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Inkspot>>More topics in this subject>>Different Varieties Of Dresses in India
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Different Varieties Of Dresses in India
sravan |
 Nov. 7th 09:39 AM  3906  0
Sharara
 The Sharara is traditional dress worn by the Muslim ladies. It was introduced into the Indian culture during the Mughal rule. But now it forms one of the major traditional costumes of India. The Sharara suit consists of a long flowing skirt, a blouse or choli and a dupatta for covering the head. The distinctive feature of the Sarara dress is the skirt, which is divided. It is like a pant fitted till the knee, with a big flare from the knee onwards. There is also a long chunni to cover the head.
You can also describe the Sarara dress as being a kind of loose, trailing pajama worn by women. Usually, this dress is donned by Muslim brides at the time of their marriage and the most common color for it is red. But this attire has become very popular among the non-Muslim Indian ladies also now, who prefer wearing the dress in other varied hues. The Sharara suit can be heavily embellished when being worn for the purpose of marriage or simple in case of normal events like birthdays, parties, etc.
In the present times, the Indian Sharara dress has become hugely popular with young girls. Some of them even buy expensive designer sararas for wearing on special occasions. Shararas are available in various designs and fabrics like georgette, satin, silk, etc. Few popular designs are golden zardosi Sharara, yellow sharara, resham work sharara, crush tissue sharara, mirror work sharara et al.
Dhoti
 The dhoti is the most traditional of all dresses for men in India. If you ever see photographs of Indian men before, during and soon-after the independence era, you will find many of them wearing the dhoti dress teemed with a kurta. Earlier the dhoti used to be a casual daily wear of the Indian men. But with modernization of our society, it steadily relegated to being just formal clothing in India, though there are still people especially in the rural belts for whom dhoti is the regular clothing attire.
The dhoti is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth about five yards long, wrapped about the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist. It is known by different names like Laacha in Punjabi, Mundu in Malayalam, Dhuti in Bangla, Veshti in Tamil, Pancha in Telugu, Dhotar in Marathi and Panche in Kannada. In north India, the dhoti is worn in combination with a kurta top, which a long loose fitting shirt. The dhoti kurta dress is called dhuti panjabi in east India. This dhoti dress is different from a lungi as the cloth of the latter is stitched to form a circle.
The dhoti dress may have lost its popularity in modern day India, but it is still worn with a lot of dignity by the many prominent senior citizens, politicians, musicians, dancers and others. Apart from being worn on all important government and family occasions, the dhoti kurta is also allowed to be donned in post upscale clubs, which normally stipulate very stern dress code for guests. The one prominent Indian citizen who gets all credit for popularizing this attire beyond the Indian borders is Mahatma Gandhi.
There are various styles of wearing the Indian dhoti. For instance, the Bengali men usually make pleats in their dhoti. In south India, the dhoti wearers added the angavastram to their attire, which is an extra piece of unstitched cloth kept on the shoulders. For convenience purpose, many south Indian men fold their dhoti in half and tuck it at the waist so that it reaches only till the knees. In certain Indian communities in Rajasthan, wearing the dhoti-kurta is mandatory.
Dhoti Kurta
 Dhoti kurta is the most traditional of all dresses worn by the men in India. If you ever see photographs of Indians, before, during and soon-after the independence era, you will find most of them wearing either the dhoti kurta or kurta pajama. Earlier dhoti kurta used to be a casual daily wear of the Indian men. But with the modernization of our society, it steadily got relegated to just formal clothing. However, there are still people, especially in the rural belts, who wear the dhoti-kurta on a regular basis.
Dhoti is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth about five yards long, wrapped about the waist and legs and knotted at the waist. It is known by different names in different languages, like Mundu in Malayalam, Dhuti in Bangla, Veshti in Tamil, Pancha in Telugu, Dhotar in Marathi and Panche in Kannada. In North India, dhoti is worn in combination with a kurta top, which a long loose fitting shirt. The traditional wear of dhoti kurta is called Dhuti Panjabi in east India. This dress is different from a lungi, as in the latter, the cloth is stitched to form a circle.
Dhoti kurta may have lost its popularity in the modern day India, but it is still worn with a lot of dignity by the many prominent senior citizens, politicians, musicians, dancers and others. Worn on all important government and family occasions, the dhoti kurta is also allowed to be donned in post upscale clubs, which normally stipulate very stern dress code for guests. The one prominent Indian citizen who gets all credit for popularizing this attire beyond the Indian borders is Mahatma Gandhi.
How to Wear/ Tie a Dhoti
There are various styles of wearing the Indian dhoti. For instance, Bengali men usually make pleats in their dhoti. In South India, the dhoti wearers add the angavastram to their attire, which is an extra piece of unstitched cloth kept on the shoulders. For convenience purpose, many South Indian men fold their dhoti in half and tuck it at the waist so that it reaches only till the knees. In certain communities of Rajasthan, wearing the dhoti-kurta is mandatory. Dupatta
 A dupatta is a long rectangular, scarf-like cloth, worn over the shoulders by the women in India. Generally teemed with the traditional salwaar-kamez, dupatta stands as a symbol of modesty in the Indian society. It is known by various names like Odhni, Chunari, Chunni and even just Unni (called by people of the Gujarati community). Duppata is manufactured in different fabrics, like cotton, silk, georgette, chiffon, and so on. Normally, it is worn keeping in mind the color combination of the salwar-kameez it one is wearing.
There are ample ways you can don the dupatta. It is normally worn across the shoulders and women drape one end of it over their head, when in front of elders, as a sign of respect. Otherwise, when worn over a salwar suit you can wrap it around your neck like a muffler also. Another style of wearing dupatta is to simply let it hang from one side of the shoulder. In the current fashion, it is frequently draped over one shoulder, with the other end balanced in the crook of the other arm.
A duppata may be plain in a single hue, shaded, multi-hued or patterned. In some cases, when the dress is very simple, women glam it up by wearing a heavily embroidered dupatta over it. This is particularly done in case of a bridal dress. The dupatta of the bride is often very heavily embellished. In certain Indian states, like that of Bengal and Rajasthan, special type of tie and dye duppatas are available. The price ranges of these duppatas vary from 100 rupees to 1000 rupees.
Gamchha
 Gamchha is a traditional Indian towel made up of thin coarse cotton fabric. Although it is normally used for drying one's body after bathing, gamcha serves other purposes also. It forms an important item of men's clothing, especially of those belonging to the lower sections of the Indian society. For instance, one often sees physical laborers, like coolies, construction workers and farmers, carrying a gamcha on their shoulders.
Gamcha is more popular among people from states like Bengal, Assam, Orissa, and so on. The term 'Gamchha' originates from the Bangla language and it means 'Wiping the Body'. You may also hear it being pronounced as gamchi by people of the Bihari community. The gamocha is used by the wearer in many ways. For instance, the coolies make a bun out of the traditional gamcha, which they keep on their head to carry the railway passenger's luggage.
Farmers keep the gamchha on their shoulders to wipe away the sweat while toiling in the scorching sun, the whole day long. Sometimes, they also spread it out on the ground like a mat and take a nap on it. In ancient India, travelers used the gamocha to carry food in it while journeying. It also forms one of the essential items offered to Indian deities during religious ceremonies. Perhaps, the best thing about a gamchha is that being thin, it does not take long to dry and thus can be used many times during a day.
A mix of checks and stripes in red, orange and green is the most common print of the Indian gamcha, though a white gamchha is also not uncommon. Plain white gamchhas with colored, embroidered or printed borders are very popular in the states of Orissa and Assam. Here, they are made by the local weavers on the handlooms. Despite the availability of branded fancy towels in the market, the gamcha still remains a very popular item of a man's personal use.
Kurta
 The Kurta or Kurti is a type of long shirt worn by both males and females in India, with its length falling either somewhere above or below the knees of the wearer. The Kurta can be categorized as a traditional clothing item and people generally pair it up with loose salwar, churidar pants or trousers. Such Kurti tops can be worn both on a casual everyday basis as well as a formal wear. Indians usually get them stitched by tailors or buy readymade ones from the market.
The make of a Kurta is such that it provides maximum comfort to the wearer. Keeping this aspect in mind, usually very light fabric like cotton and silk are used to make the Kurtis. A typical kurta is simple and made up of rectangular fabric pieces with perhaps a few gusset inserts. The sleeves of a traditional kurta fall straight to the wrist and do not narrow down. One can, however, also choose to get the Kurta embroidered for wearing it during party and other special occasions.
The neck of the traditional Indian kurta is normally round and does not have a collar. However, certain newer variations of the Kurtis flaunt a stand up collar. The Kurta dress is worn by people during the summer season. Those worn during winters are made up of thicker materials like wool as in the state of Kashmir or thick coarse handspun silk that may be mixed with other fabrics. At the sides of the Kurta, the side seams are often left open for 6-12 inches above the hem to give the wearer some ease of movement.
The Kurtas donned on important occasions may feature decorative metal buttons. These may not be stitched to the fabric, but like cufflinks, fastened into the cloth at the time of wearing it. Sometimes, these buttons are decorated with artificial jewels and other similar embellishments. This form of clothing is equally popular with people of both the younger and older generations in India. They wear it with a lot of pride and dignity.
Kurta Pajama
 Kurta-Pajama, consisting of two pieces of garments, is one of the basic clothing of the Indian men. The first garment is a kurta that is like a loose long shirt almost reaching the knees, whereas the second one is the pajama or pyjama, which is a lightweight drawstring trouser. Though mostly worn on formal occasions, kurta pajama can also be worn casually. Infact, there are many Indian men who wear this dress as their sleepwear.
The term 'pyjama' crept into the English language from Hindustani, a language from which Urdu and Hindi originated. The word originally derives from the Persian word 'Payjama' meaning 'leg garment'. It was due to the British colonialization of India that the term 'pajama' and the dress spread to other parts of the world. In India, one will often find politicians wearing white starched Kurta Pajama. As a tradition, civilians wear this dress during festivities and other special occasions like holi, religious ceremony, etc.
Only soft material fabrics are used for making kurta pajama as it is supposed to be a comfortable loose fitting dress. Though good quality cotton is the most common material used for making kurta pajama, other fabrics like silk and satin are also used. Normally adults prefer wearing the kurta and pajama in neutral shades, as they give a very dignified look. Children, on the other hand, wear this dress in varied hues and patterns. Kolhapuri chappals are the most preferred footwear for this type of attire.
Lehenga
 Of all the ethnic Indian women attires, the most eye-catching one, perhaps, is the lehenga choli. Though traditionally worn by the women folk in the rural belts of Indian states like Gujarat and Rajasthan, the lehenga choli is also popular as bridal attire in the urban parts of India. It is also known by the name of Ghagra Choli. The typical Indian bridal lehenga is of red color and is heavily embroidered with golden thread or zari. It is teemed with a short or waist length blouse, known as the choli, and a dupatta.
Though one can get many readymade ethnic lehengas in the market, many brides-to-be prefer to get them stitched. Ask any Indian, preferably a women and she will tattle off a number of names of famous tailors who specialize in making bridal ghagra choli. Nowadays, many variations have seeped into the lehenga designs. The bridal lehenga is not limited to red color. People are also opting for multi-colored or pastel-shade lehengas now. Similarly, the skirt can be double layered and stylishly embellished with zari and precious stones.
The lehenga, being a bridal dress, is kept and handled very diligently before and after the wedding by women. Since a bride has to stand out from rest of the decked up guests, her dress is the most heavily embellished. It's normal for it to weigh at least 10 kilograms or more. As such, it generally makes for a one time wear. The usual price range of the bridal lehenga varies from five thousand rupees to three-four lakh rupees.
Though lehenga is essentially a bridal dress, it does not mean that people cannot wear it during normal parties and festivities. In this case, the design of the lehenga varies and it may not be so heavily embellished. For instance, lehenga is also worn by women of all age-groups. But when donned by young girls, the skirt may be teemed with a halter-neck blouse or a backless choli. People just vary the design, color and embroidery of the ghagra to make it suitable for different occasions.
Lungi
 Perhaps no other Indian attire is as simple, or less cumbersome, as the lungi, which is a garment worn around the waist. The origin of the traditional lungi can be traced to South India, though the dress is now popular among several other communities of Asia also. Lungi is generally woven from cotton and is available in many designs, patterns and colors. However, the most commonly worn are those with checks or the ones in a single dark hue.
No matter what the color and design of the lungi, there is always a thin line or stripe running horizontally at the top and bottom of this garment. A lungi is different from a dhoti that is a linear-like sheet, because it is sewn into a circle like a skirt. Though it is normally worn by men in India, at some places, you will find the women folk wearing it too. Depending upon the occasion, a lungi is tied or fastened in different styles.
For everyday wear, people simply tie a double knot on their lungi as it is least likely to come undone. Lungi is a popular form of garment in south India, where the severe heat and humidity makes donning trousers unsuitable. In Kerala, it is worn as a casual dress by both men and women, especially by those belonging to the class of physical laborers. A lungi in plain white hue is called a Mundu. For ceremonial occasions like weddings, Mundus often bear golden embroidery, known as kasavu.
Salwar Kameez
 Salwar Kameez is the most popular traditional attire worn by the women in India. Due to its popularity in the Punjab region, it is sometimes called the Punjabi suit also. The shalwar is a baggy pajama type of trouser, which has legs wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic, which often reaches upto the knees. The length of the kameez can vary depending on the latest salwar suit style in fashion.
The salwar is stitched very differently. It has pleats at the waist and is held up by a drawstring or an elastic belt. The middle portion of a salwaar is very wide and baggy, but it gradually tapers down around the ankle. Another variation in salwaar is the churidar style which is a somewhat like a tight trouser, but with its fabric ending in various small folds around the ankles. Usually, Indian women also wear a dupatta across their shoulders, over the salwaar or churidar kameez, as a symbol of modesty
A shalwar kameez can be stitched in almost fabric, like chiffon, georgette, denim, silk, cotton, satin, and so on. It can be simple or heavily embellished, with artificial gem stones and embroidery, depending upon one's personal choice. Though both salwar kameez and sari are traditional Indian dresses for females, you will find more women wearing the former, especially in metros. This is because it is more comfortable and requires, comparatively, less maintenance.
One can choose to wear the salwar kameez in a number of styles. Apart from the traditional ones, one can also buy the ones with a plunging neckline or a halter neck back for a chic look. If confused, you can even ask the tailor to suggest you the latest necklines in fashion. The side seams of the kameez may be split high up to the waistline. When women wear semi-transparent kameez, they wear a choli or a cropped camisole underneath it.
Sari
 What is Sari
A long strip of colorful multi-patterned cloth, sensuously wrapped around the body, and teemed with a blouse! Is this not how sari, the traditional clothing of the womenfolk in India, is often described to people newly exposed to our culture? Saree is, indeed, a very long strip of unstitched cloth, which is worn over a similar colored petticoat. Its length ranges from four to nine meters, depending on how an individual wants to wear the sari. The blouse worn with it is also known as Choli or Ravika.
The most common style of wearing a sari is by draping its one end around the waist and neatly arranging the other over the shoulder baring the midriff. However, there are many variations in how women wear this dress in different states of India. There can also be a lot of variation in the designs of the choli i.e. the blouse of the saree. For instance, for daily wear, the blouse can be a normal one with quarter or short sleeves. Sleeveless or embroidered blouses are worn to give a dressy feel.
Similarly, for occasions like wedding and parties, some Indian women also wear backless or halter-neck blouses with their sari. Though you will see women wearing such blouses with their sari only at select upmarket places, it gives a very glammed up Indo-western look. Women in the armed forces don the sari with a half-sleeved shirt tucked in at the waist. Occasion is the main criterion that decides the style in which you wish to wear your sari.
Saree is a very popular form of clothing in India. So, one will find various type of the clothing being sold in the market. Infact, every state of India excels in manufacturing a certain type of sari. Thus, you will find plain or patterned georgette saris, heavily golden-zari embroidered zardozi saris, silk sarees with heavy pallu, and so on. The prices of the saris also vary greatly. While the normal saris can cost as less as 500 rupees, the really expensive ones, especially those made by the Indian designers, could cost lakhs of rupees.
The various types of sari manufactured by different Indian states are:
In North India:
Chikan sari - Lucknow
Banarasi sari - Benaras
In East India
Kantha - West Bengal
Baluchari - West Bengal
Ikat - Orissa
In West India
Paithani - Maharashtra
Bandhani - Gujarat and Rajasthan
Kota Doria - Rajasthan
Central India
Chanderi - Madhya Pradesh
In South India
Pochampally - Andhra Pradesh
Venkatagiri - Andhra Pradesh
Gadwal - Andhra Pradesh
Kanchipuram Sari - Tamil Nadu
How to Wear a Sari
 The Indian women have been wearing the sari or saree for centuries now and it looks as dignified as it looks seductive. This is because most of them wear it almost on a daily basis and have, thus, mastered the art of wearing sari. This is important because just as a nicely worn saree can make you look very elegant, a clumsily worn one can destroy the whole appearance. So read the information given below to learn how to wear a sari.
There are few important things you need to keep in mind here. For instance, there are many types of sari available in the market. So select one keeping in mind the occasion you require it for. For formal purposes, always pinup the saree as it is more manageable this way and also looks smart. This is the style in which all Indian airhostesses drape their sari. For parties and casual occasions, just pin the tip of the sari to the blouse and hold the rest of it in the crook of the arm.
Also ensure that you have a matching blouse and petticoat to wear with the sari you have selected. The blouse should be well stitched and of a close fit, whereas the petticoat should not be very flared. The best feature of a saree is that if draped properly, it will look good on women of all height, shape and size. All over India, you will find women wearing the sari in different styles. Read the tips below to learn how to drape / tie a sari nicely.
Step One -
The length of the petticoat to be worn underneath the sari should be from the waist down to your ankle. It should have a drawstring so that it can be fastened around the waist. The blouse that you will wear with the saree should be close-fitted and its length should end just below the bust. It can be with or without sleeves. There are various types of blouse necklines you can choose from prior getting it stitched.
Step Two-
After wearing the petticoat and blouse, take one end of the sari and neatly tuck into the petticoat around the waist from right to left. Make sure that the lower end of the saree is touching the floor slightly. Resume from the place where the sari tucking has just ended and now start making pleats in the sari from there. About five to six pleats in the sari, each of them with a width of five inches should be enough.
Step Three -
Make sure that the pleats you have made is neat and of equal length. Hold them all together so that they fall straight and even. Then tuck the pleats into the petticoat slightly left to the navel. Also make sure that the pleats are turned in the left direction. Pleating the sari is the most difficult aspect for those learning how to drape the sari. But once you master the method of sari wearing, you will hardly require more than few minutes to make pleats.
Step Four -
The portion of the sari left after the pleating is called the Pallav. Now gather the pallav and place it over the left shoulder. The upper border of the sari should slant across the bust from under the right arm to over the left shoulder. The pallav should be about 90 cms in length and should touch your finger-tips as it falls evenly behind you. You can prevent it from slipping off by fixing it at the shoulder to the blouse with a small safety pin.
Sherwani
 Sherwani is an immaculately designed coat, with a close body fit, which is fastened in the front with buttons. It is supposed to be worn over a kurta and a churidar, or khara pajama or a salwar and at times, even a dhoti. A part of men's clothing in India, the traditional Sherwani happens to be an ultimate wedding and party attire. It is very akin to an Achkan, or a doublet, and is worn by gentlemen of all age-group in the country. Though Sherwani is a very popular Indian men's wear, it is said to have originated somewhere in Central Asia.
It used to be the court uniform of the nobles of Turkish and Persian origin in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, before it got generally adopted here in the late 18th century. Sherwani was also the dress code in the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad. The word Sherwani immediately crops up the picture of India's first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as it used to be his favorite attire. This dress style is especially popular among the North Indians, who prefer to wear it on formal occasions during winters.
Infact, it is a rule for many Indian government officials to wear a black Sherwani on state occasions. Though formal Sherwani is often single hued, the one worn for wedding and parties is usually embroidered or detailed in some way. It is one of the favorite dresses for the groom in India. Normally rich heavy fabrics are used for party purpose. There are tailors who specialize in stitching it and the cost can range from a couple of thousands to lakhs of rupees. Though various styles of readymade Sherwani are available in the market, some get them stitched by fashion designers, in which case the price is often sky high.
Turban
 Indian turban is a headdress consisting of long scarf-like single piece of cloth, wound around the head. It is worn by a certain section of men in India and is very much a part of the country's culture and tradition. The mention of turban in the sacred Indian scriptures, like the Vedas, proves that it was a crucial part of Indian men's costume, even during Vedic times. Though the popularity of the head turban has somewhat waned with the modernization of man, yet even today, whenever it's donned, it's done so with a lot of dignity and honor.
In the colorful Indian state of Rajasthan, the people of the Rajput community wear very prominent, majestic-looking, turbans. In the Hindi language, a turban is called a Pagri or Safa and you will find many designs and styles of the Pagdi being worn by the Rajasthanis. These two factors are important because they signify the social status of the turban wearer. For instance, the turban of a person belonging from the aristocratic class may be made of silk cloth, whereas a peasant may simply tie his towel around his head as turban.
The wearing of the turban costume in India has many connotations. In old days, the long strip of the turban cloth was soaked in water at a well and then wrapped around the head. The layers of wet cloth provided the much-needed relief from the scorching sun outside. Also, it was very handy in fending off the desert sand and keeping the hair neat and tidy. Most importantly, a pagri is a symbol of dignity in present times. In India, people of different community may wear their turban differently.
It is closely associated with the Sikh faith in India. Men of this community undergo a type of baptism to join the Khalsa and are, thus, debarred from cutting their hair the whole life. The Sikh men are, thus, required to wear a turban to manage their long hair. The turban cloth is usually five meters, or less, in length and the turban wearers wind it anew every time they don the headdress. Though Sikh women joining the Khalsa are not really required to wear the turban, yet some of them do so. The Punjabi name for turban is Dastar.
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