Dress up for death?

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Death is sombre but it could be a sartorial celebration for some. A project in Singapore offers an opportunity to showcase the clothes people wish to wear for their own funeral. A wetsuit, a mermaid costume, clown attire, a Liverpool jersey and an imperial Chinese robe are among a range of outfits chosen by those participating in “The Last Outfit”, a photo project in Singapore.
Closer home the concept may raise eyebrows, but many feel the idea of dressing up for death resonates with their beliefs. “Whenever my mother-in-law dressed well and I complemented her, she would say, ‘Remember what I’m wearing today, make sure when I die, you dress me up to look as beautiful as I do now.’ When she died 25 years ago she had dressed up to go to a dinner party with friends. She fulfilled her wish,” says designer Bina Ramani.
“I am not averse to the idea of dressing up before going to the other realm. Since my friends and well-wishers would be seeing me for the last time I’d be concerned that they remember me as a presentable human being,” reveals designer Nisha Jamwal. “I do believe this is a personal choice and it should be respected,” seconds Bina.
“It is perfectly natural for one to plan their burial rights, place for last rites and the garb they feel would be most appropriate for their last travel in their human frame before they turn to dust,” says designer Paras Bairoliya.
Death is too sensitive a topic to be discussed in relation to clothes. It’s an overwhelming feeling of loss and clothes are the last thing one thinks about. It is incorrect to transport an occasion like death from the sublime to the ridiculous, feels designer Pankaj Ahuja.
However, for funeral-goers it’s a different story altogether. In the Indian context, the pristine white sari has been replaced by a more comfortable fusion wear.
“I have been to innumerable prayer meetings where women come dressed in elegant designer outfits dripping with diamonds. The colours are pale yet exude an air of sophistication, a hint of blush, a whiff of perfume, lipgloss and peek-a-boo pearls to complete the get-up. I do agree that jeans or capris do not comply with the norms but donned with white kurtis they seem to have worked their way into the module. If a certain amount of elegant clothing is seeping into our culture it does no harm as long as women stay away from the bling and the blush,” explains designer Poonam Bhagat.
At the recent celebrity funerals in Mumbai, a lot of people were seen in dresses, kurtis, scruffy jeans and red nails. “While I do agree that we’ve become hard-nosed, I also feel that when a person is distressed and upset about the loss of a dear one, the mind cannot focus on attire and style. Kurtis and jeans are the fastest and quickest way at that moment. I cannot blame people for just pulling on what was closest at hand and rushing to the side of the family,” adds Nisha.
Bina recalls, many years ago when Shashi Kapoor’s wife, Jennifer, died in London, immediately after the cremation, the Kapoors and Kendalls had champagne at their home in a congenial atmosphere for several hours. “I could feel Shashi’s pain at losing Jennifer, but he sportily went along with the tradition of the Irish. However, everyone was dressed soberly, in deference to the respect they had for Jennifer. I therefore believe that at Shammi Kapoor’s funeral, mourners shouldn’t have appeared in jeans and colourful clothes. They should have displayed respect,” sums up Bina.