Clothing in India varies from region to region depending on the ethnicity, geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of that region. Historically, men and women's clothing has evolved from simple Langotas and loincloths to cover the body to elaborate costumes not only used in daily wear but also on festive occasions as well as rituals and dance performances. "In urban areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all strata. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibres, colours and material of clothing. Color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. For instance, Hindus lady's wear white clothes to indicate mourning while Parsis and Christians wear white to weddings.
Sari:
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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. There are various traditional styles of sari: Sambalpuri Sari from East, Kanchipuram from South, Paithani from West and Banarasi from North among others.The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff. The sari is usually worn over a petticoat. Blouse may be "backless" or of a halter neck style. These are usually more dressy with a lot of embellishments such as mirrors or embroidery and may be worn on special occasions. Women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist. Teenage girls wear half-saris, a three piece set consisting of a langa, a choli and a stolewrapped over it like a sari. Women usually wear full saris.
choli:
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A Ghagra Choli or a Lehenga Choli is the traditional clothing of women in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Punjabis also wear them and they are used in some of their folk dances. It is a combination of lehenga, a tight choli and a odhani. A lehenga is a form of long skirt which is pleated. It is usually embroidered or has a thick border at the bottom. A cholis a blouse shell garment, which is cut to fit to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck.
Salwar Kameez:
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The salwar kameez is the traditional wear of women in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir and has become the most popular dress for females. It consists of loose trousers (the salwar) narrow at the ankles, topped by a tunic top (the kameez).It is named as "Punjabi suit" or simply "shalwar" in the north and "churidaar" in Southern India. Women generally wear a dupatta orodani (Veil) with salwar kameez to cover their head and shoulders. It is always worn with a scarf called a dupatta, which is used to cover the head and drawn over the bosom. The material for the dupattausually depends upon that of the suit, and is generally of cotton, georgette, silk, chiffon among others. This dress is worn by almost every teenage girl in lieu of western clothes. The salwar kameez is most common in the northwestern part of India. Many actresses wear the salwar kameez in Bollywood movies.
"For men, traditional clothes are the Sherwani, Lungi, Kurta and Dhoti orPajama. Also, most recently Pant and shirt have also been accepted as traditional Indian dress by the Government of India".
Dhoti:
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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 with the help of a belt, ornamental and embroidered or a flat and simple one, around the waist.
In south India men wear long, white sarong like sheets of cloth known as Mundu. In north and central Indian languages like Hindi,Marathi and Oriya, these are called dhothi, 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.
In south India men wear long, white sarong like sheets of cloth known as Mundu. In north and central Indian languages like Hindi,Marathi and Oriya, these are called dhothi, 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.
Lungi:
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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.
Though mostly worn by men, elderly women also prefer lungi to other garments owing to its good aeration. It is mostly popular in south India, though people of Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Somalia also can be seen in lungis, because of the heat and humidity, which create an unpleasant climate for trousers, though trousers have now become common outside the house.
Though mostly worn by men, elderly women also prefer lungi to other garments owing to its good aeration. It is mostly popular in south India, though people of Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Somalia also can be seen in lungis, because of the heat and humidity, which create an unpleasant climate for trousers, though trousers have now become common outside the house.
Sherwani:
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A Sherwani is a long coat-boss jacket fastened with buttons. It comes to just below the knees, somewhere high on the calf. The jacket has a Nehru collar,which is a collar that stands up.The Sherwani is worn with tighter 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. 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. A scarf is sometimes added to the sherwani.
Boys:
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For Boys - Boys wear (Kurta Pajamas, Sherwanis, Dhoti Kurtas) comes in a wide range of colors. Alongside the elegant creams and whites, you will find rich maroons and bright blues. The skill of Indian crafters shines through in the elaborate hand embroidery, some of them taking as long as a week to complete. The garments are made of cotton, silk and tissue.
Girls:
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For Girls - Lachas, Lehenga Cholis, Ghagras, Salwar Suits, Sari. You will be impressed by the workmanship, everything from delicate hand embroidery to exquisit/ beadwork. Fabrics include silk, satin, tissue, crepe, georgette and cotton.