Indian traditional clothes

Indian traditional clothes

Clothing in India varies on the different  cultural traditions of the people of that region. 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.

In India, woman’s clothing varies widely and is closely associated with the local culture, religion  and climate .Traditional Indian clothing for women in the north and east are saris or ghagra cholis and (lehenga and suits) while many south Indian women traditionally wear sari and children wear pattu langa. Saris made out of silk are considered the most elegant. Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, is one of India’s fashion capitals. In many rural parts of India, traditional clothing is worn. Women wear a sari, a long sheet of colourful cloth, draped over a simple or fancy blouse. Little girls wear pavada. Both are often patterned.  The traditional style of clothing in India varies with male or female distinctions. This is still followed in the rural areas, though is changing in the urban areas. Girls before puberty wear a long skirt (called langa / paawada in Andhra) and a short blouse, called a choli, above it.

The most familiar dress for Indian men is dhoti. It is basically a rectangular piece of unstitched fabric, usually five yards of length and is draped around the waist and the legs. Known as Veshti in Tamil, Laacha in Punjabi, Mundu in Malayalam, Pancha in Telugu and Dhotar in Marathi it has become a style mark for Indian men. In various regions of India, Dhoti is being worn with inimitable fashion. In northern region of India, the garment is usually worn with a Kurta on top. This combination is better known as Dhoti Kurta, or Dhuti Panjabi in the eastern region. In southern part of the country, the garment is specially associated with wedding ceremonies and other joyous festivals. The participants of a South Indian Wedding, including the groom deck up in the traditional Pancha while performing the ceremonies. Silk Panchas are also known as Magatam or Pattu Pancha in several places of southern India. For Bengali grooms, off- white Dhuti is very popular.

Here are some examples and image of dresses

For women :

Sari

A saree or sari is a female garment in the Indian subcontinent . A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from four to nine meters in length, that is draped over the body in various styles. shoulder baring the midriff. Blouse may be “backless” or of a halter neck style. Women usually wear full sarees.

                                               

Ghagra Choli (lehenga choli)

A Ghagra Choli or a Lehenga Choli is a combination of lehenga, a tight choliand an odhani. A lehenga is a form of a long skirt which is pleated. It is usually embroidered or has a thick border at the bottom. A choli is a blouse shell garment, which is cut to fit to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck.

                                                    

Churidaar Kurta

Churidaar is a version of salwar, which is loose up to knees and then fits the calf below. A salwar is a baggy pyjama with pleats which gets narrow at the ankles whereas churidaar fits below the knees with horizontal gathers near the ankles. Usually a long kurta, which goes below the knees, is worn with the churidaar.

                                                         

Pattu Pavadai / Reshme Langa

Pattu Pavadai or Langa davani is a traditional dress in south India and Rajasthan, usually worn by teenage and small girls. The pavada is a cone-shaped garment, usually of silk, that hangs down from the waist to the toes. Girls in south India often wear pattu pavadai or Langa davani during traditional functions. Girls in Rajasthan wears this dress before marriage (and after marriage with sight modification in certain section of society.

                                                                         

For men :

Dhoti

A dhoti is from four to six feet long white or colour strip of cotton. This traditional attire is mainly worn by men in villages. It is held in place by a style of wrapping and sometimes with the help of a belt, ornamental and embroidered or a flat and simple one, around the waist.

                                                         

Sherwani / Jippa

A Sherwani is a long coat / jacket that usually sports exposed buttons through the length of the jacket. The length is usually just below the knees and the jacket ends just below the knee. The jacket has a Nehru collar , which is a collar that stands up. Sherwani 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.