Fashion is for every one of us. So don’t forget our tribal fashion. They have their unique colors and designs combined in a piece of cloth, and truly for me, always they are amazing. Sometimes I try to combine our fashion with them and they are, trust me, always unique. So let us talk about our tribal fashion today.The North-East happens to be one of the most diverse and culturally vibrant regions of India. It comprises the seven beautiful states more popularly called the “Seven Sisters”, inhabited by as many as 166 different tribes pursuing their unique lifestyles.
Men in Arunachal Pradesh are simple in their dressing styles. Their mainly wear lungis woven in red and black yarn, a jacket and a turban. Arunachali women wear a piece of cloth that covers the body from the shoulders till the knees. They complement the wrap with a full-sleeved coat and an attractive sash, locally called muhkak, tied around their waist.
The Khasi and Garo tribes of Meghalaya are the most prominent tribes of the state. A Khasi man can be identified by his unstitched lower garment or a dhoti, jacket and a turban. Khasi women wear a two-piece cloth pinned on each shoulder and a shawl, which are called jainsem and tapmoh respectively. Garo women on the other hand wear a blouse and tie a long unstitched piece of cloth called dakmanda around their waist. It is hand-woven, having a 6-10 inch border with floral motifs. A Jaintia woman dresses up in a similar manner in a blouse and a striped sarong called thoh khyrwang.
Traditional costumes in Mizoram are exclusively hand-made by the women of the household. Mizo men wear a piece of cloth, almost 7 feet long, which is wrapped around the body. In winter, men wear a long white coat that is fastened at the throat and reaches up to the thighs. These coats have beautiful patterns near the sleeves with bands of red and white. Men also don a special kind of headgear – wrapping a piece of cloth around the head so that the ends fall over each ear. Mizo women wear a single piece of cloth wrapped around the waist and reaching up to the knees. A short white jacket with hand-woven patterns on top completes the look of the costume.
Manipur
Manipuri women traditionally wear a blouse and a three-piece hand-woven phanek, which very closely resembles a wrap-around skirt. Men usually wear a single piece of cloth almost like a lungi. A turban is a must for the Manipuri man
The Nagas are classified into sixteen tribes speaking different dialects, customs and traditional costumes. Among the men, the costume mainly consists of a short wrap-around skirt and a feathered headdress. Naga women have different styles of wearing a skirt, called mekhla, which vary with the respective tribes. For example, the women of the tribe wear a piece of cloth wrapped around their waists like a skirt with a hand-woven top or blouse. In some cases, just a single piece of cloth is used to wrap the body starting from the bosom and reaching up to the knees. The pattern mainly consists of red and black stripes with small yellow motifs on the black stripes.
The tribal of Tripura make their own clothes at home. Men wear a narrow piece of cloth as a lower garment without a shirt. The headgear comprises a turban – just a long cloth tied around the head. Women wear two separate pieces of cloth that are draped around the body as an upper and lower garment respectively. The most striking feature of the entire garment is the upper half, which is embroidered with beautiful designs.
Still why we feel our tribals backdated!!!! They actually represents the root of our culture. Also our designers are getting involved in this area and today we see tribal fashion shows also. So it wont be a surprise if you mingle your dress with your tribe fashion. Try it and be fashionable…