Difference between revisions of "Buddhist fashion"

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[[Image:Vulpeak1.JPG|thumb|250px|left|A Buddhist man at [[Vulture Peak]] with orange shirt, collar up]]
 
[[Image:Vulpeak1.JPG|thumb|250px|left|A Buddhist man at [[Vulture Peak]] with orange shirt, collar up]]
[[Image:Godwin2.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Godwin Samararatne]] in traditional white and a student-friend with flannel shirt, collar up]]
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[[Image:Sweatsuit5.png|thumb|200px|right|Sweatsuit with collar up. Many Buddhists wear comfortable sweat suits / workout suits which are flexible for cross-legged positions]]
[[Image:Yellow1.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Some Buddhists like to wear yellow or white, although it is not a requirement]]
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[[Image:Yellow1.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Yellow shirt with collar up. Some Buddhists like to wear yellow or white, although it is not a requirement]]
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[[Image:Zenofgolf2.jpeg|thumb|250px|left|[[The Zen of Golf]]]][[Image:Zenofgolf3.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Polo shirts with collar up and buttoned to top, have a similar look to the mandarin collar]]
  
 
At [[Dhamma]] centers most [[Buddhists]] wear simple, modern clothing that is comfortable to sit in for the [[meditation]] sessions.  This includes t-shirts, halter tops, dress shirts (regular shirts with buttons and collars), jeans, flannel shirts, polo shirts, and sweat suits.
 
At [[Dhamma]] centers most [[Buddhists]] wear simple, modern clothing that is comfortable to sit in for the [[meditation]] sessions.  This includes t-shirts, halter tops, dress shirts (regular shirts with buttons and collars), jeans, flannel shirts, polo shirts, and sweat suits.
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As styles change we can expect many Buddhists to continue to follow the fashions of their cultures while still practicing the Buddha-[[Dhamma]].  For those that follow the fashion trends, it can be an opportunity for practicing other Buddhist teachings (besides [[Skilful means]]), including that of [[Anicca]] (impermanence), letting go, and non-attachment (as the styles change).  And then there maybe the chance for [[Generosity|generosity]] (dana) as those who change some of their wardrobe can give it to the less fortunate.
 
As styles change we can expect many Buddhists to continue to follow the fashions of their cultures while still practicing the Buddha-[[Dhamma]].  For those that follow the fashion trends, it can be an opportunity for practicing other Buddhist teachings (besides [[Skilful means]]), including that of [[Anicca]] (impermanence), letting go, and non-attachment (as the styles change).  And then there maybe the chance for [[Generosity|generosity]] (dana) as those who change some of their wardrobe can give it to the less fortunate.
  
Shown on this page above and below are the many examples of lay Buddhists, including celebrities who wear the collar up style.  It is not exactly clear why the collar up style is particularly popular among Buddhists, but it may be from the Mandarin (Manchurian, Nehru collar) stand-up collar style mixed with modern clothing of dress shirts and polo shirts for an East-West fashionable look.   
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Shown on this page above and below are the many examples of lay Buddhists, including celebrities who wear the collar up style, also known as upturned collar, popped collar.  It is not exactly clear why the collar up style is particularly popular among Buddhists, but it may be from the Mandarin (Manchurian, Nehru collar) stand-up collar style mixed with modern clothing of dress shirts and polo shirts for an East-West fashionable look.   
  
 
There has been at least one case of a teacher wearing the collar up to please the Buddhists in his community, where it is reported that "''He discarded his well-cut Western suit and picked the white turned-up collar top as a concession to the Sinhala-Buddhists''" (although most likely referring to the traditional stand-up collar).<ref name="Buddhist channel">
 
There has been at least one case of a teacher wearing the collar up to please the Buddhists in his community, where it is reported that "''He discarded his well-cut Western suit and picked the white turned-up collar top as a concession to the Sinhala-Buddhists''" (although most likely referring to the traditional stand-up collar).<ref name="Buddhist channel">
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Image:Kneeling1.JPG|Meditation position with collar up. Lay Theravada Buddhists do not wear robes during meditation and may wear whatever they like
 
Image:Kneeling1.JPG|Meditation position with collar up. Lay Theravada Buddhists do not wear robes during meditation and may wear whatever they like
 +
Image:Godwin2.jpg|[[Godwin Samararatne]] in traditional white and a student-friend with flannel shirt, collar up
 
Image:Elainewynn2.jpg|[[Elaine Wynn]] (a Buddhist) with shirt and blazer collar up
 
Image:Elainewynn2.jpg|[[Elaine Wynn]] (a Buddhist) with shirt and blazer collar up
 
Image:Ghawn1.JPG|[[Goldie Hawn]] (Buddhist) with polo shirt collar up
 
Image:Ghawn1.JPG|[[Goldie Hawn]] (Buddhist) with polo shirt collar up
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Image:Sharonstone.jpg|[[Sharon Stone]], actress, fashion model, and Buddhist here with coat collar up
 
Image:Sharonstone.jpg|[[Sharon Stone]], actress, fashion model, and Buddhist here with coat collar up
 
Image:Tigerwoods.jpg|[[Tiger Woods]] (Buddhist), shown here with his favorite color of red (a Buddhist color)
 
Image:Tigerwoods.jpg|[[Tiger Woods]] (Buddhist), shown here with his favorite color of red (a Buddhist color)
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Image:Pang wei2.png|Pang Wei of China, Olympic gold medalist sport shooter, seen here meditating between shots, with yellow shirt, collar up
 
Image:Tina2.jpg|[[Tina Turner]], a Nichiren Buddhist, seen here with denim jacket, collar up
 
Image:Tina2.jpg|[[Tina Turner]], a Nichiren Buddhist, seen here with denim jacket, collar up
 
Image:Jackiechan1.jpg|[[Jackie Chan]] (Buddhist) with the traditional mandarin stand up collar
 
Image:Jackiechan1.jpg|[[Jackie Chan]] (Buddhist) with the traditional mandarin stand up collar
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Image:Jackiechan4.jpg|[[Jackie Chan]] with blazer coat collar up
 
Image:Jackiechan4.jpg|[[Jackie Chan]] with blazer coat collar up
 
Image:Pemachodron.jpg|([[Pema Chodron]]) Some monastic robes include the mandarin stand up collar
 
Image:Pemachodron.jpg|([[Pema Chodron]]) Some monastic robes include the mandarin stand up collar
Image:Polo1.jpg|Polo shirts with collar up, have a similar look to the mandarin collar
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Image:Polo1.jpg|[[The Zen of Golf]]
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Image:Zenofgolf4.jpeg|Yellow and white polo shirt with collar up, gets 2 thumbs up
 
Image:Chinaarchery.jpg|Olympics archery athlete (Buddhist) with collar up, here the gold medalist from China
 
Image:Chinaarchery.jpg|Olympics archery athlete (Buddhist) with collar up, here the gold medalist from China
 
Image:Archery2.jpg|Olympics archery athlete from S. Korea, gold in team competition, with collar up
 
Image:Archery2.jpg|Olympics archery athlete from S. Korea, gold in team competition, with collar up
 
Image:Sweatsuit1.png|Workout suit with collar up. Many Buddhists wear comfortable sweat suits / workout suits which are flexible for cross-legged positions
 
Image:Sweatsuit1.png|Workout suit with collar up. Many Buddhists wear comfortable sweat suits / workout suits which are flexible for cross-legged positions
 
Image:Yellowworkoutsuit1.png|Yellow workout suit with collar up
 
Image:Yellowworkoutsuit1.png|Yellow workout suit with collar up
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Image:Sweatsuit4.png|Putting the collar up on the workout suit
 
Image:Polo9.png|Workout suit with polo shirt, both collars up
 
Image:Polo9.png|Workout suit with polo shirt, both collars up
 
Image:Sjp1.jpg|[[Sarah Jessica Parker]], a [[JuBu]] (Jewish-Buddhist) with shirt and denim jacket collars up
 
Image:Sjp1.jpg|[[Sarah Jessica Parker]], a [[JuBu]] (Jewish-Buddhist) with shirt and denim jacket collars up
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Image:Joanhalifax1.jpg|[[Joan Halifax]], Zen teacher, with collar up
 
Image:Joanhalifax1.jpg|[[Joan Halifax]], Zen teacher, with collar up
 
Image:Michelleyeoh1.jpg|[[Michelle Yeoh]], actress, Buddhist, with collar up (at back)
 
Image:Michelleyeoh1.jpg|[[Michelle Yeoh]], actress, Buddhist, with collar up (at back)
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Image:Greene1.jpg|Yoga and meditation teacher with collar up
 
Image:Naimamora1.jpg|[[Naima Mora]], fashion model, Buddhist, with collar up
 
Image:Naimamora1.jpg|[[Naima Mora]], fashion model, Buddhist, with collar up
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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Image:Ladd1.jpg|Cheryl Ladd, actress, with polo shirt, collar up and buttoned to the top. Polo shirts with collar up and buttoned to top have an especially similar look to the mandarin collar.
 
Image:Ladd1.jpg|Cheryl Ladd, actress, with polo shirt, collar up and buttoned to the top. Polo shirts with collar up and buttoned to top have an especially similar look to the mandarin collar.
 
Image:Sljackson1.jpg|U.S. actor Samuel L. Jackson with polo shirt collar up and buttoned to the top.
 
Image:Sljackson1.jpg|U.S. actor Samuel L. Jackson with polo shirt collar up and buttoned to the top.
Image:Polo5.png|Actress with polo shirt collar up and buttoned to the top.
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Image:Gloriavanderbilt1.jpg|Heiress turned fashion icon and designer Gloria Vanderbilt, with shirt collar up and buttoned to the top.
Image:Cllr2.png|Actress with collar up and buttoned to the top.
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Image:Polo5.png|Actress with polo shirt collar up and buttoned to the top
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Image:Cllr2.png|Actress with collar up and buttoned to the top
 
Image:Buttoned1.png|collar up and buttoned to the top.
 
Image:Buttoned1.png|collar up and buttoned to the top.
 
Image:Buttoned2.png|collar up and buttoned to the top.
 
Image:Buttoned2.png|collar up and buttoned to the top.
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Image:Sawyer5.jpg|Diane Sawyer with shirt closed, collar up
 
Image:Sawyer5.jpg|Diane Sawyer with shirt closed, collar up
 
Image:Sawyer3.jpg|Sawyer with shirt open, collar up
 
Image:Sawyer3.jpg|Sawyer with shirt open, collar up
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Image:Pelosi.png|(former) Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi with blazer collar up
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Image:Blazerup2.png|Man with blazer collar up
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Image:Blazerup1.png|Actress in a year 2016 commercial with blazer collar up
 
Image:Closeup1.jpg|Close up of 2 collars up, shirt & blazer, with shirt closed
 
Image:Closeup1.jpg|Close up of 2 collars up, shirt & blazer, with shirt closed
 
Image:Closeup2.jpg|Close up of 2 collars up, shirt & blazer, with shirt open
 
Image:Closeup2.jpg|Close up of 2 collars up, shirt & blazer, with shirt open
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Image:Contessa1.jpg|Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa, chef on Food Network, with collar up
 
Image:Contessa1.jpg|Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa, chef on Food Network, with collar up
 
Image:Janetjackson1.jpg|Janet Jackson, musician & actress, with collar up
 
Image:Janetjackson1.jpg|Janet Jackson, musician & actress, with collar up
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Image:Janetjackson2.png|Janet Jackson in year 2016 with collar up
 
Image:Annatorv1.jpg|Anna Torv, with collar up
 
Image:Annatorv1.jpg|Anna Torv, with collar up
 
Image:Annatorv3.jpg|Anna Torv, with coat collar up
 
Image:Annatorv3.jpg|Anna Torv, with coat collar up
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Image:Fashionmodel2.png|Fashion model with collar up
 
Image:Fashionmodel2.png|Fashion model with collar up
 
Image:Doubletake.png|Fashion ad making the recommendation to pop the collar up for the better look
 
Image:Doubletake.png|Fashion ad making the recommendation to pop the collar up for the better look
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Image:Jmiller1.jpg|Real estate professional woman, fashion college graduate, with collar up
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Image:Kosteniuk2.png|Former Women's World Chess Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk, with collar up
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Image:Airfrance1.jpg|Air France flight attendant, year 2017, with collar up
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  

Revision as of 21:40, 6 July 2017

Anna Torv, actress from Australia, frequently wears the collar up, as do many actresses, models, and other celebrities
Many Buddhists follow fashion including the collar up style

During the time of the Buddha and earlier, it was common for seekers of enlightenment to shed their clothes and go around as naked ascetics. The Buddha's path is a Middle Way and requires clothes to be worn by monastics and lay people. Clothes are significant in Buddhism for this reason and also by the fact that beautiful clothes were described as a sign of merit or attainment. In the Vimanavatthu and Petavatthu there are stories of departed beings who have gone to good and bad destinations in the Buddhist cosmology. Moggallana through the powers of the mind with meditation visited these regions to inquire what deeds led them there. The woeful states were inhabited by beings who were described as naked, while those residing in heavenly mansions were described as possessing beautiful clothes. In the Theravada commentaries (DA ii.427, DhSA, 33) one of the signs of a deva's (heavenly being) imminent death is that the clothes becomes soiled, which again points to the significance of clothes in Buddhism.

Lay people have no specific requirement about clothing and unlike Western converts to such Eastern movements as Hare Krishna, Buddhists do not need to wear any robes, white or any other color or paint their foreheads. Buddhists follow the culture of the land they live in and are not asked to follow a foreign culture just because the founding teacher is from another land.

In spite of this, some lay Buddhists like to wear yellow (color of Buddha's robes and yellow also represents 'middle way') or white, but in the style of modern clothing, not robes. This is a voluntary color choice of some Buddhists and not a requirement. Some like to wear the modern clothing of their culture but in one of the colors of the Buddhist flag; yellow, white, orange, blue, or red.

A Buddhist man at Vulture Peak with orange shirt, collar up
Sweatsuit with collar up. Many Buddhists wear comfortable sweat suits / workout suits which are flexible for cross-legged positions
Yellow shirt with collar up. Some Buddhists like to wear yellow or white, although it is not a requirement
Polo shirts with collar up and buttoned to top, have a similar look to the mandarin collar

At Dhamma centers most Buddhists wear simple, modern clothing that is comfortable to sit in for the meditation sessions. This includes t-shirts, halter tops, dress shirts (regular shirts with buttons and collars), jeans, flannel shirts, polo shirts, and sweat suits.

Fashion, for many is considered an art and for some Buddhists, art is seen as another attachment. While it is clear that a fully enlightened arahant may have little use and no attachment to mundane things like art, for other Buddhists and those interested in Buddhism, art can be a wholesome action and interest. The Buddha saw its value because he said monks and nuns could beautify their monasteries by painting them different colours and decorating them with various geometrical and floral designs (Vinaya 2. 117). As Buddhism spread in the centuries after the Buddha's passing his teachings gave an impetus to all the arts - painting, sculpture, poetry, drama and to a lesser degree music. There are Buddhist Vinaya rules against monks and nuns indulging in arts, shows, and games, but this rule does not apply to lay people. Monks and nuns are supposed to devote their lives to the study and teaching of Dhamma and it would look unseemly for them to be seen by lay people engaged in such things as watching movies, painting pictures, or discussing fashion.

Fashion can not only be an acceptable interest in the arts, but also a skilful means for acquiring more interest in Buddhism. For many non-Buddhists, there is the false belief that Buddhists, similar to Hare Krishnas and other religions or movements based out of the East, must wear Indian robes or other robes from Asian cultures. Lay people wear what they like and Buddhists who wear modern clothing and especially those who wear fashionable clothes in artistic ways, demonstrate that Buddhists adapt to their local cultures and are otherwise no different than most other people in the dominant society.

(Since there are over 10,000 serious articles on this Dhamma Wiki, this article is not to be taken too vigorously and is meant mostly for fun and to show that Buddhists can be like the rest of the people in dominant society on many mundane things such as fashion.) Fashion is impermanent (Anicca) and is never "finished" as styles change.

As styles change we can expect many Buddhists to continue to follow the fashions of their cultures while still practicing the Buddha-Dhamma. For those that follow the fashion trends, it can be an opportunity for practicing other Buddhist teachings (besides Skilful means), including that of Anicca (impermanence), letting go, and non-attachment (as the styles change). And then there maybe the chance for generosity (dana) as those who change some of their wardrobe can give it to the less fortunate.

Shown on this page above and below are the many examples of lay Buddhists, including celebrities who wear the collar up style, also known as upturned collar, popped collar. It is not exactly clear why the collar up style is particularly popular among Buddhists, but it may be from the Mandarin (Manchurian, Nehru collar) stand-up collar style mixed with modern clothing of dress shirts and polo shirts for an East-West fashionable look.

There has been at least one case of a teacher wearing the collar up to please the Buddhists in his community, where it is reported that "He discarded his well-cut Western suit and picked the white turned-up collar top as a concession to the Sinhala-Buddhists" (although most likely referring to the traditional stand-up collar).[1]

Cosmetics3.jpg
Model with collar up and buttoned to the top

See also:

Collar up domain names associated with this page

Collar up fashion in contemporary society

The collar up style has been popular for many decades, kept in fashion primarily from supermodels, models, and other celebrities who occasionally to frequently wear this style. The origin is most likely from the stand-up mandarin collar from the East. Pictured below are some celebrities (from all religions and backgrounds) who frequently wear the collar up.

References

  1. Asian Tribune. "Buddhist channel article". Retrieved on May 18, 2005.