Indian Fashion

Indian sari remains the traditional clothing of Indian women. Worn in varied styles, it is a long piece of flat cotton, silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different patterns. The sari has a lasting charm since it is not cut or tailored for a particular size.

This graceful feminine attire can also be worn in several ways and its manner of wearing as well as its color and texture are indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman.

The tightly fitted, short blouse worn under a sari is called a choli. The choli evolved as a form of Indian clothing around the tenth century AD and the first cholis were only front covering; the back was always bare.

Another popular attire of women in Indian clothing is the Indian salwar-kameez. This popular Indian dress evolved as a comfortable and respectable garment for women in Kashmir and Punjab region, but is now immensely popular in all regions of India. Salwars are pyjama-like trousers drawn tightly in at the waist and the ankles. Over the salwars, women wear a long and loose tunic known as a kameez. One might occasionally come across women wearing a churidar instead of a salwar. A churidar is similar to the salwar but is tighter fitting at the hips, thighs and ankles. Over this, one might wear a collarless or mandarin-collar tunic called a kurta.

Though the majority of Indian women wear traditional Indian dresses, the men in India can be found in more conventional western clothing like shirts and trousers.

However, men in Indian villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas. Indian dresses & styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional and one is likely to witness a plethora of colors, textures and styles in garments worn by the Indians.

Use of Gold in Indian Fashion: For this reason, some gold ornament is usually worn against the skin at all times. Indian Gold ornaments are popular because the metal is believed to have the power purify anything it touches.

Ornaments of gold and other metals, often combined with precious and semi-precious gems and beads, are popular with both men and women in India.

Traditionally, Indian ornaments had economic significance for women too. The ornaments given to her at her wedding constituted a daughter's inheritance from her father ( Dowry).

Customarily land and other property was divided among the sons, though this no longer holds true. In addition, a bride's ornaments were financial security throughout her life.

Ornaments of Indian Fashion :

Nose pin: More common than a nose ring, both are symbols of purity & marriage, though today many unmarried Indian girls wear this adornment.

Necklace: These are very popular fashion accessories across India amongst girls and women of all ages. Necklaces are made of a variety of materials, ranging from glass beads to gold and diamonds. One special necklace is the mangalasutra, worn only by married Indian women. It is the Indian equivalent of the western wedding ring. Traditionally a woman wore it during her wedding ceremony and took it off only if her husband died.

Bangles: Worn on the wrist, bangles are believed to be protective bands and women always wore them as symbolic guards over their husbands. As with other ornaments, bangles today are worn by women of all ages all over India and are made of silver, gold, wood, glass, and plastic, among other materials.

Ear rings: Rings, studs and other ornaments worn in the ears are popular all over the country. In fact, a girl's ears are usually pierced before her first birthday.

Other important ornaments are finger rings, toe rings and anklets. Rings for the fingers are again, of various materials and designs and worn by unmarried and married women. Since the ring has become a common adornment, it is no longer considered a symbol in Indian marriages.

However, toe rings and anklets are still worn mostly by married women. Ornaments for the feet are usually made of silver because gold, being a 'pure' metal, was not supposed to be worn on the feet. This privilege was given only to women of royal Indian families.

In addition to these ornaments is the 'mangatika' or 'tikli'. This ornament, worn at the top of the forehead in the parting of the hair, is usually a small pendant on the end of a chain that is clasped to the hair. Although traditionally this ornament was also worn as a symbol of marriage, today it is not so commonly worn even by married women.

Kajal or Eyeliner : From the time a child is six days old, its mother applies kajal to its eyes and also a small black dot on the forehead to mar the child's beauty. This 'imperfection' is said to protect from evil.

Sindoor : dot on forehead of woman indicating married status of Indian Women, power, protection for her husband. It is applied by the husband as part of wedding ceremony.

Evoulation Fashion

As we step in the new millenium,let's indulge in little bit of retrospection,the key moments in fashion, triggered by various socioeconomic movements during the twentieth century. For what we know of the history of fashion until the end of the 19th century,it was mostly a fascinating footnote to the history of art. Much has changed and evolved in the history of fashion in the 1900's. It's a stirring,exotic trip with detours aplenty-from the Fallper girls of the '20s in their Channel dresses to the sheer elegance of Maharani Gayatri Devi's pastel chiffon sarees, to the innocent candy coloured can can dresses of the '50s Americana to the dark, stylish paired down dressing of the '90.

history of fashionWhen the century dawned, fashion was an exclusive enterprise,the pursuit of the wealth. The lower tiers of the society settled for garments that were more often than not entirely family hand-made-downs or stitched at home.With time, however,networks of neighbourhood tailors began to evolve into a retail history and the boom followed by boutique selling. Today, garments are laser cut by computers and sourced from all over the world and can easily be bought sitting in the comfort of one's home via the internet.

Each decade of this century ushered greater progress. "During the '20s, one of the greatest influences on dress code was the movement towards equal status for women. Hence, a new breed of business-like women emerged and made corresponding demands on their dress, says A.K.G Nair, Director, Pearl Academy of Fashion. "The obvious choice for silhouette veered towards dropwaist or box and the choice of colour was black and grey and the fabrics preferred were silk and georgettes. "he says.

history of fashion"In India, the fashion scenario was in confusion as it was a turbulent period of conflicting ideologies, when the consciousness of an Indian national identity was beginning to find political expression and the struggle for Indian independence was getting momentum, "says fashion diya Ritu Kumar. Thus the fashion trends within high society, read the loyalty, was strongly influenced by the British with the result that western clothes became a status symbol.

The '30s heralded the idea of socialism,communism and fascism and women's fashion became more and more feminine in keeeping with conservative ideas. "However this period also saw the emergence of the vamp and the culture of cabaret, "says Nair, noting that hence the dresses became more body hugging and the colours deep and dark in tune with such themes.

history of fashionThe establishment of the Indian cinema also proved to be the strongest influence on the fashion in the decade.Due to the western influence, the use of angarkhas, choghas and jamas diminished considerably by this time,although the ceremonial pagri,safa and topi were widespread as ever. "They had been replaced by the chapkan, achkan and sherwani, which are still standard items of formal dress for Indian men today, "says Kumar.

history of fashion"The women even though were accepting change,continued to wear their peshwaz, kurtas,ghaghras and odhnis at religious and ceremonial festivities,sometimes using imported fabrics but using mostly traditional handwoven fabrice, "says Asha Baxi,Director,Fashion Design. National Institute of Fashion Technology.




In the '40s,it was Christian Dior who turned fashion upside down with a new shape, with the bosom pushed up and out, a pinched waist and hips emphasised with short fluted jackets. "It was also a decade marked by the second World War and the ensuing independence ofr India with the result that women's clothing was simple and functional, "says Nair.

Khadi garmentsThe '50s saw the dawn of art colleges and schools, which became places of rebel, and hence in silhouette,narrow waist and balloon skirts with bouncing patterns were in vogue.Also due to the freedom struggle and the espousal of khadi by Gandhiji,khadi garments became a rage giving a boost to the sagging handloom industry,according to Asha Baxi.



The '60s one of the most shock-filled decades of the century, saw sweeping fashion and lifestyle changes that reflected the mercurial passions of the times. "This decade was full of defiance and celebration in arts and music and cinema,marked by a liberation from constraints and new types of materials such as plastic film and coated polyester fabric got popular, "says Nair.Besides,adds Bax" Tight kurtas and churidars and high coiffers competed with the mini-skirts abroad and at the same time,designers understood the need of the moment to launch cheaper, ready-to-wear lines.

"One of the most "revisited" and "retro" periods in the fashion, the '70s is often called the 'me decade'. "It saw the beginning of "anything goes" culture with the result that fashion became another form of self-expression and bold colours with flower prints were adapted in tunics,with shirts and bell-bottoms, "says designer Manav Gangwani. As drug culture became a mass phenomenon,psychedelic colours were garish,the shoes were tall and hazardous and silhouettes were extreme and the dressing of the '50s was definitely out.

"The 70s also saw the export of traditional material with the result that export surplus was sold within the country itself and hence, international fashion came to India much before the MTV culture," says Baxi. Synthetics became popular and the disco culture had a profound influence on fashion and the clothes became as flashy as the mirrored ball that spins over the dancers.

Salwar kameezIn the '80s the big money ruled.It was the era of self consciousness and American designers like Calvin Klein became household names. In India too,silhouettes became more masculine and the salwar kameez was made with shoulder pads.Says Baxi, "Power dressing and corporate look became dominant dress code. "The influence of cable TV became more prominent and the teenage market boomed with youngsters going in for the trendy look, which in turn influenced the elders.

The '90s the last decade of the millenium, was one of the extremes. The excess of the early decade gave way to the drastic pairing down and stripping away in the hands of German designers like Helmut Lang and Jil Sander. "Perhaps the biggest fashion news of the '90s has been the ascendancy of the younger generation of designers into the mainstream. The decade also looked for independent women with comforts, poise and comnfidence as key features," says Nair.

Traditional wearBut the decade also saw the revival of ethnicity with films too becoming more discreet and launching a "back to ethnic" look.While on the one hand the new drive for information technology popularised the corporate look,an ethno-cultural revival made people again go back to the traditional forms of art and crafts.States Baxi, "As it is Indian fashion is extremely alive and whatever the decade or the century,it is here to stay. For not only it is comfortable, practical and aesthetically beautiful but has changed with time with the result that it has, in the past century,and will in the coming one, remain contemporary,"she sums up.

Fashion in India

Indian Clothing - Shalwar Kameez or Salwar Kameez, Saree & Choli

Western culture is developing a grand love affair with the distinctive fashion style that is India. Along with Indian music and spirituality, Indian Clothing is having a huge impact on the mainstream identities of western style and culture.
The latest designer shows from Armani, Fendi, and Miyake all draw on elements from the exotic Indian culture. In Paris Dries Van Noten, one of the new fashion leaders and member of the so-called Belgian Four, presented a collection of layered chiffon wraps, dresses, saree, and kurta look-alikes. The color palette these western designers are drawing from is as vibrant as a Rajasthan desert at sundown, using rich golds, reds, and greens.
Indian designers like Sunita Shankar, Vandanna Roy, Ritu Beri, Monisha Jaising, Ravi Bajaj and Krishna Mehta are leading the way in redefining Indian fashion. Rohit Bal presented his latest collection, Sanskrit, at a New York benefit gala organized by Children's Hope, and stunned the audience with exquisite embroidery, beadwork, and tie-dye fashions with a decidedly Indian flair.
Many U.S. design companies are taking Indian fashion and transforming it for western audiences. Silk Threads in Dallas, TX is a premier provider of dresses based on Indian design.

About Traditional Indian Clothing
Indian people express themselves a great deal through their clothing. Their spiritual quest for perfection plays a role in their choices of beautifully colored, dramatic, and flowing garments. The styles speak to the spirit with sumptuous, vibrant colors woven into the intricate and ornate designs to be found resonating throughout India.




Shalwar Kameez or Salwar Kameez:
Started as an alternative dress form in Kashmir and Punjab, it has grown in popularity all over India and in all the muslim countries of the world, especially with younger women. With Celebrities like Goldie hawn, Sally field, Hillary Clinton, Jeniffer Lopez and the Late Princess Diana adorning the Salwar(Shalwar) kameez at high profile events, this garment is the clearly the current flavour in the West. Salwars are pajama-like trousers gathered at the waist and ankles, worn underneath a long, loose tunic known as a kameez.

Some tips on Salwar Kameez.

The kameez should be a little longer in height. It makes you look taller. If your height is around 5 feet 3 inches then your kameez height should be around 47- 48 inches.

If you have broad shoulders then avoid wearing puffed sleeves.

If you have fat arms and therefore cannot wear sleeveless then go in for sleeves of about 5 inches length. This will hide the flab on your arms and your hands will look thinner.

Salwar or shalwar can be worn in many styles. Styles keep changing with Trends. Recently big bottoms were in fashion and now short Kurtas Are back in vogue. Keep checking our New Arrivals - Salwar Kameez section to get A feel of the current trends.

Chudidar looks good on long kameezs or Kurtas.

Avoid wearing them on short Kurtas. Chinese collar (closed neck) makes you look tall, but avoid it if you have broad shoulders.

Wear a shalwar around your naval area, as it will pull in your stomach.

If you have the tie strings on your side, it reduces the look of the paunch.

Tucks might be out of fashion but they give a very good cut to the Kameez.

Avoid Organza or any stiff cloth if you want to look slimmer.

Dark colours like maroon, red, blue or brown look very good on dark women.



/or religion of the wearer.
Saree
The saree is an extremely versatile garment. It simply consists of a single, rectangular piece of material, five to six yards in length, accommodating any size. The style, color, and texture of this material vary according to region and caste. Different draping styles convey the status, age, occupation, region, and/or religion of the wearer.

Some Tips on: Saree


Women on heavier side should buy sarees in Georgette, Chiffon or Chignon. Heavy Mysore Silk saree looks beautiful and one tends to look slimmer.
Shorter women should buy sarees with small borders or no borders. They should definitely avoid big borders as big borders make one look shorter.
Thin woman should buy Organza, Cotton, Tissue and Tussar Saree. These Sarees gives a fuller effect.
In printed Saree, avoid big prints, as it gives a gaudy and a huge look.
Delicate print on a Saree, gives a delicate look. Dark skin color women should generally buy dark colours like maroon, green, dark pink etc.

Draping a Saree :
In office Pinup your Saree, this looks smart and is manageable too.
For an outing or a function, just pinup the tip of the saree and let the rest fall on your hand. This gives a very graceful look. But of course the Saree should have a good fall.
Cotton, Tissue or any starched Saree should be ironed properly and at the time of draping, the pleats should be done with your hands pressing and shaping it properly.
Put the pin on the back shoulder as this keeps the saree intact and does not show the pin too.
Don't wear a very flared petticoat inside.

Choli:
The tightly fitted complimentary colored, short blouse worn under a saree is a choli. Originally, cholis only covered the front, now they have evolved to include versions covering front and back to midriff. The traditional form is still commonly worn in Rajastan.

Lehanga:
This is a pleated skirt worn mostly in Rajastan. Worn with a choli, it is secured at the waist, leaving the back and midriff bare. A length of fine cotton called a dupatta, completes the ensemble, covering the head.

Indian Fashion

India has a rich and varied textile heritage, where each region of India has its own unique native costume and traditional attire. While traditional clothes are still worn in most of rural India, urban India is changing rapidly, with international fashion trends reflected by the young and glamorous, in the cosmopolitan metros of India. Fashion in India is a vibrant scene, a nascent industry and a colorful and glamorous world where designers and models start new trends every day.

While previously a master weaver was recognized for his skill, today a fashion designer is celebrated for his or her creativity. Young urban Indians can choose from the best of East and West as Indian fashion designers are inspired by both Indian and western styles. This fusion of fashion can be seen on the streets and ramps of the fashionable cities of India. Fashion in India is also beginning to make its mark on the international scene as accessories such as bindis (red dots worn on the forehead), mehendi (designs made by applying henna to the palms of the hands and other parts of the body) and bangles, have gained international popularity, after being worn by fashion icons like the pop singers Madonna and Gwen Stephani.

Fashion in India has become a growing industry with international events such as the India Fashion Week and annual shows by fashion designers in the major cities of India. The victories of a number of Indian beauty queens in International events such as the Miss World and Miss Universe contests have also made Indian models recognized worldwide. Fashion designers such as Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri, Rohit Bal, Rina Dhaka, Muzaffar Ali, Satya Paul, Abraham and Thakore, Tarun Tahiliani, JJ Valaya and Manish Malhotra are some of the well known fashion designers in India.

Fashion in India covers a whole range of clothing from ornate clothes designed for wedding ceremonies to prêt lines, sports wear and casual wear. Traditional Indian techniques of embroidery such as chikhan, crewel and zardosi, and traditional weaves and fabrics have been used by Indian designers to create Indo-western clothing in a fusion of the best of East and West.

Traditional costumes in India vary widely depending on the climate and natural fibres grown in a region. In the cold northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, people wear a thick loose shirt called a phiran to keep them warm. In the tropical warmth of south India men wear a sarong like garment called the mundu, while women drape 5 meters of cloth around their bodies in the graceful folds of the saree. Sarees are woven in silk, cotton and artificial fibres. Kanjivaram, Mysore, Paithani, Pochampalli, Jamdani, Balucheri, Benarasi, Sambalpuri, Bandhini are some varieties of beautiful sarees from different regions of India. In the dry regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat men wrap and twist a length of cloth in the form of a dhoti around their lower limbs and a shirt-like kurta above. Colorful turbans complete the picture. In the northeastern regions the tribal communities such as Khasis, Nagas, Mizos, Manipuris and Arunachalis wear colorful woven sarong-like clothing and woven shawls that represent the identity of each tribal group. In urban India the salwar kameez and the churidar kameez, are commonly work by women and the saree is worn on formal occasions. Men wear kurtas and pajamas, or a sherwani for formal wear. Western wear such as shirts and trousers are commonly worn by men across India. Jeans, T-shirts, capris, bermudas and various kinds of casual clothing are worn by the young and the young at heart, who are the trendsetters of fashion in India.