Indian Fashion
Fashion in India varies from one village to another village, from one city to another city; from one region to another. In fact, India’s fashion heritage is rich in tradition, vibrant in colors and prepossessing.
Bold colors created by the inventive drapes of the textiles catches the imagination like no other contemporary clothing.
Ancient fashion trends in india, generally used no stitching, although Indians knew all about sewing. Most clothes were ready to wear, as soon as they left the loom.
The traditional Indian Dhoti, the Scarf or Uttariya, and the popular Turban are still visible in various states of the country, and continue to dominate the fashion scene in numerous places. Likewise, for women, the Dhoti or the Sari as the lower garments, combined with a Stanapatta forms the basic ensemble, and once again consists of garments that do not have to be stitched; the stanapatta being simply fastened in a knot at the back.
However, the Indian sari continues to remain the traditional clothing of the Indian women. And not only that but women of various nationalities also tend to don the garment, especially when visitng the country.
Worn in varied styles, the sari is typically a long piece of flat cotton, silk or other fabric woven in different textures with different patterns. The sari is considered to have a lasting charm, since it is not cut or tailored for a particular size or body shape.
This graceful feminine attire can also be worn in several ways and the manner in which it is worn; 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 the choli.
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 the traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas.
Indian dresses and styles are marked by numerous variations, based on religious, caste and class differences. However, most fashion experts study the trends and traditions based on the regional variations. Both religious and regional and one is likely to witness a plethora of colors, textures and styles in garments worn by the Indians.