India is a diverse country with many cultures residing together. In fact, one will find all the eight major religions residing in this country, and it won’t be wrong, if we call it a multicultural country. All these cultures have a great impact on literature, art, and philosophy throughout the world. Indian fashion has therefore, a great influence on different nations all across the world. Although it has a great impact on the US and the UK, giving rise to the fusion dresses, however, they are not the only ones. These classic clothes, such as sarees, lehengas, sharara suits and alike have influenced East Asian fashion in a profound way in addition to shaping India’s cultural identity. In this article we shall be looking at the influence of the Indian outfits on East Asia and how they have led to changes and adaptations as well as the cross-cultural interactions that have produced a distinctive fusion of styles.
The expansion of Indian culture to East Asia
Looking back in the past, one will find that the silk road trade and the spread of Buddhism have played a major role in creating strong cultural ties between India and East Asia. It was not just the spread of spirituality during that time, however, it was also a time when Indian traders, monks, and explorers introduced different aspects of Indian art, architecture, textiles, and apparel to different East Asian nations. The rich textile traditions of the Indian subcontinent, which included complex weaving and dyeing methods, spread throughout neighboring East Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea as well as Southeast Asian nations like Thailand and Indonesia, influencing their citizens’ sense of style.
The impact of saree on East Asian fashion
Among all the Indian outfits, the saree has a great impact on East Asia fashion, especially on Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia, where similar draped clothing has been worn for decades. The “kain panjang” or “sarong” worn by the people of Indonesia is almost identical to the Indian saree in the context of its draping technique and fabric choice. The fashion environment in these countries was greatly influenced by Indian textiles, particularly cotton and silk. The “chut thai” from Thailand is a traditional Thai women’s dress, and is also somewhat similar to the sarees in the context of its draping technique and fabric choice. The Indian influence on the outfit chut thai comes from the use of silk, intricate designs and vibrant colors.
Lehengas and shararas: East Asia’s magnificent Mughal Style
Not just sarees, the East Asian nations also got highly influenced by lehengas and sharara outfits. These two outfits gained their strong presence in India during the rule of the Mughal empire. The Mughal empire had an impact on nations outside of India, including Afghanistan, Persia (present-day Iran), and East Asia as a result of trade and cultural interactions. The East Asian elites, such as the royals and noble families praised these outfits for their luxurious materials, intricate embroidery works and flared skirts. These clothes eventually came to represent riches.
The impact of lehengas and shararas on women’s ceremonial attire, particularly in royal and aristocratic contexts, is evident in East Asian fashion. The best example of this is the traditional áo dài which is worn by the women of Vietnam, which is reminiscent of the Indian lehenga, with a long, flowing style and elaborate embroidery, to formal events like weddings. Similarly, in terms of fabric choice, intricate embroidery, and use of rich colors like gold and scarlet, the Japanese kimono, especially those worn by brides during traditional Shinto weddings, mimics the grandeur of Indian costumes influenced by the Mughal dynasty. Today, the craze for Indian outfits has given rise to many designer lehengas and sharara suits on the international platform of the fashion industry.
The modern influence of Indian culture on East Asian Pop culture
We are living in a postmodern era where globalization is playing a major role in spreading fashion from cultures all across the world and it is this globalization which has introduced the modern Indian fashion trends in East Asian nations and other parts of the world. Bollywood, the thriving Indian film industry, is essential to this cross-cultural dialogue. Indian cinema is immensely popular in Thailand, South Korea, Japan and other different countries frequently including intricate sarees, lehengas, and designer sharara suits.
This inspires local designers and fashion enthusiasts to add Indian aspects to their outfits. Indian clothing is used at prestigious occasions like festivals and weddings, and Indian designers have also found success in East Asian markets. East Asian fashion designers have responded by adopting the combination of Indian and East Asian styles, producing hybrid ensembles that fuse local sensibilities with Indian silhouettes, textiles, and embroidery.
