Traditional Attire That Are Comfortable For People Of All Sizes
If you love to travel to different countries and embrace the lifestyle and traditions of others, it’s easy to get caught up in the culture. You want to try their way of life, respect centuries of tradition, learn new things, and that often includes wearing garments that you wouldn’t typically wear elsewhere. And as a plus sized traveller, this is no different. You want to accept, immerse yourself in and embrace culture just as much as anyone else, but there’s often a worry that the size difference might prevent you from doing that. After all, in different parts of the world, different people lead different ways of life, and certain sizes may not be as common, so it’s easy to have that concern. Worry not, you can still do all of these things and immerse yourself as anyone would, and to name a few, here are some examples of traditional, inclusive clothing that look absolutely fantastic!
Thobe – Arabian
Men’s Thobes, or Thawb, is the traditional clothing worn by Arabs, and is still worn almost exclusively, to this day, in the Arabian Peninsula. It is one piece, being a long sleeved, ankle length long robe, and is considered for both formal and informal purposes. The Thobe is probably one of the simpler traditional items, and because of its simplicity, can be worn by people of all sizes. The most popular colour for these clothes are typically white hues or beige, and this is because it’s the coolest colour to wear in the sun, and the long sleeves robe-like bottom is to combat sunburn.
Hanboks – Korean
Literally translated as ‘Korean Clothes’, Hanbok is traditional to the South Koreans, and consists of a top piece and bottom piece. Not unlike the Kimono, the Hanbok could be as expressive or as simple as required, and the design was often used as an indicator to ascertain social standing. The Hankbok slowly declined in the 19th century in favour of more westernised clothing, but has had a resurgence in the last few years, due the exposure provided by K Pop singers and other influencers, making it popular among people visiting Korea. Hanboks are typically very ‘flowy’, and due to it being a two piece set, make it very comfortable for all sizes.
Kimono – Japanese
Widely known as the traditional garb in Japan, the Kimono (literally meaning ‘Thing to wear’) is still worn occasionally to this day, mostly for special events, and is the epitome of traditional Japanese culture. Simple, yet elegant, Kimonos can be as expressive or as plain as the wearer wishes, however the decoration on a person’s Kimono used to mean a lot more – the more extravagant the design, the higher up in the social standing you were believed to be. This belief, thankfully, has not been carried on to today, but the decoration can still have much deeper meaning than what it appears – for example, did you know that the Crane symbol is often associated with long life and good fortune, making it a great item to wear to an event where you’d typically wish such things, like a wedding or a graduation party?
