At a time when dress codes are hotly debated in our country, I wistfully remember the pre-Independence and early post-Independence eras, when the attire of a person was dictated more by his status or profession than by his own reason or choice. True to Polonius’s aphorism that “apparel oft proclaims the man”, one’s clothes, more or less, revealed his or her outlook and station in life.
It was considered respectable by male lawyers and professors to don either suits or dhotis tied in the traditional fashion with long coats and white turbans. In workplaces, while the executives of yore were dressed smartly in western style, the poorly paid clerk could be identified by his four-cubit dhoti, coloured coat and cap to match. To him, every day was washing day. He had to necessarily wear the coat when entering his officer’s chambers. At other times, it was put on the back of his chair to mark his presence in the office even when he was away on some personal work. In those days, the proportion of employed women was relatively small and most working women wore saris.
Barring convents, most educational institutions did not insist on uniforms. Students were dressed in affordable clothes. Teachers wore simple clothes that distinguished them from students. In keeping with the Swadeshi spirit, some of them preferred khadi outfits. White half-sleeve shirt and dhoti (or white kurta-pyjama), the uniform of male politicians during the Freedom Movement, continues to be adopted by present-day politicians.
There were, however, clubs and social institutions which insisted on strict dress codes. A practice which continues even to this day in some such clubs is that of barring entry to guests in dhotis. The postal employee swathed from head to foot in khaki and the railway stationmaster with his green turban and ornamental coat were impressive in their own way. The health inspectors with shorts and bowler hats were familiar figures in the towns. Police constables on the beat in old Madras were conspicuous in khakis, socks up to the knee, heavy boots and a red turban with stripes. One could list many such professions whose votaries could be identified by their distinct attire.
After Independence, with economic liberalisation and more job openings, demand for formal wear was created. Shirt and trousers became the daily uniform of officials and others belonging to the white collar fraternity. It has been so popular as a “leveller”, that the government and institutions in the public and the private sectors have recognised it as an acceptable dress.
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