The style is woman !

The National Assembly of France

M. R. Dua

WO M E N ’ S dresses in France are said to be stylish and f l a s h y . However, the National Assembly of France Speaker doesn’t seem to agree with the current trend in the female habiliment. The Speaker believes that the attire of the Assembly’s women members should have a unique character, style, mode and model.

That’s perhaps why the National Assembly announced (New York Times, August 7) that it was the opportune time that an ‘appropriate dress code’ was prescribed, and observed by the hon’ble lady members of the Assembly.

Another argument in support of the Speaker’s order was the British practice. The female members of the British House of Commons and the U.S. House of Representatives already have set such a convention, and that is being diligently followed.

It would be relevant here to recall what a noted British essayist William Hazlitt advised ages ago, and engagingly opined that: It’s the dress and the address that matters in life. This is also aptly contextual and proper in case of members of a nation’s highest legislative body.

Thus, what the late benign writer of yesteryears felt was that what – men or women -- wear to cover themselves gloriously with, introduces the person to us all in the society.

The style and manner that one employs to express oneself establishes one’s stamp, mark, and the persona at large in the world. Therefore, it’s not for nothing that another esteemed author of the times gone-by, Francis Bacon, also averred in the most appropriate words: ‘it is the style that maketh a man (and woman).’

The reality is that what women choose to wear often becomes an issue of heated debate among men, especially in the case of those women who wield a position of power and authority. It’s on these factors that most men worldwide have won unique laurels in the fashion industry.

In a six-yard-sari The fact of the matter is that all over the world these days abundant attention is devoted the women’s clothes. It’s also a widely established fact that clothings that women don have now become of extraordinary value. For, the dress weighs unprecedently heavily and has consummate significance in winning beauty pageants, determining the future of a young would-be-bride.
The reality is that what women choose to wear often becomes an issue of heated debate among men, especially in the case of those women who wield a position of power and authority. It’s on these factors that most men worldwide have won unique laurels in the fashion industry.
Heard of well-known Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin. And, our own Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Rohit Bal, Ritu Kumar, Manish Arora, Ritu Beri, Satya Paul, Manish Malhotra… the list growing by the day. And their business too is growing by the day. The Indian dress industry too is expanding horizons reflecting many new clienteles’ interests in Indian designs.
Even our own many senior leaders have expressed their unhindered views on how our own eves should dress up. Remember, the late Jyoti Basu, revered CPM doyen chief minister of West Bengal? Once speaking to the young college damsels of a renowned Calcutta (now Kolkata) college, Jyotida counselled them on what to wear. Among other things, the seasoned communist leader commended them to keep the Bangla culture stout and alive, and reflect on what their attire should be in a graceful Bengali eve.

In salwar-kameez He averred that he fervently fancied that Bengali females looked more dignified and respectful in a six-yard sari. But, not exactly so, he with salwar kameez. He politely, though sweetly, affirmed that the ‘salwar-kameez’ outfit was essentially a ‘typical Punjabi outfit.’
The illustrious chief minister recommended them that the sixyard sari makes an excellent dress for any woman of ‘any’ age. He exhorted them to patronize the age-old ‘nationally treasured’ Indian feminine accouter, the sari.
It’s indeed very true, as someone recently underlined, that the Indian sari looked ‘versatile, imaginative sutra dhara of India’s past and present.’ Undoubtedly, it’s the core of the Bahartiya naree’s izzat and abroo
Unquestionably, Indian women look majestic, very feminine and noble, only in sari. This is absolutely what the most Indian men too would cherish their women choose sari as their ceremonial bridal costume (no affront intended).
Interestingly Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, once directed all senior government officials to abhor three-piece western cut-fashion suit,bow and necktie. Instead, he desired them to adopt the bandh-gala coat and trousers as their official dress, which has now become almost a required official attire.
Prime minister Narendra Modi too prefers the waist coat or ‘weskit’ as the most apposite and cherished apparel for all. The weskit has now become the trademark of each and every leader worth his salt and worthy of the party he belongs to.

Today’s youth think differently about ‘prescribing an appropriate dress code. The main logic being ‘my dress is nobody’s concern. I know what suits me, and what looks good on my body.’

So, be warned before you offer your views to the young. The speaker of the French National Assembly must have been aware of this modern unwritten fashion credo!