Evolution of Female Costume in Sinhala Tradition

Abstract

According to the Oxford English dictionary the meaning of costume denotes ‘the distinctive style of coiffure, jewellery, and apparel of a period, country, class or a group’. Costumes are considered as things that are laid on the human body for beauty, aesthetics and function. Body shape or figure is believed to be the cumulative result of a woman’s skeletal structure and distribution of muscle on the body. The female figure in many cultures has been worshipped as the symbol of fertility and prosperity. The female form is considered as more attractive than its male counterpart. In general female figures are narrower at the waist than at the bust and hip area, and accentuated with long hair that falls along the back. This study intends to identify deeper meanings in costumes that were practiced in local traditions, by mapping out the visible connections between costumes/dress and the social, material, and philosophical aspects of female dress. The research problem is the examination of the principles that have evolved in the history of Sinhalese female costume. In the world of costume design today, it is important to always look back to tradition, for creative inspiration in design. This has been the main objective of the research paper. A wide range of costumes, from the royalty to the commoners can be identified in the Sinhalese culture. This wide range of costumes has evolved to make the female figure a focal point for design and creativity. The traditions of costumes have been subjected to external changes from outside influences. The concepts behind dress design that have evolved from local traditions need to be brought in to focus. For instance, the ancient temple paintings of Sri Lanka depict the life style of a bygone era and in these paintings we come across stories illustrated with people at different events in their various costume and ornament. As such, it is possible to derive the social significance, philosophy of life, customs and beliefs, and design aesthetics of the era from these paintings. Much of the information has been collected by visiting ancient temples in Kandyan region and Southern coastal areas. Line drawings were then prepared from the scanned photographs. The dresses of the royals, variations of the costumes of the commoner, Kandyan villagers costume, costume according to Robert Knox, the occupations related to costumes, costumes of the dancers, costume and its western and Indian influences are some of the sections that will be discussed in this study.