Paper short abstract:

This paper addresses three critical issues: how does tradition juxtapose with modernity; how are fashion and style negotiated in the new middle class which constituted the largest section of the population India; and how are modernity, fashion and style imagined and locally constructed by the people at the grass-roots.

Paper long abstract:

Modernity, fashion and style have been the subject of much deliberation in both academic and general discussions. The situation is of particular salience in contemporary Indian society given the deep roots of tradition that embeds the ideals of modesty, austerity and voluntary poverty that contrast sharply with indulgence and ostentation that are often associated with modernity and consumer culture. This paper addresses three critical issues: how does tradition juxtapose with modernity; how are fashion and style negotiated in the new middle class which constituted the largest section of the population India; and how are modernity, fashion and style imagined and locally constructed by the people at the grass-roots. The objective is to arrive at a meaningful understanding of modernity, fashion and style that is informed by subjective interpretation of the social and economic implications and contribute sto the current debate on FDI retail policy in India.