To be Named is to be Known

There is something about names, giving names, and remembering names. When I am thinking of what to cook, I think of recipes with names first over nameless dishes that are often described with their main ingredients.  

When dishes are named, they become defined. The recipe that claims its name must live up to it. It must abide by its rules and methods to differentiate it from similar recipes. This scrutiny preserves the dish over time. 

Anything is more memorable with a name; a place, a game, a scandal, anything. It makes it easier to reference and cancel any unwanted noise and distractions. Like with food, the name of clothing preserves its identity.  

The dirac baati is named and specified. It is one long continuous piece of fabric that folds over the shoulder with two side seams connecting the sides, leaving room for the armholes. The neckline is rolled and traditionally round. The fabric viscose. These features preserve what a baati truly is. The soft-on-skin breathable maxi dress that keeps you cool in the hot weather and keeps you warm in the cold. The simple and straightforward design makes the silhouette easily recognizable. 

The baati is often modernized with new features that do not take away from its origin. You can change the neckline, put designs on the sleeves, add pockets or even nursing zips, but it is still a baati.  

Now, if a maxi dress is bat- or butterfly-winged, the fabric polyester or cotton, the neckline V-shaped and originates from a different part of the world, it is not a baati. There are plenty of similar dresses around the world: the muumuu, the boubou, the daster, the baju kelawar, bata de casa, meksi, the house dress, the kaftan and many more. Each has its own unique features, styles, histories and origins. Although they look alike, they are distinct and it is best to honour them for what they are by calling them by the right name.  

With a name, we remember. With a name, we distinguish. With a name, we know.

Call the baati by its name.