Indian dress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Indian dress varies widely throughout India. Both traditional and Western-style clothing are commonplace.
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[edit] Women's dress
[edit] Sari
Women in India may wear a sari, a length of material usually wrapped over a petticoat and a choli, or badice. Different regions have different styles of wrapping the sari. Sometimes the sari is only worn as festive attire, with Western clothes worn day-to-day, but there still many women, (particularily villagers and elderly women) who wear a sari on a daily basis. The end of the sari may be used to cover the head, in temples or in the presence of elders.
[edit] Salwar kameez and dupatta
The salwar kameez is another form of popular dress for females. It consists of loose trousers (the salwar) topped by a long loose shirt (the kameez). It is also worn in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is commonly worn with a narrow scarf or veil called a dupatta, which can be used to cover the head, or just draped over the shoulders. The salwar kameez is most common in the northwestern part of India.
[edit] Lehenga, choli, and odhani
The women of Rajasthan and Gujarat often wear colorful swirling skirts called lehenga, paired with a short bodice called a choli. If they must cover their heads, they do so with bright veils called odhani.
[edit] Western-style clothing
Western clothing is worn regularly by women in some metropolises, Goa and the North East regions.
[edit] Tribal styles
Tribal women typically don their own unique costumes.
[edit] Men's clothing
The most common male attire consists of the dhoti and kurta, worn in most of the western and central regions. A sherwani is typically worn for special occasions. The lungi (a type of wrap-around) is worn in many parts of India, but depending on the social practices of the region it may be restricted to indoor-wear. As with women's clothing, jeans and other types of Western-wear are very common in the major metropolises and smaller towns. Shirts and pants are ubiquitous in cities and towns.
