Suit And Tie In Indian Business Attire
Proper business etiquette in India is followed by the vast majority of Indian businessmen. Etiquette demands that they wear a suit with a long sleeved shirt with the collar completely closed. A tie is mandatory. Most of the suits are Western made of heavy materials that are very uncomfortable to wear in the tropical temperatures of India. In this country that manufactures such fine fabric itself, it seems odd that the Indian business men have not rebelled against etiquette and developed a new idea of proper business wear that would be more comfortable to wear.
Other countries with warm, humid climates solved this problem ages ago. Take the Philippines, for example. They wear their traditional Baron Tagalong as formal attire. This is simply an embroidered shirt made of light materials that is cut to fit loosely outside the slacks. It is very comfortable to wear and is accepted as formal attire.
Many other countries have joined in the revolt against wearing complete suits in sweltering temperatures. Thailand and Indonesia have very comfortable formal wear that foreign business people gladly adopt when in these countries. Most anyone would be relieved to dress in comfort in a tropical environment. While appropriate to wear in a business setting, a suit is simply too hot to wear in tropical countries and has generally been replaced by more comfortable attire.
India has been slow to change business attire to a more comfortable form mostly due to tradition. Much of the traditional male dress is inappropriate for wear in the modern business setting. The traditional dhoti is a prime example of this. It is THE traditional male garment in India. However, it is simply are long piece of cloth wrapped around the lower body into a loincloth. This would cause most foreign business people to be taken aback so Indian etiquette dictates the wearing of a complete suit which results in many over heated business men.
Kurta-pajamas are considered appropriate when worn with a waistcoat. However, many men find tail of this dress to be too long for their height and wear a business suit even though it is very uncomfortable for them.
Possible the most innovative change in Indian business attire was brought about by the great Indian leader, Nehru. He almost always appeared wearing a jacket type top with a stand up collar. It had long sleeves and was worn buttoned all the way to the top. His attire found its way into Western fashion for many years. Any style that had a stand up collar was referred to as Nehru. However popular his fashionable jacket became, in India it was more appropriate for winter than summer wear due to it being so warm.
In a country so rich in textiles and variety of clothing, it seems that businessmen would come up an innovative way to circumvent the wearing of business suits and create a comfortable new standard for business clothing.
