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Srivatsan started it, with his post "My Cultural Identity" and visithra followed it with "Embracing our culture" on why Indian men find it uncomfortable to wear their traditional wear.

I started answering visithra's post and kept on writing, so thought i will put it as a separate post.There are several reasons for tamilian men not sticking to the traditional attire.

1)Comfort
First of all salwar kameez or churidhar is not a traditional indian wear or at least a tamilian wear. But most of the women folk have switched over to them. Why, simplify because of the ease and comfort. The same holds for men, Trousers are more comfortable.

Women folk don’t have a clue about dhothi’s. It is a time bomb, you have to be on a constant fear of when the dhothi’s is going to slip from your stomach. That too wearing the ever slipping polyster dhothi without a belt is extremely dangerous, a big risk taking.I would like to point out that ,it is under these constant threats and dangerous conditions that men folk wear the polyster dhothi’s on ceremonies.


2)Acceptance
The society has changed, it still accepts a women in saree as modern.But it does not accept a man in dhothi as modern.If a bunch of young girls are there and they see two guys one in the traditional dhothi and towel and other in levis jeans and adiddas shoes. who will they be attracted too?. But in a vice versa situation, the women in saree will get equal attention with one in jeans. And similarly in a software company or any other offices the saree or salwar is a dress code. Iam not sure whether a dhothi or a kurta is.

3) Beauty
Traditional women wear has changed with times, it has re invented itself so much.From the traditional heavy kanchevarams we have the light sarees with beautiful designs and wonderful array of accessories for that.If you are talking about dhothi, it has been the same since the day the first dhothi was made. There is only one color, WHITE. If that color changes it means either iam going to shabari malai or i have renounced worldly pleasures.Ok, even if i accept the only color available to me WHITE,Trying to attend a function in white shirt and white dhothi in itself is an adventure.Even if we escape the ever stagnant rain water/drainage water and pan spitting guys from the bus windows, within five minutes into the function there will be a stain somewhere, and it will become a thing to talk, worry and explain about.

Traditional tamilian dhothi's are plain & dull. We men switching over to wearing trousers was a silent revolution seeking color in our life. A courageous act by men suppressed for generations by the women folks who glitter in traditional dress, while their men folk get lost in the dull white sea of dhothi's. Now like women folks we also talk about our dresses.”Nice shirt, where did you get it machan? “. And the talk goes for a few minutes. Otherwise the answer will be simply “Co-optex / handicrafts / local store” and end of topic.

A woman does not take any risk in keeping the traditions alive.But men on the other hand show extreme valor and courage in wearing polyster dhothi’s to keep up our ceremonial traditions and rituals alive.Men Embrace their culture risking an Embarrassment to their culture.This one point is enough to show how men embrace their culture more then women.

So because of all these reasons only we poor men folks are forced to wear Trousers. Please understand it :).