Finnish news media, again: "Sari, sarong or wrap?" (full translation included)

[zjo]

I've noticed lately that the Finnish news media is writing more and more about skirts for men. This time the most prestigious newspaper in Finland published a column about it.

Google translated version can be found here https://www-hs-fi.translate.goog/mielip ... _hist=true
and the original here https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000009793401.html

Here's the full translated column with my few corrections:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sari, sarong or wrap?
The French Revolution still makes men sweat.

Jouni K. Kemppainen HS
19.8. 2:00 am

ON HOT days I often curse the French Revolution.

No, it is not that I am against freedom, fraternity and equality, on the contrary, I support such ideas very warmly. But as a byproduct of the 1789 subversion riots, a fashion phenomenon was born that continues to make my life and hundreds of millions of other people miserable.

Because it was in those days that French male influencers ditched their skirts and switched to wearing trousers made of fabric. Soon, wearing two legged pants spread as a norm to approximately the entire western world, for men.

It's a great shame, because based on my limited experience, I can tell you that the skirt is a superior warm garment in many respects. It's a light and breezy accessory, under which the wind can wonderfully whistle.

THE BREAKTHROUGH OF TROUSERS in France was understandable in itself, because it was influenced by the image politics aspects of the time: suddenly everyone wanted to represent the working class, and before that trousers had been worn specifically by the laborers. With hindsight, it can be said that in those days when the guillotine was in fashion, identifying with the wrong social class would have been completely headless.

"The skirt is a superior garment in warm weather in many respects."

When I talked about the subject with Jaakko Selin, a journalist who is familiar with fashion and clothes, it turned out that trouser-like pieces of clothing had certainly existed long before the French Revolution. During the last three thousand years, the situation has been such that some kind of pants have been used where horses have been ridden.

The trouser model we know was born in the 1580s, Selin said. Pioneers were English, Belgian and Dutch sailors. The pants came in handy: it was easy to slide along ropes and masts with them on.

Of course, for a few hundred years it was not appropriate for gentlemen to dress like those who do physical work.

BUT this only applied only to the history of fashion that we know, and that is the history of the upper classes and that of small Europe. At the same time, most of the world was getting comfortable with swinging hems. It is still common for men to wear skirts in countries such as Indonesia, the Middle East, the Philippines, India and many African countries.

The heat seems to be over for this summer. Now we have the whole long winter time to prepare for the next warm season and think about whether a tunic, sarong, sari or maybe a wrap would suit your style best.

The author is the editor of HS's Monthly Supplement.

[Myopic Bookworm]

Thanks. There's some encouragement there.

[rode_kater]

Quite encouraging really.

With hindsight, it can be said that in those days when the guillotine was in fashion, identifying with the wrong social class would have been completely headless.

I wonder if in the original language this was a language joke.

Certainly trousers were worn much earlier. In NL the skirt-like garments didn't really turn up for the upper-class (insofar it existed) until the Romans invaded. Pants are more practical in an area which is colder and full of marshy wet land and mosquitos. They didn't have the quick-drying fabrics we do today.

[zjo]

Quite encouraging really.

With hindsight, it can be said that in those days when the guillotine was in fashion, identifying with the wrong social class would have been completely headless.

I wonder if in the original language this was a language joke.

Yes, it was a language joke in the original Finnish text Google Translate didn't however catch it so I modified the translation to better reflect the intended meaning.

Certainly trousers were worn much earlier. In NL the skirt-like garments didn't really turn up for the upper-class (insofar it existed) until the Romans invaded. Pants are more practical in an area which is colder and full of marshy wet land and mosquitos. They didn't have the quick-drying fabrics we do today.

I read the comments section in the column and someone pointed out that in Finland men used to wear dresses when doing field work in the summer up until 1890 something. Back then in the winter and in cities men used trousers. In here having both options would be extremely nice since in the summer temperatures can go as high as +33°C (92°F) and in the winter as low as -33°C (-27°F) or more.

[happykilt]

Quite encouraging really.

With hindsight, it can be said that in those days when the guillotine was in fashion, identifying with the wrong social class would have been completely headless.

I wonder if in the original language this was a language joke.

Yes, it was a language joke in the original Finnish text Google Translate didn't however catch it so I modified the translation to better reflect the intended meaning.

Maybe lost in translation.
Headless might not have the meaning the translation in Finnish "päätön" has, or does it?
Without a head, but in Finnish also "mindless or crazy".

[zjo]

Quite encouraging really.



I wonder if in the original language this was a language joke.

Yes, it was a language joke in the original Finnish text Google Translate didn't however catch it so I modified the translation to better reflect the intended meaning.

Maybe lost in translation.
Headless might not have the meaning the translation in Finnish "päätön" has, or does it?
Without a head, but in Finnish also "mindless or crazy".

Oxford Languages defines the English word "headless" as:
adjective: headless
1.
(of a body) having no head.
"a headless corpse"
2.
(of an object) lacking a tip, end, or top part.
(of a nail, pin, etc.) lacking a flattened or knobbed end.
"headless nails"
(of a flower or vegetable) lacking a compact mass of leaves or flowers at the top of the stem.
"strange, headless flowers"
3.
(of an organization) lacking a person in charge; having no director or leader.
"the department is headless"
4.
having no sense; stupid.
"headless idiots who can't string more than two passes together"

Google Translate used "dead end" instead of headless so it lacked the black humor double meaning of being crazy and literally without a head

@happykilt Your use of the word "päätön" instead "päätöntä" like it was in the original text made me curious if you actually speak/know/understand Finnish. I checked your profile and noticed it has Finland listed as your location Are you a native Finn and/or do you speak the language? There aren't many of us here so I'm curious about any experiences you might have had outside in a skirt here and if you're willing to share where in Finland do you live

[happykilt]

Oxford Languages defines the English word "headless" as:
adjective: headless
...
4.
having no sense; stupid.
"headless idiots who can't string more than two passes together"

Thank's, you got a better dictionary.

@happykilt Your use of the word "päätön" instead "päätöntä" like it was in the original text made me curious if you actually speak/know/understand Finnish. I checked your profile and noticed it has Finland listed as your location Are you a native Finn and/or do you speak the language? There aren't many of us here so I'm curious about any experiences you might have had outside in a skirt here and if you're willing to share where in Finland do you live

Native Finn here, living in Southern Finland.
Have been wearing a kilt (or something that can be called a kilt) for a couple of years now whenever I feel so. Pretty normal summer wear for me in Finland or abroad. Nothing against (other) skirts but a kilt is good enough conversation starter.
Haven't got any skirts that I feel comfortable wearing in public. Well, maybe my kilt-wearing in colder times could be called skirt-wearing. I do not like to freeze my knees

[Myopic Bookworm]

I do not like to freeze my knees

One of my replies, if someone were to question why I am wearing a skirt, is that I had enough of the humorous comments about cold knees when I was wearing a kilt, so I am keeping my knees warm!