Greetings my lovely friends!

It’s the last day of the first week of Season 08, I wanted to participate in more contests but couldn't manage the time! I'm excited about this one though. I’m a person who works in the Fashion industry and I'm living in a fully diverse country. So, let me start with the first question,

What is your specific cultural attire and how frequently do you wear it?

Sri Lanka is home to several major cultures, including Sinhalese, Tamils, Moors, and Burghers. I belong to the Sinhalese culture which is influenced by Buddhism a lot. We have two main attires because of this particular reason.

The first is the ”National costume”, which is typically worn during religious activities or national events. The other attire is the one for the wedding or parties, which is called "Kandyan dress” named after the ancient Kandyan kingdom. This consists Nilame suit for men and Osariya (Saree) for ladies.

• National costume:

When we were schooling, we go to the temple for Sunday dhamma school and this dress is the attire to attend Sunday school. So, it is a usual dress until we finish school.

After that, we only use this attire when we participate in dhamma programs called "Sil". It is usually a one-day program which conduct on a Poyaday (full moon day) each month. The dress is pure white and simple. Men have sarong and a shirt and usually, the politicians wear this to show their purity 😅

For women, we have the same kind of sarong over the waistline and a blouse called "hatta," which is draped over the shoulder.

• Kandyan dress:

Then the next one is the Nilame kit and the Osariya (Saree), this is what royal families were worn in the ancient Kandyan kingdom. This Nilame kit is a one-time-only outfit for men. They get a chance to wear it in a lifetime event which is on their wedding day. However, sarees for ladies are more common and almost all government workers wore them usually.

The Nilame suit has 06 meters of cloth wrapped around the waist and the jacket with elegant designs of gold or silver threads. Then they have jewelry, a sword, and a hat to complete the dress.

Osariya or commonly known as the Kandyan saree is draped differently than other types of sarees, and it is more elegant with traditional Kandyan jewelry. In the next question, I will share my experience of wearing it.

List and describe the activities for which you use this cultural attire.

• On the Wedding day:

The Big day of anyone's life and it is obvious that the attire should be special. I wore this Saree for my wedding. It was made from net fabric material and worked with pearls and stones. It looked elegant with all the traditional jewelry. The full dressing usually takes about 04 hours to complete with the makeup and hairstyle. This is me on my wedding day in 2014.

^{My Bridal Dress}

• Parties and events:

For ladies, sarees are the main dress. There are different types of sarees according to the style and how you wear them. These designs are not glamorous or heavy as the Bridal dressing sarees. Usually, for functions and special occasions, these types of sarees are draped. The prices are varied from Rs. 2000 to 10,000/- The popular materials are Silk, Cotton, Organza & Georgette.

All these sarees are draped by me.

• Procession of Kandy (Kandy Perahera):

This procession is the biggest procession in Southeast Asia and is celebrated as a religious festival. The officials (Nilames) for this event wear the Nilame suit to represent their culture and authority. It is a significant event where traditional attire is showcased.

Source

Do you think your cultural attire is unique and how much does it cost in your country's currency & steem

Yes, I think our traditional attire is unique and distinctive. It reflects the country's diverse culture and rich history as an independent nation. Every country usually has a different attire like ours to showcase its vibrant culture.

The cost of my bridal saree was about Rs. 20,000/- in 2014. Now the cost can vary widely depending on how heavy the work is and the material. I've chosen the budget price for my saree.

• Price of my Bridal Kandyan Saree

Rupees	US dollars	Steem
Rs. 20,000	US$ 60	285

As I'm a beautician, now I dress for the Kandyan brides and this is one of my brides in 2021. The Kandyan Saree was made with cut work material and worked with pearls and stones. The price of this saree is quite expensive with the level of detail it has.

Rupees	US dollars	Steem
Rs. 60,000	US$ 175	850

^{I have done a bridal dressing for my client}

However, with price inflation, all the price has gone up for any cloth. Now a day, Sarees which cost more than Rs. 100,000/- are a common sight.

Despite the cost, every bride wants the best Saree on her big day, that is the only time they can express their heritage and identity. So, they wear this attire with a lot of pride in front of their families. I hope you enjoyed our Sri Lankan cultural fashion.

I don't know whether it's too late but I would like to invite my friends @dove11 , @mini80 and @katherine012 to join the contest.