Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion Vol 4: South Asia and Southeast Asia

South Asia and Southeast Asia boast a large number of diverse ethnic groups, each with their own languages and cultural practices. Here dress traditions may be rooted in ancient, mystical beliefs. Textiles, many spectacularly embellished, very often have symbolic significance as visual markers of cultural and religious identity. South Asia and Southeast Asia explores this land of sharp contrasts, from the glamour of Bollywood to the vast garment industry, from ritual cross-dressing to Vietnamese fashion designers, and from Bhutanese wedding costumes to Mahatma Gandhi's use of cloth as a powerful political statement. In so doing, it provides an enticing overview of a region of magnificently rich clothing and textile traditions.