For the last few days the Saree has been trending on Twitter. Women from all over the world have been showing of their best sarees. The hashtag #SareeTwitter and #SareeSwag has really taken off on the micro-blogging site worldwide. Take a look at some of the sarees shared on Twitter.
The “Saree” or “Sari” is a very popular piece of dress for Hindu women of India. It’s a long piece of cloth which is wrapped around the waist, going around the body and then one end ending up over the shoulders. The saree is worn with a choli (also known as blouse) to cover the breasts and a peti-coat around the waist. The sari is not just a dress but a cultural icon. There are various styles of saree. To the casual onlooker the saree might appear the same but those who are well versed in their knowledge of Indian clothing will know that there are various styles of sarees and wearing sarees.
In Northern India, married women usually wear the saree while unmarried women (referred to as girls) in India wear salwar kameez. Pakistani women do not wear the saree however many rich and high class women of Pakistan do wear them at parties to stand out of the crowd. Women of Bangladesh do wear the saree in their own Bengali style. Considering Hindu population of Bangladesh is around 8.5% the saree remains popular there. The saree is also part of women’s dress in Nepal. In the picture below Indian women are wearing the saree and the salwar kameez.
If you have any questions about the saree or Indian clothing in particular then feel free to comment below.
If you are visiting India for a particular occasion for instance for your friend’s wedding or want to understand Indian clothing or want to know what Indians wear then this article will be useful. Let’s take a look at the various styles of clothing and the occasions they are worn.
Indian fashion is known for its unique and ethnic types of garb. Their styles are unique and are worn on various occasions that the Indian community has especially their pre-wedding occasions. The Salwar Kameez is one of the most beautiful garbs that showcases Indian fashion in a simple and traditional form. Just like the famous saree, it is traditional attire that can go from simple and comfortable to intricate and decorative. Its versatile styling options make it a garb to wear on different occasions but styled differently for each event. The salwar is the type of pants while the kameez is a long shirt or tunic. Other garbs like the dupatta are used to accessorize it to achieve a certain look for a specific occasion. The top can be a Kurta or Anarkali among others while the pants could be churidar, salwar, or Patiala. Below are various occasions that one can adorn the Salwar Kameez.
Mehndi Function
The Mehendi function is one great occasion to wear a Salwar kameez, either as a bride or a guest. As a traditional Indian ceremony, the salwar is a great attire to go and celebrate with the couple on their Mehendi. If you are the bride wearing a sleeveless Salwar Kameez is preferable to find it easier for you to apply the Mehendi designs with ease. Bright bridal colors as many Indians prefer are the best but it is important to choose simple and stunning Salwar Kameez. Plus, you can opt for a single tone with beautiful embroidery or a plain two-tone piece. Red, maroon, and green are some of the colors you can choose for the Mehndi ceremony.
Interviews
This is one of the formal occasions to wear a Salwar Kameez and look presentable as you hunt for a job. There are several things to keep in mind as you choose your Salwar Kameez for the job. It is crucial that it is long, with minimal or light patterns. Choose a cotton material for this formal occasion with a smart collar and three-quarter sleeves. Let the colors be sober and not too shiny that is eye-catching. Iron the salwar kameez and pin your dupatta to avoid any distractions and you can have it cover over the chest. Avoid an Anarkali salwar choice for the interview and straight pants make the outfit untidy. Grey to blue range of colors is better options for a salwar Kameez for interviews or formal occasions.
Sangeet ceremony
This is the most awaited occasion of all the Indian pre-wedding ceremonies. It is a dance party where everyone in attendance is expected to dance or have an organized performance. A salwar kameez is a great choice for a trendy outfit to showcase your dance moves in. It has no major rules to it for such an occasion and it is a very flexible piece of an outfit. There are many types of salwar Kameez you can adorn to the Sangeet ceremony. For instance, to be able to twirl and dance through the evening wear a Lehenga salwar kameez or Anarkali salwar and enjoy the music, lights, and dancing with friends and family.
Haldi Ceremony
The Haldi ceremony has a unique ritual whereby the groom and bride are applied Haldi strokes to wish them well in their union and happy successful marriage. Dressing in a beautiful salwar Kameez is a good idea preferably in yellow color that is very common for this occasion to blend in with the theme and look elegant as well. This can be adorned by a bride or a guest among friends and relatives. You can style your salwar kameez in unique matchings to ensure there is enough skin for people to apply the Haldi paste on.
Navatri ceremony
This is a festival that consists of nine days, nine colors and nine outfits. Picking one of the outfits as a salwar kameez gives you a fresh look for this festival that has been embraced to be full of fun and fashion. By choosing to adorn in a beautiful salwar kameez you will be able to stand out at least in one of the nine days of the festival. Orange, white, red, royal blue, pink, purple, yellow, green and grey are the nine colors of this festival. Hence, choosing one to rock in your outfits like the Patiala salwar in purple will be outstanding if you are after a dark shade for the festival. Optionally, the Lehenga salwar for those who love ethnic fusion can adorn in this in a color of your choice.
Wedding occasion
The Salwar kameez is perfect wedding fashion statement attire. As the main ceremony after the many pre-wedding ceremonies have been carried out. To add a royal feel to this occasion, choose a salwar kameez Lehenga style, a salwar suit with a long jacket in bright Indian signature colors for a wedding like red, orange, maroon which are among some of the trending colors when you have chosen a salwar kameez as the to go-to ensemble. Depending on the time the wedding is taking place blend well with the occasion. Dark colors are better at night while pastel colors are the best during the day. The salwar kameez with scattered prints has a dazzling look at wedding ceremonies. In this photo, women are wearing the traditional saree while some women are wearing salwar kameez.
The reception
The Indian wedding reception is held immediately after the wedding and is the first public appearance of the couple after the wedding. The groom organizes this occasion and it is a time to meet the extended family, friends, and associates. As there is a lot of sumptuous food, great music and a lovely ambiance. Dressing up in a salwar Kameez with heavy work detail or prints of vintage with net fabrics to add an elegant look to the reception will fit in. The reception wear salwar kameez trend can be of a Lehenga and longer kameez or a floor-length Anarkali or jacket type salwar are a beautiful choice to select to bedazzle in this location.
Diwali
Diwali is also known as the festival of lights that is a 5-day celebration that is important for Hindu celebrations. By dressing for Diwali you can combine two beautiful garments to form an incredible traditional salwar kameez to ensure that they are of a vibrant color combination and attire that blends well with the themes of light and illumination. Choosing a layered salwar kameez is a great trend to follow through, for instance, adding layers to the churidar or a straight fit Salwar Kameez is a great taste for the Diwali ceremony. Choose one with long sleeves either in a solid color or prints. If you choose to wear a jacket let it be the focal point of the outfit to stand out in your look.
Party occasions
Getting ready for a party and you don’t know what to wear. Choose a salwar Kameez match that shows cases ready to party. When choosing a salwar kameez for a party it should be of shiny materials with golden decorations and the longer like an Anarkali the better. A crop top and dhoti pants are other great options for a party salwar kameez to look bold with a glamorous taste in fashion. This design for the salwar kameez is among the trendiest to adorn to a party. Choose this combination to a party occasion to have a perfect blend for the salwar kameez to look fashionable and you can complete this look with jhumkas and jootis to complete this look.
Sagai occasion
This is one of the highlights of an Indian wedding. It is the official ceremony of asking for the bride’s hand in marriage. It is also known as the ring ceremony where the rings are exchanged to seal the union. When invited to the sagai occasion as a friend to the couple. Choose a salwar kameez with Patiala which is a favorite salwar kameez trend for women in India for such an occasion. They are always a highlight on every occasion and make you look chic and gorgeous in an ethnic manner. Celebrate this ring exchanging ceremony looking graceful and classy with this salwar kameez look that has a touch of mirror work or embroidery.
Vidai occasion
This is a post-wedding ceremony after the main wedding in Indian wedding traditions. On this occasion, the bride is accompanied by her family friends and associates. To the doorstep where she throws a handful of rice and coins over her head to signify that she is grateful to her parents for all that they have given her. As a bride you can adorn a salwar kameez in Anarkali style for this occasion is a preferred style of the salwar kameez outfits. Since it oozes a sartorial splendor for the bride as she bids farewell to her parents’ home. Velvet or georgette fabrics are loved for this style or choose one that you prefer in the latest trending options online.
Roka ceremony
During this occasion choose a designer salwar kameez instead of just any combination you see fit. A designer one due to its unique styling will do wonders, for instance, a Patiala salwar, dhoti, ankle-length pants are great choices to choose from. Pair with a heavily embroidered kurta to upgrade your look. As an important occasion especially for the bride as her dreams come true the salwar kameez chosen for this ceremony is very delicate since it will be part of her happy memories. Being the center of attention the designer salwar kameez should be beautiful and yet unique. This attire is to be comfortable enough for the busy schedule and choosing this brings out an ethnic touch that balances the occasion and dress choice.
Holi festival
Also known as the festival of colors is a famous festival that attracts many people all over the world to celebrate it. The fun, however, is in the throwing of color and spraying with colored water guns on one another. It is carefree and it makes you wet, colored and dirty. While white colors are most preferred for the visibility of the colors you get thrown at. The white salwar kameez comes in handy on this occasion, because it is ethnic attire for a traditional Indian occasion. The women enjoy themselves by adorning in white churidar kameez and enjoy applying the Holi colors on one another. It is important to have a white or any type of head wrap especially if you are not of Indian origin to cover your hair.
Rakshabandhan festival
It is also called the Raksha festival that its main aim is to celebrate the love between siblings not only blood siblings but the extended family as well. Like the sisters-in-law, cousins, nephews, nieces, and aunties too. By tying a rakhi the wish each other, prosperity, wellbeing and good health. Wearing salwar kameez suits in the form of palazzo suits, pant style dresses, Punjabi suits is a favorite for most girls on this occasion. Having them in cowl drapes and waistcoat styles are great styling forms for the Rakshabandhan festival. The Sharara as a salwar Kameez design is another fashion statement that can be worn by the women in this festival. The Sharara can be worn to showcase your fashion taste with short tunics and you can have it with heavy embellishments or not. You can replace the tunic with a peplum or crop top for a different look.
In summary, there are several ways to adorn and match a salwar kameez. Using them regularly in different styling for various occasions is a great idea for you can easily change them from simple to stylish. It is elegant and comfortable attire that showcases Indian fashion culture. There are many suitable fabrics and attractive colors you can choose from for the salwar kameez and you can mix and match depending on what you love. If you are invited to an event and you are unsure of what to wear. It is impossible to get bored with the salwar Kameez with its diverse designs that you can select from to make you look gorgeous.
Author – Shrutika Potwar
Bio –Shrutika is full time analyst and on part time blogger. She has 2 years of experience in IT sector. She is working at https://stylecaret.com a fashion e-commerce portal in India. She loves to write and share about Fashion, Lifestyle and Technology and many more categories in spare time. Be liked more. Be read more.
India is a diverse country with different cultures and religions. The customs followed by Indian people vary across length and breadth of the country. Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, and Christianity, are some of the major religions people believe and follow. Not only the religion affects the way people think, live and dress but also the region or the state they belong to has great influence.
What do Indian women wear?
Traditionally the dress for Indian women devoid of caste, creed and culture is sari. Sari (saree) is a four to nine yard unstitched garment draped in different styles and worn on an upper stitched garment called choli/blouse. Here’s how to wear the sari.
Though sari is popularly believed to be the traditional dress for Indian women, there are other dresses that are either region specific or culture specific which are also considered to be part of Indian traditional dresses. In Punjab the traditional dress is Salwar Kameez and in Rajasthan it is Gagra Choli or also known as Lehenga. In Kerala an older version of sari called Mundum Neriyathum is the traditional dress, where Mundu forms the lower garment and Neriyathu is the upper garment.
Indian bride wearing a saree
In other parts of the country the most popular traditional dress is sari which is draped in a variety of styles. For example, in Maharashtra the kachha style and in Gujarat front pallu style.
However, with time the sense of dressing is evolved. Due to factors like globalisation and westernisation, today’s women take a modern approach when it comes to dress. Except for the older generation who are conservative and orthodox, the sari has been popularly replaced by Churidhar-Kurta and the Salwar Kameez. Women of almost all the ages starting from 18 years old to 90 years old prefer dressing in Salwaar Kameez for their day to day life. The traditional garment Kurthi is worn as a top on jeans which gives a casual western look while still has the conservative elegance of Indian wear kurtha.
There is yet another class of Indian women who have taken a leap towards modernisation. These are again a section of females aged between 18 and 90 who are more influenced by the lifestyle and habitats rather than religion or culture of the regions. They believe in contemporary fashion and are more westernised. Pants, skirts, minis, you name it and they wear it!
Hijab – Muslim women wear it as part of their tradition. It is a long and loose dress usually black in colour, gown like outer garment which is either worn on sari or Salwaar Kameez. It is paired with a black head dress which has a black transparent face cover attached to it.
Men, you can hardly find Indian men wearing traditional dress in the country today. Only during special occasions like weddings or festivals you will be able to find male section of the Indian society in traditional Indian dresses. But yes, in rural parts of India and countable number of senior citizens can be seen in traditional dress as part of their daily life.
The traditional dress for Indian men essentially is Dhoti paired with Kurta and Gandhi Ttopi or Oagri. Dhoti is a six feet unstitched garment worn in a particular style which gives the pant effect rather than a skirt effect! It is paired with a stitched upper garment called Kurta which is normally longer than a shirt with two slits on each side. A traditional Indian man’s dress is incomplete without a head dress. A Nehru topi/cap or a petah/pagri/turban accompanies depending on the culture and/or religion.
Sherwani is another type of dress with a long below the knee jacket styled coat or Kurta. It is usually worn with tight fitting pyjama like pants called churidars and sometimes a scarf is added to the attire.
Again there are variations in this traditional dress depending on region and religion. Kurta-Pijama, Lungi-shirt which is popular in south India especially Tamil Nadu and Gujarati dress which has a typical style of pants and a frock style Kurta.
But from the time after the British rule men in India have adopted to the pant-shirt culture. Today you can see them in jeans, funky half pants, shirts and t-shirts, suits and such western outfits.
Additionally the colour, texture and material are diverse as well. Depending on ethnicity and cultural preferences dresses and colour choices vary from occasion to occasion. For example, red is considered as auspicious by Hindus for many sacred occasions and festivals for women, including for a bride to be married. White is worn by Hindus for mourning whereas Christians wear white to weddings.
People in India were once found wearing cotton clothes. Only the upper or the class of people who belonged to royal family wore silk or muslin clothing. With times the materials used for clothing have acquired high fashion standards. India is changing and you surely need not worry much about what to wear in India next time you plan to visit here.
What to wear in India? What kind of clothes would be safe to wear? What should I pack? Can I carry my shorts along? Should I carry cotton or linen or woollens or all? Should I carry flats or high heels? Are these questions in your mind too? Well then read along, as I pen down some basic tips that would help you pack that bag for your trip to India.
If you are white then perhaps you are not right in India. This is not me saying it – this will be the ‘first’ impression you will get in India especially if you are a white woman travelling alone.
Unfortunately, in light of the Delhi gang rape of an Indian student and of that of the Swiss tourist, India seems to have been given a label as a dangerous, misogynistic jungle for women. In fact, the reality is far from the truth. India is a country which is incredibly rich in warmth, kindness and humanity. You will also find people who will go that extra mile to help you out, you will find the people are extremely friendly and helpful, men will step aside for you, men will carry your luggage if you are struggling, people will offer you something to eat and much more. These are some of the things you never hear about.
I received a question from a concerned grandmother about her granddaughter, a university student visiting India for a month working with poor people.
Her question:
My granddaughter is going to be in India for 4 weeks with a group of other college students and a few professors. It is not going to be a tourist like visit, but a learning experience that will involve traveling to many parts of the country and working with mostly poor people. They will eat the local food and stay in non luxurious lodgings.
When you come to India, I suggest you wear combat pants. They are the best travel pants you can get. Combat pants also known as Combo or Cargo pants have numerous pockets and will keep your hands free. They are practical, lightweight, and decent looking, styled to look good and you can go almost anywhere in them. Just make sure they are made of cotton and light in colour usually khaki that goes well in the hot Indian climate. They are basically designed as loose pants with numerous pockets for outdoor activities. Typically they have 6 deep pockets on each leg each with a secret pocket inside of cargo pocket giving it increased carrying capacity. Some of these pants have pockets near the feet making it almost impossible for pickpockets to steal your money.
If you ever wondered what the women of India wear, then the answer is the traditional sari (saree). Majority of the Indian women wear it. Sari or Saree is worn in many different styles in India. The styles are either culture specific or region specific. A few styles are –
• Nivi style and Kaccha nivi style– It is commonly worn in Andrapradesh where the pallu hangs on the left shoulder. There is slightly different form of Nivi called Kaccha Nivi where the pleats are passed through the legs and tucked back in the waist.
