There were hardly two days left for Eid. At two in the morning I could hear the sewing machines of the tailor, below my apartment, whirring away busily. At five I woke up for a drink of water, and the machines were still whirring. "Still busy for Eid?" I asked the tailor later in the day. He said, pointing to a mass of stitched dresses on the hangers, that he was filling an urgent order for Muharram clothes to be sent to Dubai and London.
The dresses on the hangers were all black in various patterns and materials, sewn in the latest chic styles. It really does not matter if it is Eid or everyday clothes or clothes to wear in Muharram. Women tend to wear the latest fashions. Till last winter, a few of us who are forced to be frugal had continued to wear the outdated shorter kameez and shalwar suits. But this year you would be dubbed Mirza Ghalib's grandmother if you are seen wearing yesterday's fashions.
The latest fashion is for long tunic, just four or six inches off the floor, to be worn with pajamas cut like trousers rather than the lower half of a sleeping suit. The alternative is to wear the skin tight "tung pajama". Expats keep up with Pakistani fashion trends. They also prefer to have their new clothes stitched by their own tailor in the home country. Increased demand for clothes in the latest fashion both abroad and at home has given and added boost to the already burgeoning textile and clothing industry. It has also increased the import of fabrics such as the heavier warm materials like pure linen and the delicate lace, as well as exquisite trims.
Clothing and textile industry have also launched the trend for seasonal style and different cooler designs and materials for summer, autumnal shades and heavier materials for winter. Before Muharram the shops are full of material in black and white prints.
Looking fashionable for majlis is not a new trend. It has been the custom for a very good reason. Many years ago I remarked to my friend and PPP politician Taj Haider that the chic turnout of young Shia women gave the impression that Muharram was a very fashionable mourning season. He told me that Muharram is also their mating season his words. It is at majlis that mothers of marriageable boys look for suitable girls. It is only at the majlis that they are certain the girl is of their sect. hence the girls dress well, even using light makeup, except on Ashura Day. He said that young people also visit all the imambargahs, for who knows where a pretty girl will catch the eye of her future mother-in-law. This is not to say that there is a crass casualness in the mourning, or that Muharram mourning is of secondary importance. Not at all.
I agree with him; that looking fashionable in no way changes one's attitude to the significance or importance of solemn occasions. In my own wardrobe there hangs a white suit to be worn at funerals. This year I have altered it, adding additional material to increase the hem length. But as you can see from my remarks to Taj Haider, one tends to be judgemental of others and never realise we are not any different in our attitude to sartorial elegance.
I often point out to the critics that even Sunnis are dressed in latest fashion on sad occasions, that is, at funerals. Sunnis may not be particular about a colour, although white is preferred colour of mourning. At a Sunni funeral you are likely to see all colours, include the happy colours red, orange and yellow. But by an large one tries to choose a subdued shade to wear at a funeral.
Sunnis tend to treat black as if it is the badge of Shias. Mothers and grandmothers often discourage young girls from wearing black. But eversince black became a party colour, they have found it hard to make their criticism stick. All young Sunnis girls nowadays have atleast one or two trendy black dresses in their wardrobe. Mothers and grandmothers may cluck and crib, but the girls do not take any notice.
Trendy black became the vogue in my young days. I had a stunning black lace dress worn with satin skin tight pajamas in gold colour. I decided to wear the suit at the wedding of my friend's sister. My grandmother threw a fit. I got frightened and rang up my friend to enquire of her eldest sister, who was also the family head, if she minded my wearing black. No, she said, laughing. "Even the bride wants to wear black."
I wore the suit with a heavy gold chain and gold jhumkas and Saleem-shahi footwear in jewel tones. In short, I did everything to temper the black. But at the wedding reception everyone, including people of my own age asked why I was wearing black to a wedding. Those were the days when black was still a Shia colour of mourning. Not any more. Go to any wedding and you will see many people in black, made festive with gold and silver embroidery, diamantes and sequins. There is also a change in orthodox Sunni attitude to black. Every burqa is black. What is more intriguing is that the black burqa is being worn fashionably, also embellished with embroidery and diamantes. Karachi even has burqa boutiques.