Kriti Sanon Is Just the Latest Example of Women Being Judged for What They Wear

We have all seen this happen. A woman chooses an outfit because she likes it and feels good in it. But someone may still say, “You should wear something more traditional.” Actress Kriti Sanon recently faced a similar situation after appearing in a Raksha Bandhan jewellery advertisement. Some people did not like her outfit and felt it was too modern for the festival. Kriti later said that the real meaning of a festival is about love and feelings, not just clothes. Her situation shows a problem that many women face in their daily lives.

Clothes are an important part of culture. Different communities have different traditional clothes, and wearing them can be a nice way to celebrate our culture. But the problem starts when people think a woman's clothes show whether she respects her culture or not. A woman wearing a modern dress does not mean that she does not respect her traditions. In the same way, wearing traditional clothes does not automatically tell us everything about a person's values. Clothes are just one part of a person.


For many women, choosing clothes should be simple. If they like something and feel comfortable in it, they should be able to wear it. But sometimes women have to think much more before getting dressed. They may think, “Is this too short?” “Will my relatives say something?” “Will people judge me?” This can make getting dressed stressful instead of fun.


A woman can wear a saree today and jeans tomorrow. She can love traditional jewellery and also enjoy modern fashion. She can wear a western dress and still love her family, festivals and culture. There is no rule that says these things cannot exist together. A woman's clothes should not be used to decide whether she is good, bad, respectful or disrespectful.


This is not only a problem for celebrities. Many women face it in normal life too. A girl may change her outfit before going to a family function because she knows someone will comment on it. Another woman may avoid wearing something she loves because she does not want to answer questions from relatives. Comments like “This is too modern” or “You should dress properly” may sound small. But hearing them again and again can make women feel that they always need approval before wearing something.

Society has judged women by their appearance for a very long time. People often connect a woman's clothes with her family, character and behaviour. Social media has made this even bigger. Today, one picture can be seen by thousands of people. Everyone can leave a comment, even when they know nothing about the person. A simple outfit can quickly become a big argument about culture and morality.

Respecting your culture does not mean wearing the same type of clothes all the time. Traditions can change, and people can celebrate them in different ways. A woman can wear a saree for Diwali and a dress for a party. She can enjoy both traditional and modern clothes. Neither choice makes her less connected to her culture. Culture is much bigger than clothes. It is also about our family, language, food, festivals, values and memories.

More women are now speaking about this issue. They are asking a simple question: Why should my clothes decide who I am? Everyone can have an opinion about fashion. But having an opinion is different from judging someone's character because of their clothes. A person should be judged by their actions and behaviour, not just by what they are wearing.

The discussion about women's clothes will probably continue for a long time. But maybe it is time to look at the person instead of only looking at the outfit. A woman should be able to wear something because she likes it, feels comfortable in it or simply wants to try something new. Her clothes do not decide how much she loves her family or respects her culture. At the end of the day, clothes are just clothes. They do not tell us who a person really is.

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