Dressed in a baby blue turtleneck and khakis, she stands behind the counter at Jamdani Sari House, the shop owned by her mother's cousin on 74th Street in Jackson Heights. There Wadud sells Indian garb, clothing she only wears to family get-togethers or parties. They communicate specific cultural messages. A woman's religion, caste, marital status, age and birthplace all are revealed in the color, fabric and drape of her sari. In northern India, for example, widows in mourning wear white.
New brides wear red.
Outside the Indian subcontinent, such distinctions often disappear. Many older women cleave to fashions from home, but young women who come of age in a different world embrace a changed, Western, sense of personal style. That difference can lead to the culture clashes displayed in the Wadud household. The conflict isn't limited to immigrant homes. The move away from traditional dress is evident in South Asia, too, said Sandhya Shukla, a Columbia University anthropologist whose parents are from India.