Traditional features of fashion
In today’s urban lifestyle, more and more individuals are drawn to classic and traditional designs. Sabyasachi Mukherjee, one of India’s most respected designers, believes that the key to long-term success is to bring tradition back into fashion. So does going back to tradition mean wearing the signature clothing styles of previous decades/centuries? For example, do you make yourself prettier by wearing a 1920s dress this decade or transform yourself into a Halloween character. What is it about traditional aesthetics that makes it so appealing to so many people?
It seems that, with a distinct beauty, classic and traditional outfits endure over time not only because of their outward appearance but also because of the deep meanings hidden within. Therefore, their beauty continues to be transmitted, arousing our natural curiosity to explore further and becoming an endless source of inspiration in human life.
Professor Chang Ko-chin, National Taiwan Normal University and Suzhou University said: “In fact, there is a common misconception about the term ‘tradition’, which is often thought to refer to ancient things of the past. However, tradition is part of a dynamic continuum. It is a timeless heritage that is still relevant in the present and extends into the future. Anything that only existed in the past but no longer exists today cannot be considered tradition, whether it is an artifact, a way of thinking or a skill. Tradition represents continuous vitality and organic continuity; it is like the flowing river of history. Over time, it naturally refines and preserves the essence of what is cherished and eternal.”
The sun rises and sets every day. The seasons come and go every year. The universe has yin and yang, heaven and earth, male and female. There is a natural rhythm to everything in the universe, and Eastern philosophy holds that we should live in harmony with this rhythm to achieve optimal happiness. The Tao Te Ching says: "Man follows the earth. The earth follows the universe. The universe follows the Tao. The Tao follows nature." In traditional Eastern culture, men are yang, symbolizing heaven and the sun, women are yin, symbolizing earth; men take nobility, dignity, and generosity as nobility, women take softness and beauty as beauty. When yin and yang complement and compensate for each other, society will be harmonious. All activities in society follow that foundation. Clothing carries a certain spiritual connotation, creates a cultural atmosphere, and has a certain effect on people's body and mind. Therefore, through different historical periods, no matter what form the costumes are expressed in, they all follow the yin and yang of the five elements of heaven and earth, synthesizing nature, society, and daily life, and at the same time pursuing this harmony and balance, so wearing natural clothes and hats is always emphasized. This is the reason why, since ancient times, in East Asian countries, women's costumes have always been discreet and soft, expressing courtesy, virtues of loyalty, gentleness, and obedience, but also revealing the radiant vitality and inherent elegance.
The journey of pursuing to reconnect yin and yang of humans is limitless. And when we constantly strive to achieve harmony with Heaven and Earth through the costumes worn on the body, in a very natural way, these costumes make the wearer truly outstanding and special. Therefore, finding traditional features does not mean having to wear ancient costumes. The key is the shift in the ideological concept of modern dress to achieve this balance of yin and yang.
The writer Mark Twain once wrote: “There is no power that does not involve clothing. It is the power that governs humanity”. Fashion is extremely visual and we are in many different forms of “pull”. You are still the same person but people will see you differently through your clothes”. With the complexity of today's social environment, cultivating a foundation rooted in tradition can be a difficult thing. However, when choosing clothes with traditional features that suit your own identity such as: discreet, modern design, exuding elegance and nobility, evoking the depth of the soul, it is you and no one else who has empowered your journey of self-discovery and opened the door to your untapped potential.
