Clothing in India varies depending on geography, faith, climate, social status and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. Traditional Indian dress can be religious, aesthetic and practical. In urban areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all social levels. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colours and material of clothing. Colour codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. For instance, Hindu ladies wear white clothes to indicate mourning, while Parsis and Christians wear white to weddings. The clothing in India also encompasses the wide variety of Indian embroidery. Hindu dress can be both simple and sophisticated.
Some clothes, such as the woman’s sari, can be produced in Village workshops without tailoring. For women, the emphasis was traditionally on modesty rather than sexual allurement, and elegance rather than fashion. However wedding clothes can be elaborate and costly, often now incorporating many elements of modern fashion.
During Indian festivals like diwali, Navratri, karva chauth, holi, rakhi and other happy celebrations, Indians don special ethnic outfits. During puja and other holy ritual hindus wear other ethnic dress.
Every state of India has its own culture and customs, hence all traditional Indian dress varies from state to state.
The recorded Indian history of clothing goes back to the 5th millennium BC in the Indus Valley civilization where cotton was spun, woven and dyed. Bone needles and wooden spindles have been unearthed in excavations at the site. The cotton industry in ancient India was well developed, and several of the methods survive until today. Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian described Indian cotton as “a wool exceeding in beauty and goodness that of sheep”. Indian cotton clothing was well adapted to the dry, hot summers of the subcontinent. Most of the present knowledge of ancient Indian clothing comes from rock sculptures and paintings in cave monuments such as Ellora. These images show dancers and goddesses wearing what appears to be a dhoti wrap, a predecessor to the modern sari.The upper castes dressed themselves in fine muslin and wore gold ornaments. The Indus civilisation also knew the process of silk production. Recent analysis of Harappan silk fibres in beads have shown that silk was made by the process of reeling, a process known only to China until the early centuries AD. India was the earliest major center for its production and processing of Indigo. Indigo is among the oldest dyes to be used for textile dyeing and printing.
Indian clothing changed alot throughout its history. Characterized by absence of stitched clothing. People used to wear clothes which were tied together. Interestingly, sewing and stitching were known and very much in use for other purposes since Indus civilization. But it did not make inroad into clothing till Muslim invasion in India. Even a few decades back in rural India you would see men mostly wearing Dhoti, an unstitched piece of cloth in lower body. Women still wear Saree, which is unstitched.
As ancient fabrics, garments did not survive, historians who studied ancient Indian costume had to rely on existing sculptures and in remaining literature. In ancient India, both men and women covered their upper bodies with a garment called an uttariya and lower parts of the body with garment called antariya. An uttariya was an unsewn cloth or scarf-like piece of cloth. It was usually made of fine cotton or silk. It could also be made of animal skin and linen. Some ancient texts, refer to garments being made of the bark of the tree of paradise or the filaments of lotus flowers.
Uttariya is like a shawl and descends from the back of the neck to curl around both arms, and can be used to drape the top half of the body. It was usually made of fine cotton or silk. The dupatta is an evolved form of the uttariya. Some began to use a portion of their uttariya as a veil to cover their heads.
Antariya is a long white or colour strip of cotton passed through the legs, tucked at the back and covered the legs loosely, then flowed into long pleats at front of the legs. It was usually made of fine cotton or silk. The dhoti is an evolved form of the antriya. The lungi also derived from it.
Uttariyas could be made of the simplest, plain cloth for those of modest income. But wealthy Indians often wore highly decorated uttariyas made of brightly dyed cloth of red, blue, or gold, among other colors. The uttariyas of the wealthy were also adorned with studs of pearls and other jewels, embroidery, and painted designs.
Like the dhoti, the sari, and the turban, the uttariya and antriya, remains the Indian choice garments from ancient times that is still worn in modern India.
Women’s clothing in India varies widely and is closely associated with the local culture, religion and climate.
Indian clothing changed alot throughout its history. Characterized by absence of stitched clothing. People used to wear clothes which were tied together. Interestingly, sewing and stitching were known and very much in use for other purposes since Indus civilization. But it did not make inroad into clothing till Muslim invasion in India. Even a few decades back in rural India you would see men mostly wearing Dhoti, an unstitched piece of cloth in lower body. Women still wear Saree, which is unstitched.
Traditional Indian clothing for women is Saree. Sarees or Saris can be woven from silk, cotton or nylon, come in a range of regional patterns, with various and distinctive ways of wearing them. Punjabi Hindu women usually wear the salwar-kameez, consisting of a tunic (kameez), loose-litting trousers (salwar) and a chunni (shawl) to cover the head and shoulders. Hindu women, especially outside of India, often wear Western dress, except when visiting the mandir and on special occasions such as weddings. They are developing modern fashion trends based on traditional attire. Particularly popular is the ghagra-choli outfit, consisting of a ghangra (dress) and a choli, the tight blouse normally worn with a sari. Despite these broad norms, it is difficult to conclusively identify a Hindu woman by her attire alone. Many Bangladeshi Muslims wear the sari and most Sikhs the shalwar-kameez. It is relatively easy to identify a Hindu widow by her plain white sari and lack of ornamentation.
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Though Indian women clothing trends are fast changing, majority women still wear saree or sari. Saree is a unstitched female garment, ranging from five to nine yards (4.5 metres to 8 metres) in length and two to four feet (60 cm to 1.20 m) in breadth. It is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff. There are various styles of sari draping, the most common being the Nivi style, which originated in Indian State of Andhra Pradesh.
The sari is usually worn over a petticoat, with a fitted upper garment commonly called a blouse (choli). The blouse has short sleeves and is usually cropped at the midriff. The sari is associated with grace and is widely regarded as a symbol of grace in Indian cultures.
There are more than 80 recorded ways to wear a sari. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with the loose end of the drape to be worn over the shoulder, baring the midriff. Some famous sari draping styles are :
Tribal styles – often secured by tying them firmly across the chest, covering the breasts.
The shalwar kameez can be worn by both men and women, but styles differ by gender. The shalwar (baggy trousers) and the kameez (long shirt) are two garments which are combined to form the shalwar kameez. Salwar is a generic description of the lower garment incorporating the Punjabi salwar, Sindhi suthan, Dogri pajamma (also called suthan) and the Kashmiri suthan.
The salwar kameez is the traditional wear of women in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh and is called the Punjabi suit which is most common in the northwestern part of India (Punjab region). The Punjabi suit also includes the “churidaar” and “kurta” ensemble which is also popular in Southern India where it is known as the “churidaar”.
In India, salwar kameez has become the most popular dress for females. The lower garment, Salwar is a loose trousers and narrow at the ankles, topped by a tunic top (the kameez). Women generally wear a dupatta or odani (Veil) with salwar kameez to cover their head, chest and shoulders. The material for the dupatta usually depends upon that of the suit, and is generally of cotton, georgette, silk, chiffon among others.
It could of plain cotton, rich silk, tussar, crepe, georgette, shiffon, khadi, or the other types of fabric available. The next variation occurs in the flare and the pleats, making up the salwar. Colours also have an expanding range, from the bright shades like maroon, red, violet, blue, yellow, black, to the lighter shades of white, sky, pink, and more. This colour-spectrum is applicable for the entire set. Another, feature of variation, regarding the kameez is the cut of the neckline-pattern and the sleeves. It can have full-sleeves, or short-sleeves or no-sleeves. The several designs, of the Salwar-Kameez-Dupatta, include sequin-embroidery or semi-precious stone embroidery, mirror-work, artwork, cut-work, or simple but sophisticated prints, hand-paintings, etc.
There are different types of Salwar Kameez worn in India. Some major recent trends are:
1. Churidar Kurta
2. Patiala Salwars
3. Anarkali Suit
4. Palazzo Salwars
5. Short kurta pant
Churidaar
Churidaar is a variation on the common salwar. It is tightly fitting trouser worn by both men and women in India. Salwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow more quickly, so that contours of the leg are revealed. They are longer than the leg and sometimes finish with a tightly fitting buttoned cuff at the ankle. The excess length falls into folds and appears like a set of bangles resting on the ankle. ‘Churi’ means ‘bangle’ and ‘dar’ means ‘like’. Hence the name ‘Churidar’. When the wearer is sitting, the extra material is the “ease” that makes it possible to bend the legs and sit comfortably. The churidaar can be worn with any upper garment such as a long kurta, which goes below the knees, or as part of the anarkali suit. The churidar is usually worn with a kameez (tunic) by women or a kurta (a loose overshirt) by men, or they can form part of a bodice and skirt ensemble.
Patiala Salwars
Patiala salwar is a type of female trousers and as the name suggests is from Patiala City in the Northern region of Punjab state in India. Patiala salwar with lots of pleats is also referred to as Patiala “Shahi” salwar since it was worn by the King of Patiala in earlier times. But now this dress is not worn by men.
The reason the patiala dress is preferred by most of the women of Punjab and other regions of Northern India is its comfort and durability in summers. Since the patiala salwar is very loose and stitched with pleats it is a very comfortable outfit to wear. Its distinguishing characteristic is folds of cloth stitched together that meet at the bottom. Patiala salwars require double the length of material to get stitched, which is generally four meters in length. The fall of the pleats of the Patiala Salwar is such that it gives a beautiful draping effect. The pleats are stitched on the top to a belt.
Anarkali Suit
The anarkali suit is made up of a long, frock-style top and features a slim fitted bottom.The anarkali is an extremely desirable style that is adorned by women located in Northern India, Pakistan and The Middle East. The anarkali suit varies in many different lengths and embroideries including floor length anarkali styles. Many women will also opt for heavier embroidered anarkali suits on wedding functions and events. Indian women wear anarkali suits on various other occasions as well such as traditional festivals,casual lunch, anniversary celebrations etc. The kameez of the anarkali can be sleevelesss or with sleeves ranging from cap- to wrist-length.
Palazzo Salwars
Palazzo pants are long women’s trousers cut with a loose, extremely wide leg that flares out evenly from the waist to the ankle. Palazzo trousers are popular as a summer season style, as they are loose and tend to be flattering in light, flowing fabrics that are breathable in hot weather and are less frequently seen during the winter months. Palazzo pants for women first became a popular trend in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but is currently becoming a new fashion trend.
Short kurta pant
Leggings – Leggings is the form of skin-tight trousers which end at mid-calf or near ankle length. Unlike Tights, leggings are thicker and footless. Leggings are made from thick, elasticized material, usually spandex, lycra, nylon, cotton, and/or polyester. Leggings come in a wide range of colors and patterns. It has made its way into fashion, as it goes well with Short kurta (kurti) and also blend well long kurta. But Indian women tend to wear legging on kurtas which are at knee length or below. They avoid wearing it on shirts and T-shirts.
Jeans – Jeans with short kurtis, shirt or t-shirts are the new fave look of trendy woman mass and urban youngsters.
Jeggings – Jeggings, a slinky combo of jeans and leggings, are storming fashionistas’ wardrobes with a vengeance. They are made to look like skin-tight denim jeans. It is worn in urban India. Youngsters and stylistas sport this trend with shirt, t-shirt or short kurta.
Ghagra Choli or a Lehenga Choli is the traditional clothing of women in Rajasthan and Gujarat, but can also be seen in other parts of India. These cholis are brightly embroidered, waist-length bare – backed blouses. Indian ghagra cholis, lehengas are gathered ankle – length skirts secured around the waist. The attire is completed by a veil – cloth called odhni or dupatta across the neck or over the head. Dupatta is uaually 2.5 meters of light transparent material. Rich fabric such as silk, tussar, crepe, georgette or chiffon is employed to create the elegant Ghagra Lehenga Choli. The shimmering embroidery designs of Lehenga-Choli Dupatta, ranges from mirorwork, ariwork, Kundan-embroidery, beadswork, Zardozi embroidery, Zariwork. The Indian lehenga choli is one of the most colourful Indian clothing, adding verve and colour to the surrounding landscapes. Tribal women in these area bedeck themselves from head to toe with chunky silver jewellery. colourful elegant Ghagra cholis worn by young girls and women during navrati festival for the garba dance is worth watching.
Langa Voni
Langa voni is a variant of Ghagra choli. It is traditional dress worn mainly in South India by young girls between puberty and marriage. It called by different names, like Langa Voni in Telugu, Pavadai Daavani in Tamil and Langa Davani in Kannada. Langa or Pavadai is a cone-shaped skirt, that hangs down from the waist to the toes. It is tied around the waist using string. Voni or Davani, a cloth usually 2 to 2.5 meters in length, is draped diagonally over the choli which is a midriff-baring blouse commonly worn with the sari. Generally the garment made of cotton or silk. The main difference between Northern Ghagra choli and Langa Voni is the style of draping the voni or dupatta.
Pattu Pavadai/Reshme Langa
Pattu Pavadai or Reshme Langa is a traditional dress in south India, usually worn by teenage and small girls. It is a two piece dress consisting of a blouse and a Lehenga (skirt). The lehenga and blouse are of contrast colours. Blouse is long and does not bare midriff potion. The pavada is a cone-shaped skirt, usually of silk, that hangs down from the waist to the toes. It normally has a golden border at the bottom. Girls in south India often wear pattu pavadai during traditional functions.
For men, traditional clothes are the Achkan/Sherwani, Bandhgala, Lungi, Kurta, Angarkha, Jama and Dhoti or Pajama. Additionally, recently pants and shirts have been accepted as traditional Indian dress by the Government of India.
A dhoti is the traditional garment worn by men in India. It evolved from the ancient antriya. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually 15 feet white colour.This traditional attire is still worn by men in some Indian villages. In northern India the dhoti is worn with a Kurta on top and southern India it is worn with an angavastram which is a unstitched cloth draped over the shoulders or shirt or ‘jubba’ (a local version of kurta). To tie a dhoti is a difficult task. It is held in place by a style of wrapping around the waist and the legs and knotted at the waist. It is called by different names and worn in differently in different states of India.
In India men also wear long, white sarong like sheets of cloth known as Mundu. It’s called dhotar in Marathi. In north and central Indian languages like Hindi, and Odia, these are called Mundu, while in Telugu they are called Pancha, in Tamil they are called veshti and in Kannada it is called Panche/Lungi. Over the dhoti, men wear shirts.
A Lungi is a traditional garment of India. It is called by different names in different states of India. In southern Indian state of Kerla it is called Mundu which is always white and if colored it is called lungi. A standard lungi measures 2.12 by 1.2 meters. Lungi is either tucked in, over the waist, up to knee-length or is allowed to lie over and reach up to the ankle. It is usually tucked in when the person is working, in fields or workshops, and left open usually as a mark of respect, in worship places or when the person is around dignitaries.
Lungis, generally, are of two types: the open lungi and the stitched lungi. The open lungi is a plain sheet of cotton or silk, whereas the stitched one has both of its open ends stitched together to form a tube like structure. It is most suitable for hot and humid climate, though trousers have now become common outside the house.
Achkan and Sherwani are long jackets that usually sports exposed buttons through the length of the jacket. The achkan is generally associated with the Hindus while the Sherwani was historically favoured by Muslims. Both have significant similarities. Both Achkan and Sherwani has a small, close-fitting upright collar.
The Achkan is worn with tight fitting pants or trousers called churidars. Churidars are trousers that are loose around the hips and thighs, but are tight and gathered around the ankle. Achkan is usually worn during the wedding ceremonies by the groom and is usually cream, light ivory, or gold coloured. It may be embroidered with gold or silver. A scarf called a dupatta is sometimes added to the achkan.
The Sherwani generally worn with the combination of shalwar as the lower garment. This garment usually feature detailed embroidery or patterns.
Main difference between Sherwani and Achkan lies in their length, fabric and the massive flare from the waist. Sherwani is little longer than Achkan and is more flared from the waist till bottom and Achkan is more are trimmed & fitted to give a compact masculine look.
The term angarkha is derived from the Sanskrit word Angaraksaka, which means protection of the body. Angarakha is a traditional upper garment which when worn overlaps and are tied near the left or right side of the shoulder. Historically, the Angrakha was a court outfit. The angarkha was worn in various parts of the India, but while the basic cut remained the same, styles and lengths varied from region to region. Angarakha can be short, till waist or can be long, till knee.
Angarkha remained a formal wear in 19th century in many parts of the northern India. But now it is slowly declining as an ethnic wear. We can find this traditional attire in some parts of Indian states, mainly Rajasthan & Gujarat.
Some Angarkha variant are :
Mirjai – The traditional dress of Bihari people includes the dhoti-mirjai (a modified form of the flowing jama) fastened on the right. The mirjai is an under jacket with long loose sleeves and open cuffs.
Rajasthani bandia angarkha – Some Rajasthanis wear ‘Bandia Angarkha’. Also called as ‘Bandi’, which appears to be the short form of the full appellation. It is short coat closely fitting the body, worn above the waist and fastened with tapes either over the chest or on the shoulder, with long arms and narrow sleeves.
Bandhgala is a formal evening suit which has Indo-Western sartorial style, with a coat and a trouser, at times accompanied by a vest. It is also called Jodhpuri or Jodhuri Suit. It originated in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Angarkha is considered the predecessor of the Bandhgala. It was popularized during the British Raj in India. It brings together the western cut with Indian hand-embroidery escorted by the Waist coat. It is suitable for occasions such as weddings and formal gatherings.
The material can be silk or any other suiting material. Normally, the material is lined at the collar and at the buttons with embroidery. This can be plain, jacquard or jamewari material. Normally, the trousers match that of the coat.
In India, the turban is referred to as a pagri or pagdi, meaning the headdress is manually tied. It is worn by men and to a very lesser extent by women, especially Sikh women. Pagdi is a long unstitched cloth. The length may vary according to the type. There are several styles, which are specific to the wearer’s region or religion, and they vary in shape, size and colour. The pagdi is a symbol of honour. It is a common practice to honour important guests by offering them one to wear. Some famous Turbans of India are the Rajasthani pagri, the Mysore Peta, the Marathi pheta and the Sikh Dastar.
A Dastar is a Pagri worn by Sikhs. It is mandatory for all Khalsas, i.e., Amritdhari (Initiated) Sikhs, to wear one. Styles may vary between different Sikh orders and regions. A Sikh turban plays an important part of the unique Sikh identity. It is worn to cover the long, uncut hair (termed kesh) that is one of the five outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh as a means to profess the Khalsa Sikh faith. The most commonly worn styles of dastar include PatialaShahi dastar, Morni/Pochvi dastar, AmritsarShahi dastar, Canadian style and many more regional. In Punjabi dialects pagri is often shortened to Pagg.
Pheta is the Marathi name for turbans worn in the state of Maharashtra. Its usually worn during traditional ceremonies and occasions. It was a mandatory part of clothing in the past and have evolved into various styles in different regions. The main types are the Puneri Pagadi, Kolhapuri and Mawali pheta.
Originally worn by the kings of Mysore during formal meeting in durbar and in ceremonial processions during festivals, and meeting with foreign dignitaries, the Mysore peta has come to signify the cultural tradition of the Mysore and Kodagu district. The Mysore University replaced the conventional mortarboard used in graduation ceremonies with the traditional peta.
Turbans in Rajasthan are called pagari or “safa”. They are distinctive in style and colour, and indicate the caste, social class and region of the wearer. In the hot and dry regions, turbans are large and loose. The paggar is traditional in Mewar while the safa is to Marwar. The colour of the pagaris have special importance and so does the pagari itself. In the past, saffron stood for valour and chivalry. A white turban stood for mourning. The exchange of a turban meant undying friendship.
Clothing of India, Wikipedia. Retrieved 05 Jul 2017
Sari, Wikipedia. Retrieved 05 Jul 2017