Emerging sartorial complexities: eclectic fashion

Abstract

Eclectic fashion is considered to be a selecting what appears to best in various styles. Furthermore it could be identified as deriving ideas, style or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. During the Kotte period in Sri Lanka Portuguese influences affected the fashion of the royalty due to changing their religion to Christianity. Ultimately they embraced western lifestyleandpartly abandoned their jewelry bedecked bare upper body style and combined a western stitched long sleeved loose jacket with the existing clinging draped cloth. Subsequently the early phases of the Kandyan King‘s attire totally ignored the traditional lower long cloth and adopted the western trousers with long sleeved jacket. They became fashion fanatics and eager to acquire many fashion details from different fashion sources. The literary evidences proved that the royal males had an exotic taste. They were not hesitating to get inspired from the west and produce their own fashion.This paper explores emerging sartorial complexities of dress composition which entailed an eclectic fashion movement in Sri Lanka.