Indian Traditional Clothes

India is known for its historical importance and spicy foods. But as days are going India is developing in many aspects. You can find modern cities like Mumbai, Chennai, or Delhi. It is a very big country with a huge population and has varieties of foods, and clothes in every portion of the country.

The Indian subcontinent has some unique fashion and food habits because a lot of emperors ruled this place. Women in rural areas mostly wear saree, and salwar kameez. Though you can find jeans and t-shirt-wearing girls in the streets as Bollywood implanted western style among the young generation. Indian males wear dhoti and lungi. Dhoti Punjabi is a tradition for puja and for different functions. Sherwani is also popular attire for weddings. This great nation with a thousand-year-old history has diversity in clothes based on area and class.

In this article, we will be discussing traditional dresses of India and styles of wearing them.

Traditional Dresses For Indian Women

Neriathum Mundum

As with modern saris, the Mundum Neriyathum, an ancient garment with sari-like qualities, was originally designed to conceal the wearer’s lower half. Because of Kerala’s tropical climate, it’s hardly surprising that when Muslims first arrived from the Middle East, many of the indigenous women began to wear nothing but their undergarments.

Because of this, the Mundum Neriyathum has grown inseparable from this holiday. These days, women’s fashion consists primarily of slender jeans and a

Saree

On average, a saree is four or five meters in length. Cotton is often preferred because of its low price and high comfort level, but in this case, silk’s higher price and greater luxury have won out. Modern textiles like nylon or synthetic fibers are often combined with more classic materials like pure silk, cotton, and gold silk lace to create saris. A dark green saree is acceptable during the dry season, whereas lighter shades of yellow, blue, green, etc. are more suitable during the rainy months.

The sleeveless bodice, voluminous skirt, and shorter blouse of the traditional Indian clothing known as a saree have earned it the nickname “Jim Poole.” The saree is the outer covering, while the “Beidegeer” petticoat worn underneath it is wrapped around the wearer’s waist. It is common for women to choose to wear a saree as a form of self-expression. The wealthy wear saris made of silk and chiffon with intricate patterns woven from gold and silver thread, while the poor wear saris made of cotton and hemp.

Draping A saree

There are more than 80 different methods to drape a saree. When wearing a saree, the sash is traditionally draped over one shoulder and then tied in a bow at the waist. In order to maintain a certain appearance, it is necessary to strictly adhere to a certain shape or proportion.

Some popular ways to drape a sari are shown below.

1. Pleats in traditional Nivi dresses are worn by women and hung over the thighs before being tucked beneath the waistband. Some have speculated that the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is where this practice first appeared.

2. To rarely iron garments is a cultural norm in Bengal. The saree is wrapped around the wearer’s torso twice, once clockwise and once counterclockwise. Given its length, the tail can serve as a makeshift hood. Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian poet and Nobel laureate, came from a distinguished literary family.

3. The hair tail is tucked behind the right shoulder, as is traditional in the Gujarati nivi style.

4. Nauvari is a men’s garment that, like the traditional Maharashtrian dhoti, is meant to highlight regional and ethnic differences. Wrap the saree in this way to ensure that it is centered at the back and stays in place all the way down the length of the garment. You can tie a knot at the front by circling your legs once. To adequately cover her upper chest and shoulders in the nauvari style, a woman may require an additional nine yards of fabric.

5. Assamese women traditionally wear the mekhela, or chador, on religious occasions. It’s made up of a top, a skirt, and an overgarment worn like a sarong.

6. Women in the Manipur region of the Northeast wear a three-piece outfit called an innaphi viel, which is based on the mekhela chador.

7. Traditional for ladies of Maharashtra is to tie their sarees in a knot in the middle of their backs, then bring the front of the end and wrap the tail over their legs. This is the typical attire for women of the Brahmin caste.

8. The women of the Kodagu district of Karnataka are the only ones who understand and can pull off the region’s distinctive fashion. The pleats are located in the back, rather than the front. Behind them, they hung the tail over their right shoulder.

Churidaar

Both men and women wear churidars, or snug-fitting trousers, as part of traditional Indian dress in South Asia. These bottoms are similar to the ubiquitous shahroos, but they stand out in their own ways (shalwar).

Legs look wonderful in churidars since they tighten in an instant. However, their natural pliability may be attributable to the fact that they are cut on a diagonal.

Tights and leggings, which are designed to fit snugly but still allow for movement, should be elastic. In addition, they are typically fastened all the way down to the ankle, which gives the impression that the garment has been stretched beyond the leg.

Salwaar Kameez

The Salwaar Kameez is yet another staple of an Indian woman’s wardrobe. The sari only looks like this on the outside; the similarities are purely cosmetic. Not just a scarf, but an actual piece of clothing. Kameez is a long, loose tunic with intricate embroidery, and salwaar are loose tapered slacks. Women also frequently wear scarves called odanis or dupattas to cover their hair and shoulders.

The Salwaar Kameez originated in the northwest Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. But despite this, the trendy garments are now widely available in stores across the country, and even the biggest stars in Bollywood are wearing them.

Jama

Under the rule of the Mughal Empire, the Jama became a fashionable outerwear option. This article of clothing has a form-fitting top and a looser bottom, much like a tunic. Long, loose tunics called James are typically fastened at the lower chest.

Unlike the other end, this one is uniquely embellished. The traditional jama garment, once widely worn across India, is now mostly seen only in the Kutch region, which spans the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Traditional Dresses For Indian Men

Kurta

The kurta tunic and dhoti pants are still popular options for men’s clothing in India. Typically, a kurta will fall just above the knee and will not have a collar. The sleeves are another weak point. A kurta can be made with just two rectangles—one for the front and one for the back.

They often open in the front in the middle or slightly to one side, and are closed by buttons or a necktie. Rather than a standard center front zipper, some clothes use shoulder fasteners.

Dhoti

A dhoti is a long, narrow rectangle of cotton clothing typical of India’s rural population. Dhotis are unfitted, baggy pants-like clothes. Tie a knot in the middle and wrap it around your waist and legs.

Dhotis are often worn by wrapping their entire length around the wearer’s waist. It is clear that the sides of the material, which are closer to the waist, are being used as support, rather than the corners. Don’t fret over picking up stray scraps of material.

Nehru Jacket

The fashion business in India produces a bewildering variety of styles, but its eccentric trends rarely gain international traction. There is, however, an exception to this rule: the Nehru jacket, a form-fitting blazer evocative of Western business attire. Although it had long been a component of Indian men’s formalwear, it was not introduced to global tastemakers until the 1940s.

They were an instant hit after being worn by band members on the flight back from a yoga and music retreat in Rishikesh. Since then, it seems that everyone from the Monkeys to the villains in James Bond movies has to wear Nehrus. One and only time did former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru wear the jacket that bears his name. It was out of character for him to be dressed in a sherwani.

Lungi

In India, males often wear a white wrap similar to the sarong, which can be surprising to people who aren’t familiar with the culture. However, this reality has a rational foundation. The weather in most of India may be intolerable until the monsoons arrive.

Due to their superior air circulation, lungis have largely replaced pants as the garment of choice for men. The article was so influential that it was read and used all the way over in neighboring Asian countries.

Bandhgala

The Bandhgala, also known as the Jodhpuri, is a traditional item of men’s apparel in several parts of India. Jodhpur, a state in India, became the original home of this kind of suit during the British Raj. The pants and the coat have ornate Indian embroidery on a western silhouette.

Just decide if you want to wear the vest with the rest of your outfit. The jacket’s satin lining and embroidered buttons are hallmarks of a high-quality brand. The dowdy version of the traditional Indian dress, the suit, is currently worn by males in Bollywood films and in everyday life.

Angarkha 

The Angarkha, a traditional garment of the Indian aristocracy, was widely admired for its functionality and comfort. The shoulder straps of this costume top are meant to be worn cross. The length is versatile; it can be worn long and draped over the top, or short and buttoned up like a jacket.

A rounded triangle opening in the front of the garment reveals the parda, an inner panel that covers the breast. The silhouette, fabric, and embellishments of this fashionable clothing are all interpreted in various ways across the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Sherwanis and achkans

The achkan is a long coat typical of India that is worn down to the knees. The garment has evolved from its roots as men’s medieval court wear to become a modern wardrobe must-have. The front and side openings of the Achkan were closed with the standard string closures.

The achkan is an embroidered top typically worn by males in India with a churidar or dhoti. The dress can be worn to a variety of formal occasions; however, weddings and other celebratory events are where it is most commonly seen.

Accessories Used By Indian

Authentic Indian style for both sexes is easily recognizable by their elaborate, sometimes odd, headdresses. Men often wear large turbans in numerous cultures. Religious and cultural standards determine the color and style of these turbans.

On the other hand, women in stereotypes are frequently shown to be fixated on fashion accessories like jewelry. The desire to show off glistening necklaces and bracelets motivates many people to get their ears, noses, lips, and/or navels pierced. You wouldn’t be able to forget that bracelet. Typical Indian women own multiple versions of this jewelry.

Spending millions on a one-of-a-kind outfit won’t get you far with India’s kind and welcoming natives.

Final Words

In this article, we have discussed a lot about the Indian fashion industry. Now you know how Indian people like to wear their dresses and what they wear. When you are visiting India we suggest you try different cultures from the beautiful and colorful country.

Wearing traditional Indian dresses and attending a traditional function will surely help you have some peace. Enjoy every tradition in their way to have more fun and more understanding.

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