She must be homely, simple, may not be talking to men-are all
common judgments we make only because a girl prefers to adorn a salwaar-kameez instead of a pair jeans and a t-shirt,
don’t we?
Walking by in a salwaar-kameez is all that it takes to call her a ‘behenji’.
Although the true meaning of the word is ‘sister’ and the ‘ji’ suffix is
used as a mark of respect; its derogatory meaning is what has become more
popular over the years. A salwaar-kameez clad, non-party goer who follows
the values of no drinking or smoking sincerely is what a behenji is these days.
And haven't we all once awhile judged someone and titled
them a ‘behenji’?
Stereotyping obviously affects the victim of the stereotype in
ways known to everyone. But, do we ever realize that by ridiculing traditional
outfits, we are in a way laughing at our own culture? Since eons, Indian women
have dressed in everything from sarees to salwaar-kameez,
to ghagras and the works; it is only thanks to
globalization that western outfits are the ‘it’ thing.
Stereotyping is leading young women to shy away from wearing
Indian garments and soon, our culture would’ve been forgotten by the
generations to come.
Walk into any college and you will find that girls in traditional
clothes are alienated and not allowed to hang out with those who call
themselves “modern”. Peer-pressure takes a toll if one amongst the group is a ‘behenji’
and the ‘we are grown-ups’ phrase is conveniently forgotten when it comes to
bullying.
It is often said, ‘what you wear is a reflection of what you are’.
The statement is confusing in many ways.
One, who decides what kind of clothes portray a particular
characteristic of a person?
Two, isn’t ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ a far more true
saying than the one above?
For many, fashion is what they feel comfortable in, it is an
individual choice and in that regard clothes are something one can associate
oneself with. Drawing assumptions and ridiculing someone over what they wear,
is extremely immature.
The 'salwaar-kameez girls'
are also often assumed to be shy and slow. People often misjudge them as not
tech-savvy and unknown to contemporary fashion, art, lifestyle et al.
People often also assume that a girl in an Indian getup will hold
age-old traditional values of being homely, shy and not talk to men, help
around at home, not party or hang out with friends and so on. However, people
forget that clothes do not define behaviour or a person’s likes and dislikes. A
“fashionable” young woman could also be an introvert.
So why do girls who can opt to wear a pair of pants, skirts
or dresses prefer to remain traditional? The reasons are many ----- Fashion is
a subjective concept, it isn't necessary that everyone is able to
associate themselves with western outfits; denims honestly are uncomfortable
during the hot Indian summer and shorts, dress or a skirt are no match to a
light-coloured cotton salwaar-kameez that one can simply slip into; or
maybe they are too grounded to their Indian roots and are proud to dress
traditionally. Regardless of the reason, the concept of judging someone only
because of their clothes is very immature.
And while you are at it, I'll also request you to analyze your
wardrobe. You may have some hidden skeletons too.
