My Haute Couture

The Man and I brought back articles of clothing from our travels. Three of these types were gifts for our families and friends. But we know little about these national costumes. So I did some research. Here are the four items we have, and one we don't have:

The Pakol

The pakol is a wool hat worn by Afghan men. It is a Sunni prayer hat. It has a rolled up rim and is worn like a flat beret with the rim across the forehead. That is so the rim acts as a cushion when the men hit their heads to the ground in prayer.

An Afghan man wearing a pakol.


My pakol at home.


The Patoo

The patoo is a large wool shawl or blanket that men wear. It measures about 54 inches by 102 inches (1.37 m X 2.6 m). It is an all purpose shawl to keep covered up and to keep warm, to wear in the city and when herding goats.

Here's an Afghan man wearing his patoo.


My patoo at home.


The Phiran

Kashmir is still part of northern India, though many Kashmiri would like it to be independent. The phiran is worn only in Kashmir. My host and guide on the houseboat called it a poncho. Almost every man or boy and some women in Kashmir wear one. It is like a Kashmiri's national uniform. I love how it drapes and sways and that the Kashmiri create a layered look with it.





My phiran at home.


The Salwar

The salwar are loose fitting, draw string cotton pants, usually with a matching kameez or tunic topic. The Indian word kameez must have from the French chemise, or chemise came from kameez, or they both came from the same root way back.

The salwar kameez (pants and shirt) was introduced to India by the Moghuls, which means the outfit is Muslim in origin. The ensemble is worn in South Asia by both men and women. In India, the women's version of this outfit is usually colourful and detailed with embroidery.

I bought the salwar only because being loose, they are easy to fit. The kameez on the other hand is trickier as it is more body forming. None fit me anyway. The idea of the salwar is, the pants are so loose around the legs that when the slightest wind blows, the fabric picks up the wind and cools the wearer.

The salwar kameez.


My salwar at home.


The Sari

Rich or poor, all women in India and most women in South Asia wear the sari. All the women on the march certainly wore one. There are several components to the sari: a skintight short-sleeve or sleeveless blouse, an underskirt or petticoat, and the sari skirt.



Wrapping the sari around you the right way is complicated business. You have to pleat and tuck the sari into your petticoat at the waist and hope it doesn't fall apart when you walk. The same piece of fabric is then pulled across your chest and draped over your shoulder. Sometimes, this same piece of fabric is pulled back over your head as a scarf. It is a very long piece of sari - 5.5 m to 8 m long, depending on how you wear it. Some women use safety pins to keep folds and tucks in place. But I wonder what they used before the safety pin was invented.

Each sari is custom made. You buy the sari set of fabric at a market vendor and the tailor makes it for you. I didn't get one despite the attractiveness of the colours. I have no occasion to wear a sari in Toronto. And if you don't wear it, then all you've got is a long long piece of colourful fabric. Hmm...maybe I should have...