Abstract:
Clothing has become a symbolic code to recognize humans as particular kinds of individuals. In all
societies the body is ‘dressed’, and everywhere dress and adornment play symbolic, communicative
and aesthetic roles. Tension regarding the dress and female body oscillates between modern feminism
and cultural allegiances. The women, dress and feminism always change according to the lifestyle and
attitudes in contemporary world. In the western world over the years the evening dress has become an
iconic piece of clothing. Non-western dress, in global culture is progressively more appropriated by
western fashion. The ‘sari’ is sensual and flattering female attire in South Asia and now travels the
globe as ‘fashion’.
The paper mainly discusses ‘Evening Dress’ and the ‘Sari’, sexual factors in ‘Sari’ and ‘Dress’, 21st
century women and the ‘Sari’ and generational changes through feminism. The aim of the paper is to
identify the most feminine attire for women between the ‘Sari’ and the ‘Evening Dress’. Data has
been analyzed quantitatively using participants’ preference as ‘wearer’ and ‘qualitatively’ using
participants’ feedback as viewer. The survey was completed by using 100 ‘MA Fashion Design and
Technology’ students at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London.
After the intervention it was found that 32% percent agreed that the sari is more feminine, another
33% agreed evening dress is more feminine than the ‘sari’ and the rest, 35% agreed with both. So the
survey suggested that feelings about wearing a dress depend on the wearer’s sense of the dress and the
viewer’s points of view of the wearer. The study shows that, the positive or negative feeling of
wearing a dress, depends on the wearer’s sense of the dress and her awareness of its effect on others.
