Around the World in 80 Dresses

I celebrated my Indian Summer at the Cape of Good Hope with two simplified versions of the Punjabi salwar, the combination of scarf, kameez and baggy or tight trousers. The dark red one being an interpretation by a group of young designers for the label Hip Hop, now sadly defunct. This Indian reminiscence is not as far-fetched as you might think. Indians emigrated to the Cape since the 19th century and Cape Town owns its foundation to the thirst of the Dutch East India company VOC for South Asian and South East Asian spices. The turquoise version has its origin in Mauritius with its fascinating mix of French colonial and Indian culture. At the market in Quatre-Borne I can hardly tear myself away from the stands with heaps of fabric for saris and salwars. In the street along the market I enter a shop with more fabric and more saris in brilliant colours. A mother and daughter are selecting a wedding outfit. One gleaming silk sari with sequin embroidery after another is s...