manera de representar correctamente a las comunidades de artesanos nativos al usar su ropa.

Entonces, cuando tengamos la oportunidad de ponernos ropa que está relacionada con trabajo nativo de su cultura o con una cultura con la que uno se relaciona profundamente, hagámoslo, y lo hagamos con orgullo. El acto de llevar esta ropa es intrínsecamente una apreciación de la artesanía y de la cultura que representa. Llevar y vestir prendas tradicionales de manera cotidiana mezcladas con otras esenciales de tu closet, permitirá que la ropa tradicional sea representada sinceramente y de una manera ética. Ojalá llevar ropa tradicional pueda proporcionar una oportunidad de aprendizaje para las personas con las que usted se encuentre.