Indian Clothing

Traditional Indian clothing has come into prominence once again. Well, if you notice the trends in fashion industry, you'll realize that modern fashion has aped the styling and designing of the bygone eras, the period of royalty, when Maharajas and Ranis used to spend extravagantly on their clothing. Whatever the royals chose to go in for was reminiscent of splendor and luxury. The creative fashion designers of today are in a lookout for ethnic designs that take us close to our cultural roots and remind us of the glorious past. Well, in this section, we will provide you with information on the different kinds of traditional clothing in India.

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Turbans

In India, one can spot many men wearing turban. Well, turban is tied not for the sake of fashion, but because it has a lot of significance in the lives of Indians. The hair turban is a headdress that basically consists of a long piece of unstitched cloth, which is wrapped around the head. The hair turban used in India is usually 5 meters in length. Each time, the wrapping is unfolded and tied all over again.

The turban more commonly known as pagri was initially tied to keep the head cool. It was actually a way to escape from the blazing heat or to put succinctly a means to beat the scorching heat of sun. To cope with the hot climatic conditions of desert, this long piece of cloth was soaked in water overnight and then tied in the morning. The different layers of turban kept wet throughout the day and thus provided a great relief.

From region to region, the style of turban draping differs. Out of all the turbans, Rajasthani and Sikh turbans are especially popular. People in the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia are known for tying turbans. Modern turbans come in varied sizes, colors and shapes. In the western countries, the turban serves as the hat for women. These turbans are mostly stitched so that they can be easily worn and taken off.

Popular Turbans

Sikh Turban
Well, turban has a lot of reverence and significance in the Sikh religion. People who join the Khalsa Panth are forbidden to cut their hair. Sikh men wear turban so as to manage their long hair. In the Sikh religion, the turban is known as dastar, which is considered to be a very respectful Punjabi word.

Rajasthani Turbans
Rajasthan is a very big state exhibiting a wide diversity. In Rajasthan, as you travel from one city to another, you'll find men wearing absolutely different turbans. In Rajasthan, the turban is known as pagri or safa. There are certain parts in Rajasthan, where the size of turban is evocative to the position and status of the person in society.

Mysori Turbans
In the districts of Kodagu and Mysore, turban is known as Mysore peta. Here, the is considered to be a source of pride. Notable personalities are honored by presenting them the Mysore peta. This in itself is suggestive of the fact as to how much significance the turban has for the people in Mysore. In the district of Kodagu, men team their ethnic dress with a turban on the celebration of special occasions.

Turbans in Muslim Community
In Islamic religion, wearing turban is considered customary. Muslims call turban "imamah". Most of the scholars in Muslim countries wear turban. Thus, it is considered an important headdress amongst the Muslims. Infact, even the men of honor and other eminent persons in the Muslim community wear turbans.

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Sherwani

Sherwani is a long coat resembling achkan in styling. It is buttoned upto the collar and lengthwise it is usually below the knee. It adds to the charm and grace of men, especially the taller ones. Indian men spend lavishly on buying the sherwani suit for the special occasion of their wedding. This traditional clothing for Indian men is witnessing mushrooming growth in its demand. In India, men don Sherwani over the Kurta and Churidar pajama. As a part of fashion, Sherwani is sometimes teamed with Kurta and salwar. To know more about traditional sherwanis in India, read on.

The origin of sherwani can be traced back in Central Asia during the times when it was the dress code of the Turkish and Persian nobles in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. In the late eighteenth century, almost every man wore sherwani, as this attire did not restrict itself only to the nobles, but became the traditional dress of common man. Sherwani is the national dress of men in Pakistan. The government officials in Pakistan usually wear the formal black Sherwani on the national functions. Whereas, in India, it is primarily worn on the occasion of traditional family functions.

These days, Sherwanis are coming up in a variety of styles, patterns and designs. Even in fabric, there are enormous options available to exercise choice from. The higher the price you are ready to spend, the more intricately designed sherwanis you can choose from. The sherwani suit fits quite close to the body and this is what lends it elegance. Thus, fitting is of utmost importance, as it has the capability to make or mar the whole look. In the present era, the entire embroidery work is done with machine. When it comes to ornamentation, the sherwanis are embellished with varied kinds of artwork such as beads, mirrors, sequins and embroidery. Unlike the bygone times, today, men wear Sherwani only on the informal occasions such as wedding or some family cultural function.

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Saree

Sari is one of the most wonderful dresses worn by Indian women. Infact, when one thinks of a typical Indian woman, the first thing that strikes the mind is a woman clad in sari, who is wearing the solah shringar including bindi, chudi, kajal and many more. Apart from highlighting the characteristic image of an Indian woman, the Indian dress saree also adds grace to a woman's personality. To know as to how as wear a Sari, read on.

Well, Saree is an unstitched piece of clothing usually four to nine metres long depending on the style in which you want to drape it. Though, there can be numerous ways of draping a Sari, but the most common style resorted to by the women in India involves wrapping Sari around the waist, with its one end draped over the shoulder (pallu), thereby covering the chest. Sari is wrapped over the petticoat and blouse.

In North India, petticoat is more often referred to as lehnga/ghagra, whereas in South India, it is known as pavada/pavadai and in Eastern parts of the country, it is popularly called shaya. Blouse is usually known by the name choli/ ravika. The fitting of blouse is of paramount importance, as many times, ill fitting blouses have been blamed for spoiling the whole look. When it comes to blouse designing and styling, it provides a wide scope for experimentation.

The fashion of wearing sari has and will always be in vogue. Infact, the glamour girls like air hostesses, models, actresses have been increasingly endorsing and popularizing sari in India. India is a land of diversities, which is also reflected in its sari draping styles. Infact, today, almost every region has come up with some distinctive style of sari draping. Thus, Sari is one attire that offers such a fabulous variety in terms of style, design and fabric that women are bound to get confused pondering over which sari to go in for.

Popular Varieties of Saris
On the basis of fabric, motif, weaving style and patterns, some of the popular varieties of saris available are:

Northern styles:

• Banarasi - Benares
• Bandhani - Gujarat and Rajasthan
• Chikan - Lucknow
• Jamdani
• Kota doria Rajasthan
• Tanchoi
• Tant

Eastern styles

• Baluchari West Bengal
• Kantha - West Bengal

Central styles:

• Chanderi - Madhya Pradesh
• Ikat - Orissa
• Paithani - Maharashtra

Southern styles:

• Balarampuram - Kerala
• Chettinad - Tamil Nadu
• Coimbatore - Tamil Nadu
• Gadwal - Andhra Pradesh
• Guntur - Andhra Pradesh
• Ilkal saree - Karnataka
• Kanchipuram (locally called Kanjivaram) - Tamil Nadu
• Mangalagiri - Andhra Pradesh
• Mysore Silk - Karnataka
• Narayanpet - Andhra Pradesh
• Pochampalli Andhra Pradesh
• Venkatagiri - Andhra Pradesh

Bangladeshi saris

• Dhakai Benarosi
• Jamdani
• Katan Sari
• Pabna
• Rajshahi Silk
• Tangail Tanter Sari

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Salwar kameez

Salwar kameez is the traditional Indian clothing for women. Due to its high popularity in the region of Punjab, shalwar kameez is commonly referred to as Punjabi suit. The fashion of Shalwar Kameez in India is not new. Since the past many few centuries, women have been wearing this wonderful attire that is absolutely decent to wear and also lends a graceful look to its wearer. In Pakistan and Afghanistan, men and women both attire Salwar kameez. Infact, it were the pathans of Kabul, who can be attributed the credit for introducing this dress in South Asia.

Salwar, also pronounced shalwar, refers to the loose fit pajama that is quite wide at the top and in comparison pretty narrow at the bottom. The term Kameez on the other hand is used to refer to the long tunic. Side seams known as the chaak are left open underneath the waist line. This enhances the scope for movement. Salwar has pleats at the waist and is holded seeking the help of an elastic belt or a drawstring. Salwar can be wide and flowing or narrow according to one's personal choice. The narrow salwar is known as churidar. To know more about Indian salwar kameez, read on…

In the contemporary times, fashion designers are coming up with more and more innovative styles, designs and patterns. Today, there are varied necklines and even there is a lot of scope for experimenting with different decorative items for ornamentation such as sequins, mirrors, embroideries and so on. Suits are stitched in different styles having different shapes. Ideally, the length of kameez should be knee length according to the traditional style. However, the modern customized suits have different kinds of cuts and shapes. Apart from the usual salwar kameez and churidar suit, trouser suit also known as parallel suit is also quite popular in India. Patiala style salwar suits are well liked by young girls. It has a short length kameez much above the traditional knee length that is teamed with a loose salwar stitched in the Patiala style. According to your choice, you can go in for either full Patiala or semi Patiala suit.

For the complete look, salwar kameez is teamed with a dupatta. Well, Dupatta is a long scarf that is wrapped around the neck. There can be lot of ways of draping a dupatta depending on the occasion for which you've donned it. Dupatta not just makes your ethnic ensemble salwar kameez complete but also aids in accentuating your dress. There are salwar suits that are quite simple in design and do not have much of embellishments, but the dupatta is intricately designed. Such suits become party wear, owing to the heavy work on dupatta and bring compliments. Thus, salwar kameez is one dress, which is preferred not just for its extreme comfort, but also due to the elegance it lends to the wearer.

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Kurta

Kurta is a term used to refer to a long loose shirt, the length of which falls below or may be just above the knees of the wearer. In the olden times, it was primarily worn by men, but today, it has become a unisex dress that both men and women can wear. Depending on one's personal preference, kurta can be teamed with churidar as well as loose fit salwar. In the contemporary times, youngsters don kurta along with a funky pair of jeans. To know more about Indian kurta, read on.

Kurta is a very flexible dress that can be worn on formal as well as informal occasions. You can even wear them at work. Most Indian men prefer wearing kurta pajama during the night. Well, it is due to its extreme comfort that it has become a popular choice amongst the other nightwear available. Traditional kurta pyjamas have been increasingly gaining momentum amongst the youngsters, who prefer wearing them in their informal social gatherings, with the basic idea of maintaining a distinctive style of their own.

An interesting thing about kurta is that its sleeves do not narrow down (as in the case of most of the sleeves designed in the western style) and fall straight to the wrist. A kurta does not have cuffed sleeves and its side seams are left open for the easy movement of the wearer. The traditional kurtas do not have any collar and their openings are usually centered on the chest. However, the modern kurtas have undergone a major transformation and have stand up collars such as the Nehru collar.

There is an amazing variety of kurtas available at retail outlets, differing in their quality and weaving style. During the summer season, kurtas made up of light silk and cotton are in demand. While for winters, people usually look for heavy fabrics such as wool, Khadi silk or may a handspun. Buttons used in the designing are mostly wooden or plastic. Unlike other pieces of cloth, the buttons are not sewn; rather they are fastened into the cloth as per desire. These days, you can find real beautiful buttons in the market. Some of these buttons are even adorned with jewels and thus are a bit expensive. Thus, kurta is one of the trendiest pieces of clothing in today's times that is well liked by almost all the people.

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Dhoti

Dhoti kurta is the traditional Indian clothing of men. Unlike other dresses, it is an unstitched piece of cloth usually 5 yards long that is tied around the waist and legs. The knot is tied at the waist. Dhoti is known by different names at different places such as Laacha in Punjabi, dhuti in Bangla, veshti in Tamil, panche in Kannada, mundu or veshti in Malayalam, dhotar in Marathi, and pancha in Telugu etc. In Northern parts of India, dhoti is worn along with Kurta and together the attire is called "Dhoti Kurta".

In South India, men wear it with an "angavastram", which is also an unstitched piece of cloth that is draped over the shoulders. Sometimes, it is worn along with a shirt known as "chokka". In certain parts of the country, men wear Lungi, which is a similar piece of unstitched cloth, which is draped in the same manner as Dhoti. It is mostly worn on the informal occasions. However, Dhoti is concerned to be a formal ethnic dress in India. More often, men prefer wearing dhoti on the traditional family occasions. Even in the posh colonies, men wear their traditional dress dhoti.

The cultural icons such as the classical musicians, dancers and poets can be quite often seen clad in dhoti kurta. They derive pride in exhibiting the rich culture of their country. In South India, men dress up in dhoti on almost every cultural occasion. Infact, in the South Indian weddings, almost all the males wear their traditional pancha at the time of customary ceremonies. In a few parts of Southern India, it is expected that men should be wearing veshti and angavastram at the time of entering into the precincts of the temple.

The strong believers and supporters of the Hare Krishna movement have made dhoti their dress code. The practitioners wear saffron and white color clothing, draped in the traditional style. Mahatma Gandhi used to wear the ethnic dress pancha on the public functions. Even the Bengalis wear dhoti kurta on the festivity celebrations of Durga puja. Rajputs as in "Thakurs" are quite particular about wearing dhoti.

However, since the past few decades, western dressing style has been gaining momentum. Men now prefer wearing suits at work. Traditional clothing is preferred only on the family functions. Youngsters consider dhoti as an outdated unfashionable garment that is associated with a rustic look. Thus, its fashion has somewhat faded and now it is worn by men at home primarily due to its comfort. There can be different styles of draping a dhoti; however, the common style that is adopted for tying dhoti by Indian men is as follows:

How to Wear a Dhoti

• Take a long piece of unstitched cloth and measure as to how much cloth is required on either side of the body.
• After having divided the cloth according to the measurements, tie a knot near the navel.
• Make a series of folds on the right side and tuck the folded part at the waist.
• Similarly, make a series of folds on the left side.
• Take the folded part of cloth from between your legs and then tuck it from behind and your dhoti has been draped.

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