Historic Indian costumes and weaving techniques

Fashion draws inspiration from the past and historic costumes. Therefore, an aspiring designer needs to be well-aware about the subject of ‘Historic Costumes’. The study of fundamentals of historic Indian costumes gives resourceful insights to the students regarding fashion of a particular era. They can understand the fabric used in ancient times and the culture of the period. Understanding historic costume can trigger a student’s imagination to create something incredible. For example, the historical costumes of the Mughal period have inspired designers to reinvent sherwanis, churidars, and anarkalis.

              

But along with understanding historic costumes, understanding the weaving techniques that were used is also imperative. The basics of weaving are same today, as they were centuries ago. The two most important weaving techniques that an aspiring fashion and textile student should absolutely know about are the handloom and the power loom. Knitting follows the suit and holds high significance in historic costumes. Crochet, also adds to the list. Though not originally Indian, Crochet has evolved to be a significant technique in Indian fashion over generations.

Historic costumes and the weaving techniques are two of the most important topics for students of fashion and textile designing. The first draws inspirations through cultures of different eras and the latter gives an understanding of how fabrics were made. This knowledge is like raw material to an aspiring designer which provides an idea of the fabric, the draping capabilities, elasticity, and the prosperities of the fabric. As Jaishika Ratanpal, Faculty of Whistling Woods- Neeta Lulla School of Fashion says, “This is studying the evolution of fashion, how a garment evolves from a single drape to complete garments and without this knowledge a designer cannot design a new garment or fabric.”

Watch Jaishikha Ratanpal speak on evolution of historic costumes and why it is essential.