Costume is a cultural visual of the people. It provides the vital clue to their customs, tastes, aesthetic temper – in other words, their way of living. The community decides as to what to wear and how to wear. It also decides about the distinctions to be made on the basis of sex and age, class and castes, religion and region, occasion and occupation. There is community sanction too on what part of the body to be covered, or what to be left bare, how to conceal and how to reveal. Costume is truly a kind of a dressing table mirror of the time and the people. Man’s thinking changes, so do the styles and dress. He imitates the old as well as adjusts to the new needs, tastes and circumstances. Foreign conquests, exotic ideas and new influences also bring in changes.

This book which is sufficiently illustrated depicts in detail the dress transformation that had taken place over the ages in our country, known for its diversity.