INFLUENCES of the BRITISH RAJ on the ATTIRE and TEXTILES of PUNJAB

Category Non-Fiction
Format Hardcover
Imprint Rupa
Price 2500

ISBN: 978-93-90918-46-1
Pages: 168 pages
Date: 1st July 2021

ABOUT THIS BOOK

This is the absorbing story of how the British Raj brought lasting changes in the way people dressed and used textiles in Punjab. Many men became Westernized and followed English fashions to the hilt. Others simply wore Western garments like coats or overcoats along with their kurta and pyjama. Interesting outfits evolved, with both Western and Indian elements. Women’s styles too were impacted, albeit to a lesser degree. As Western accessories made an entry, Indian ornamentation retreated. New fabrics and materials were appreciated and accepted. These, along with Western techniques and motifs, even appeared in the form of household items, to complement the new furnishings and ways of living.

AUTHOR OF THE BOOK

Jasvinder Kaur studied textiles at Delhi’s Lady Irwin College in 1969. Many years later, it was a fascinating walk down Kabul’s famous Chicken Street, lined with displays of Central Asian textiles, which inspired her to pick up the threads again. Since then, over the course of 30 years, she has been continuously engaged with the subject. This has included consultancy assignments at the Musée d’art et d’histoire and Musée d’ethnographie, both in Geneva, Switzerland, and lecturing as visiting faculty at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi. Her articles have featured in international and Indian publications, and she is a regular contributor to The Tribune, Chandigarh—the city she calls home.