Fashion Trends Prior To Bollywood Were Dictated By Higher Echelons Of

Fashion trends prior to Bollywood were dictated by higher echelons of society. This, in turn, was strongly influenced by the British. In addition, the body image of the femme fatale of Hindi women has undergone a similar transformation. Formerly 'voluptuous' and 'wide-hipped', a new standard has become the rule. The desirable image is now sleek and slim: 'the high visibility of the indigenous fashion industry also changed the look of the screen siren and shaped a new body image' (Rao 2003). The influence of film has played a huge role in changing that.
Film clearly has a symbiotic relationship with fashion. What is shown on the silver screen often makes its way into our own lives on some level. There are a number of dynamics at work here. As Entwistle has asserted, 'dress is tied up to social life in more than one way: it is produced out of economic, political, technological conditions as well as conditions shaped by social., cultural, aesthetic ideas' (2000:111).
The link between cinema and mainstream fashion is easily apparent. What is seen on the silver screen by movie viewers one day, will often end up being a popular commodity the next. Movies provide an outlet for viewersa chance to step out of their own lives and into the lives of otherusually glamorouspeople. Fashion does this in a similar way, allowing its adherents the freedom to 're-invent' themselves. Often, the selves they try to emulate are those of the icons they admire in film; therefore it seems natural that they emulate the style of dress of those they consider role models. As Joanne Entwistle has so aptly stated it, 'fashion opens up possibilities for framing the self, however temporarily' (2000:139).
The establishment of the Indian cinema also proved to be the strongest influence on the fashion in the decade.Due to the western influence, the use of angarkhas, choghas and jamas diminished considerably by this time,although the ceremonial pagri,safa and topi were widespread as ever.
References
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Boyk, David. 2004. 'Bollywood for the Skeptical'.
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~dboyk/bollywood/#blurb
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Entwistle, Joanne. 2000. The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress, and Modern Social
Theory. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Rao, Maithili. 2003 'A Decade of Dizzying Changes'. Humanscape Magazine, Vol. 10, Issue 11.
Melwani, Lavina. 2005. 'Bollywood is getting some well-earned respect, finally'.
http://littleindia.com/august2003/Bollywood%20Graduates.htm
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