> [!NOTE]+ Meta > Author:: Toolika Gupta > Reference:: > Date:: 2022-10-19 > Tags:: #India #textiles > WeftLinks:: [[Reinventing the Wheel]] ### Summary Dr Toolika Gupta from [[Indian Institute of Craft and Design]] presented her meticulous research into the evolution of the Sherwani as elite male dress in India. Though it seems Persian in style, the frock coat can be seen as influenced greatly by British military dress. This is particularly apparent in the appearance of buttons at the front. Furniture played a key role in this. Chairs make tight fitting clothes possible, while sitting on the floor requires a loose fit. The Sherwani evolved to enable both. This resonates with the Vernacular Furniture of Gujarat project developed at [[CEPT University]] by Jay Thakker. While table and chair seem the universal grammar of furniture, in India it was shown to have a distinct set of designs for cross-legged sitting. Gupta includes details of the way tailoring was standardised through Mr Vincent's paper patterns. What has been popularly known as the "Nehru collar" is actually of Prussian origin. Gupta goes on to talk about the use of the Sherwani today and we compare its use in India to the way the Mao suit has been discarded in favour of the Western business suit in China. Gupta's talk shows how distinctly national crafts may in fact be influenced by foreign cultures, particularly of the elites. This talk relates well to the Nivi talk in showing how important dress is to the development of national identity. [[Kaamya Sharma - Fold craft - Uncovering the Nivi sari]] <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mR5E3aLXOu4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ![[Sherwani presentation on 21st September.pdf]]