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.