Contesting Sartorial Reforms: The Discourse in Colonial Malabar

Abstract

The paper makes an attempt to analyze the discourse of sartorial reforms which transpired in the early twentieth century Malabar so as to understand the participation of women in the discourse. The late nineteenth and early twentieth century were rife with discussions regarding the changes that were being witnessed in the sartorial realm owing to the increased influence of western lifestyles. Divergent opinions were voiced regarding the level of ‘modern’ influence to be allowed in the sartorial realm.