Mufti (dress)
InUK English[a],Muftiis plain or ordinaryclothes,especially when worn by one who normally wears, or has long worn, amilitaryor other uniform, such as aschool uniform.It is also calledciviesandcivvies(slangfor "civilianattire ").[1]
Origins
[edit]
The word originates from theArabic"Mufti"(مفتي), meaning anIslamicscholar. It has been used by theBritish Armysince 1816 and is thought to derive from the vaguely Eastern style dressing gowns and tasselled caps worn by off-duty officers in the early 19th century.YuleandBurnell'sHobson-Jobson(1886) notes that the word was "perhaps originally applied to the attire ofdressing-gown,smoking-cap,and slippers, which was like theOrientaldress of the Mufti ".[2]
Mufti day
[edit]A "mufti day" (also known as "casual clothes day", "casual Friday","colour day "," own-clothes day "," home-clothes day "," plain-clothes day "," non-uniform day "," free-dress day "," civvies day "," dress-down day ", and" uniform-free day ") is a day where students attend school in casual clothing instead of school uniform.[3]The term is commonly used in many countries where students are required to wear uniform, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Fiji, Australia, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Bangladesh.[citation needed]
By extension, the term is used in reference to the practice of wearing "smart casual"attire to the office instead ofbusiness suitsor other conventional clothing. Australia takes this even further, where even if a suit or smart-casual attire is the norm, "Mufti Fridays" allow employees to wear jeans, apolo shirtor even at-shirt.[4]
Controversy
[edit]Many schools in New Zealand dropped the term because New Zealand's Human Rights Commission claimed that use of the word to mean non-uniform dress represents an "appropriation" and that the "appropriation has a history of degradation and racism."[5]
Writes New Zealand historian Katie Pickles:
It appears that officers started dressing in robes and slippers that they slightly mockingly thought resembled garments worn by Mufti. This happened at a time when, with the objective of rendering them obsolete and powerless, the authority of Mufti in India was being extinguished.
From there, the British Army started using the word “mufti” for their days out of uniform when they wore loose and comfortable clothing (including dressing gowns). One culture’s power dressing was another’s play clothes.
We can now interpret the development of mufti as a classic example of cultural appropriation and othering during the height of British imperialism.[6]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^to also include here Commonwealth countries or former British colonies
References
[edit]- ^"civies - definition of civies by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia".Thefreedictionary.com.Retrieved2014-03-26.
- ^"MUFTY".Hobson Jobson Dictionary.Retrieved2008-05-29.
- ^"What Is 'Mufti' In Mufti Day?".LBC.Retrieved2019-06-06.
- ^"Mufti day gets a dressing down".The Sydney Morning Herald.2004-02-18.Retrieved2019-06-06.
- ^"Bay of Plenty school renames 'mufti' day due to cultural insensitivity".NZ Herald.6 June 2021.Retrieved2021-11-13.
- ^Pickles, Katie (2020-02-12)."A mufti day is heaps of fun – but it's time to give it a new name".The Spinoff.Retrieved2023-11-16.
External links
[edit]- Mufti Day Definition(Archived2009-11-01)