Horizon﹕Traditional costume
【明報專訊】While we all like to dress fashionably, each country or ethnic group had its own traditional costumes in ancient times. Some of them remain popular today.
•Scottish Kilt
The grid pattern of Tartan is now a trendy fashion style, but its history is longer than you may think! Tartan patterned skirts made of wool, which are known as kilts, are worn by Scottish men. The tartan patterns represent the clan or the family that the wearer belongs to, and each clan has a unique pattern design.
•Indian Saree
Indian women wear a piece of cloth, called Saree, that does not have any stitches, buttons or pins. It takes some practice and skills to wear a Saree, which entails wrapping the garment around the waist skillfully to prevent the garment from falling apart, and draping the other end gracefully on one shoulder. In different areas in India, people have various draping styles. Some even wrap it around the head!
•West African Agbada
Agbada is worn by West African men on formal occasions such as weddings and festivals. It is a wide sleeved robe decorated with intricate embroidery (刺繡).
However, it has become more commonly worn recently because production technology has improved and people have started to find it a stylish outfit.
•Vietnamese Ao Dai and Non La
Vietnam is a tropical country and is hot most of the time so Vietnamese people wear Ao Dai, a long, loose-fitting dress made of thin and breathable silk. The traditional Ao Dai was originally worn by both men and women, but a modern fashion-inspired design that is more form-fitting has become popular among ladies. To protect themselves from the scorching sun, the Vietnamese people also wear Non La, a large conical hat that is made by hand with treated palm leaves and bamboos.
■Glossary
clan (n) 宗族
skillfully (adv) 有技巧地
drape (v) 披
intricate (adj) 錯綜複雜的
[Smarties' Power English 第244期]
