The word costume refers to the dress patterns of the people of a particular community. We know that there are different costumes in different countries and nations. It is the costume of a community, which differentiates its people from others. The people of Kerala are simple. They are very moderately dressed. The main dress worn by the people of Kerala is mainly traditional in nature though the costumes are to a large extent guided by the geographical conditions of the region. The costumes worn by the people of Kerala, God’s own Country, present the innate simplicity of the lifestyle of the Malayali people. Both men and women of the state are mostly seen dressed in off-white and white attires. The traditional form of dress worn by the people of Kerala is Mundu and Neriyathu. The mundu forms the lower garment, while neriyathu is the upper garment. The mundu is worn around the hips, below the navel. This hand-woven cotton cloth is very comfortable during the summer. It is generally cream or white in colour with the coloured border or kara. The women also wear Sari which is a five to six meter long cloth, embroidered with golden border along with a Blouse. Women are not loaded with make-up.

The people of Kerala are very simple, and this innate simplicity is reflected in their costumes which are simple and decent. The traditional attire worn by the men of Kerala is Kasavu Mundu which is a 3-4 meter long cotton twin cloth with the silk border and is more popular in the rural areas.

However, with the changing trends in fashion and designing, the dress codes have also changed. Now-a-days, this traditional costume of mundum-neriathum is being replaced by the set-sari among women. The set-sari is similar to mundum-neriyathum, the only difference being that it is a single piece of cloth. The people have now also taken to the northern style of dressing up though the western dresses have also found a lot of acceptance among the masses. Men and women today are clad in a variety of dresses. The Keralite men can be seen in the modern T-shirts, and trousers or jeans. The women also prefer to wear the churidar kurta as well as jeans-top.

The traditional form of dressing is now reserved for special occasions. The people of this state have accepted the dress code which is more comfortable for carrying out everyday activities.

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