Worn to Resist: The Political and Cultural Semiotics of Indian Headgear

Attire has long served as a powerful medium for visual communication, reflecting an individual’s personality, thoughts, and personal traits while also conveying cultural, social, and economic cues. Traditional garments, such as the dupatta, pagri (turban), topi (cap), upper and lower garments, accessories, etc. have profound symbolic meanings across cultures and religions. While global studies have examined clothing as a form of resistance, such as the beret in revolutionary movements or the keffiyeh in Palestinian solidarity, this study places these dynamics in the context of Indian traditions. Through the visual culture theory, semiotics, and cognitive perception, this study investigates how these garments go beyond utility and serve as visual markers of dissent. The study employs a multi-method approach that includes archival visual analysis, cultural case studies, and media discourse to trace the changing use of the pagri and topi throughout history. Roland Barthes and Charles Peirce’s semiotic frameworks guide the analysis. Findings show that these headpieces have deeply ingrained meanings that shape public perception and collective memory. The study provides a visual decoding framework and proposes a semiotic archive for Indian protest headgear and provides a reflective toolkit for designers, educators, and cultural theorists that connects fashion studies and political anthropology.