Fashion is symbolic of postcolonial identity- here's why

To begin my research on postcolonial identity and resistance through clothing using Indian fashion as a case study, I thought it was best to understand the importance of conducting research into fashion and postcolonialism before looking into India specifically.

Textiles- woven, colourful thread (Adobe Stock Image)

The outcome of this research revealed to me that fashion is symbolic of postcolonial identity and resistance since clothing is used in cultures to express beliefs and experiences. In an article that I read written by Nisar Kannangara, I discovered the political significance of clothing. Colours and style can dig deeper than government systems and symbolise the violence and conflict experienced by different cultures. This is important when considering postcolonial identity and resistance because the colonised experienced a lot of tensions and conflict due to the domination of Western imperial powers suppressing their cultural identities for economic and political gain.

To further this research, I read an article written by Dr. Ogretim Uyesi Elif Guvendi Yalcin which highlights the key role that fashion plays in understanding human cultures. She stresses the power of fashion in postcolonial society because it enables previously colonised cultures to take the power back that was suppressed by Western domination. She also suggests that clothing can reinstate the cultural identity of the colonised to return to pre-colonial traditions. This is all enabled by the symbolism that clothing holds.

Clothing shows cultural identity as it has been passed down through generations of cultural tradition. This can act as cultural resistance because it represents the survival of these cultural fashion trends throughout colonisation.

The different symbols of postcolonial fashion for previously colonised cultures, as referred to by Yalcin:

• Symbol of challenge against the Western identity that colonisers tried to enforce onto the colonised.

• Symbol of sophistication and modernity since their unique cultural fashion trends have been able to evolve in a modern, consumerist society alongside Western fashion trends rather than being dominated by theirs.

• Symbol of desiring equality with Europeans.

• Symbol of freedom from colonial rule.

• Symbol of authentic cultures adapting Western clothing trends to mimic, recycle and create their own to resist Western hegemony and take back power.

Despite this positive outlook on the empowerment of fashion, Yalcin’s article also discusses the continuous impact of colonisation on fashion since Western fashion trends push aside indigenous clothing trends as Western ideologies are still hegemonic today, even in a postcolonial context.

Overall, we can see a clear pattern of symbolism in fashion to explore postcolonial identity and resistance from Western ideology and domination. Therefore, understanding the importance of using clothing as a way of researching postcolonialism and the impact it had on the colonised.

REFERENCES:

Kannangara, N (2017) 'The Politics of Clothing in Postcolonial Indian Democracy' Clothing Cultures, 6 (2), p.237-247. Available at: https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/cc_00014_1#html_fulltext (Accessed:16/1/2025).

Yalcin, O. U. E. G (2023) 'Reclaiming Agency through Fashion: Postcolonial Identities and Colonial Legacies in V.S. Naipaul's A Bend in the River*' Soylem Filoloji Dergisi. 8 (3) 727-745. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/3415195 (Accessed: 20/1/2025).