WARNING: The following content WILL not appease many or all women, especially malayalee pennungal (women). Some men also might not agree. Read & React at will.
The traditional costume of women from Kerala is 'Mundum and Neriyathum'.
The mundum neriyathum consists of two pieces of cloth, the mundu draped on the lower part of the body around the hips while the neriyathu the upper part worn over the left shoulder above the blouse. It generally comes in cream and white texture with a coloured border known as the kara. There are various versions of this age old costume. Kasavu saree, for instance has golden coloured border which is either pure golden layer or artificial. Set-mundu is yet another version that resembles the mundum neriaythu but is from a single piece of cloth. It is true that mundum-neriyathum is indeed the traditional clothing of women in Kerala.
STOP! Enough of educating the public. Prasangam niruthu, kaaryathilekku kadakku (Stop your speech and get to the point)
A new form of clothing has invaded the minds of women. I'm not really sure when this POWERFUL attire took control of our women. I say this because it is currently the most famous , the most seen, the most common, and all the other mosts.....dress worn by most women, at least in Kerala. Bhariamar (house wives) wear it, jolikari (home servants or home maids) wear it, ammummas (grandmoms) wear it, kandattile pannikari (women working in the rice fields, whatever is left in kerala :-() wear it, cooli pannikari (women construction workers), pavappattavaru (poor) wear it, pannakkaru (rich) wear it, so there isn't any group that's not bitten by this transformation bug.
I will no longer extend the suspense. It is known by many names. Here are a few I know of - Nightie, Nightshirt, Nightgown and the latest one just released Housecoat. These are the drendy (trendy) names. As the name, it also has drendy designs which could put Rohit Bal or Tarun Tahiliani to shame. I don't even want to go there to explain it. But I would like to take this opportunity to mention its newest avatar (form).
The avatar does not take time to switch from home wear to outdoor wear because all it takes is to grab a duppatta (long scarf) and wear it across both the shoulders or wear it like a cape and you are ready to leave. It does not matter if the duppatta matches with the housecoat. The more the contrast the more drendy. Faaashionable doalls they arrre........(fashionable dolls they are). Now isn't that a fast or what?? :-)
Next time you are in Kerala, look around you. You will know what I mean. This latest drend should be worn at bedtime as the name suggests and not as a clothing for all & every occasion.
P.B- The Housecoat is not the replacement but the most common attire found aplenty in Kerala and hence the traditional dress of Gods own country.
9 comments:
yeah...i was told by someone here about a malayalee who came out of home in her nightie (which is common practice in India )..infact most europeans think its offensive and prostitute-like to wear a nightie out of home!! I was shocked for a moment to hear that prespective..
:o oh its a shock to me also. Glad its not viewed in that manner in India or Kerala. It would be disaster :-)
This is an old trend actually! In fact at one time in Bangalore, they made out a Malayalee woman by the nightie! :p My mom fortunately wears saree in the house and out.
hello sir-i think u r talking of the exception-not the rule.
besides, like silverine pointed out it's no longer trendy to wear houscoat during day time.
wonder if u know that certain class of women refuse to wear housecoat 'cos certain other class wear it.
the dress revolution is the salwar revolution.
btw set mundu and mundu & neriathu are te same.
Thanks for dropping by kochuthresiamma.
It is not an exception or a rule. The housecoat is widely worn by women as mentioned in my blog.
I agree the salwar has taken women all over india, let alone in Kerala. But this blog only reveals the housecoat trends in Kerala.
Yes you caught me on that one. They are indeed the same. :-)
you said it, the 'nightie' is the most horrendous revolution that has entered Kerala. I am not saying everyone has to wear mundum neriyathum at home, but something half decent..
But it has its conveniences too. My grandmother who has never worn anything other than 'chatta mundu' started wearing nighties when she was hospitalized. For her, it was a god send. But as soon as she got back on to her feet, it was her 'alekki veluppicha chattayum mundum'
@wanderlust: Thanks for dropping by and share the same viewpoint. :-)
dear sir i am doing my school project for indian traditional dress. i am frm malaysia. often in my research i am coming across mundum neriyathum as the native dress code but then y in some movies the kerela women is often shown wearing only blouse and the saree is wrapped around the lower part of the body. Is it a deception of movie directors to sell the movie using women as eye candy or is it the tradition of the women to dress as such in the comfort of the home? thanks, i would value yr feed back.
Thanks for dropping by. You are right about those movies. In the olden days (maybe 100 years back), the malayalee lady did not even have a blouse. They covered their top with just a neriyathu. As years passed on that was changed to blouse and mundu. That's what's portrayed in the movies. You won't find one in any of the movies now unless it is some kind of a soft porn movie.
In the modern world, women do not only wear a blouse and walk around. I hope this helps.
All the best on your project. :-)
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