Clothing in India is dependent upon the different ethnicities, geography, climate, and cultural traditions of the people of each region of India. Historically, male and female clothing has evolved from simple garments like
kaupina
The kaupinam, kaupina, langot or lungooty () is a loincloth worn by men in the Indian subcontinent as underclothing, it is now commonly worn by South Asian ''pehlwano'' wrestlers while exercising or sparring in a '' dangal''. It is made up of a r ...
,
langota,
achkan
Achkan ( ur, اچکن, hi, अचकन) also known as ''Baghal bandi'' is a knee length jacket worn by men in the Indian subcontinent much like the Angarkha.
History
Achkan evolved from Chapkan, a dress which earlier formed the costume of the ...
,
lungi
The lungi is a type of sarong that originated in the Indian Subcontinent. The Lungi, which usually multicoloured, is a men's skirt usually tied around the lower waist below the navel. it can be worn as casual wear and night wear, in places and ...
,
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
, well as rituals and dance performances. In urban areas, western clothing is common and uniformly worn by people of all social levels. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colours, and material of clothing. Sometimes, color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. The clothing in India also encompasses the wide variety of
Indian embroidery, prints, handwork, embellishment, styles of wearing clothes. A wide mix of Indian traditional clothing and western styles can be seen in India.
History
File:Mohenjo-daro Priesterkönig.jpeg, Statue of "Priest King" wearing a robe, Indus Valley civilisation
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...
.
File:Didarganj Yakshi statue in the Bihar Museum.jpg, The Didarganj Yakshi
The Didarganj Yakshi (or Didarganj Chauri Bearer; hi, दीदारगंज यक्षी) is one of the finest examples of very early Indian stone statues. It used to be dated to the 3rd century BCE, as it has the fine Mauryan polish ass ...
depicting the ''dhoti wrap'', c. 300 BC.
File:Gandhara Buddha (tnm).jpeg, The Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
wearing kāṣāya robes, c. 200 BC.
File:In Welcome of Buddha - ACCN 34-2542 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 5941.JPG, Relief depicting men in antriya
An antariya () is a lower body garment from ancient India. It is a long white or coloured strip of cotton passed through the legs, tucked at the back and covering the legs loosely, then flowing into long pleats at front of the legs.
History
Antr ...
and uttariya
An uttariya () is a loose piece of upper body clothing. It is a single piece of cloth that falls from the back of the neck to curl around both arms and could also drape the top half of the body. An Uttariya is similar to a veil, a long scarf an ...
, first century AD.
India's recorded history of clothing goes back to the fifth millennium BC in the
Indus Valley Civilisation
The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900& ...
where
cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...
was spun, woven and dyed. Bone needles and wooden
spindles have been unearthed in
excavations
In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
at the site. The cotton industry in ancient India was well developed, and several of the methods survive until today.
Herodotus
Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer
A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society ...
, an ancient
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
historian described Indian cotton as "a wool exceeding in beauty and goodness that of sheep". Indian cotton clothing was well adapted to the dry, hot summers of the
subcontinent
A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...
. The grand epic
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
, composed by about 400 BC, tells of the god
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
staving off
Draupadi's disrobing by bestowing an unending ''cheera'' upon her. Most of the present knowledge of ancient Indian clothing comes from rock sculptures and paintings in cave monuments such as
Ellora. These images show dancers and goddesses wearing what appears to be a dhoti wrap, a predecessor to the modern
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
. The upper castes dressed themselves in fine
muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.
Muslin of uncommonly delicate hands ...
and wore gold ornaments The Indus civilisation also knew the process of silk production. A recent analysis of Harappan silk fibres in beads have shown that silk was made by the process of
reeling, a process allegedly is known only to China until the early centuries AD.
Kimkhwab
Kimkhwab (Kim-Khwab, kamkhāb, ḳamkhwāb, ,, ) is an ancient Indian brocade art of weaving ornate cloth with gold, silver, and silk yarns. Kinkhwab is a silk damasked cloth with an art of zar-baft (making cloth of gold), The weave produces beauti ...
is an Indian brocade woven of silk and gold or silver thread. word ''kimkhwāb,'' derived from the Persian, means "a little dream", ''Kimkhwāb,'' known in India from ancient times, was called ''hiraṇya,'' or cloth of gold, in Vedic literature (''c.'' 1500 BC). In the Gupta period (4th–6th century AD) it was known as ''puṣpapaṭa a, '' or cloth with woven flowers. During the Mughal period (1556–1707), when ''kimkhwāb'' was extremely popular with the rich, the great centres of brocade weaving were Benares (Vārānasi), Ahmādābād, Surat, and Aurangābād. Benares is now the most important centre of ''kimkhwāb'' production. When Alexander invaded Gandhara in 327 BC, block-printed textiles from India were noticed.
According to the Greek historian
Arrian:
"The Indians use linen clothing, as says Nearchus, made from the flax taken from the trees, about which I have already spoken. And this flax is either whiter in colour than any other flax, or the people being black make the flax appear whiter. They have a linen frock reaching down halfway between the knee and the ankle, and a garment which is partly thrown round the shoulders and partly rolled round the head. The Indians who are very well-off wear earrings of ivory; for they do not all wear them. Nearchus says that the Indians dye their beards various colours; some that they may appear white as the whitest, others dark blue; others have them red, others purple, and others green. Those who are of any rank have umbrellas held over them in the summer. They wear shoes of white leather, elaborately worked, and the soles of their shoes are many-coloured and raised high, in order that they may appear taller."
Evidence from the first century AD shows the Buddhas were portrayed as wearing saṃghāti that forms a part of the
Kasaya of Buddhist monks. During the
Maurya
The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...
and
Gupta
Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by se ...
period, the people wore both stitched and non-stitched clothing. The main items of clothing were the
Antariya
An antariya () is a lower body garment from ancient India. It is a long white or coloured strip of cotton passed through the legs, tucked at the back and covering the legs loosely, then flowing into long pleats at front of the legs.
History
Antr ...
made of white cotton or muslin, tied to the waist by a
sash
A sash is a large and usually colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else running around the waist. The sash around the waist may be worn in daily attire, bu ...
called ''Kayabandh'' and a scarf called the
Uttariya
An uttariya () is a loose piece of upper body clothing. It is a single piece of cloth that falls from the back of the neck to curl around both arms and could also drape the top half of the body. An Uttariya is similar to a veil, a long scarf an ...
used to drape the top half of the body.
File:Male head, northern India, Kushan or Gupta period, 5th-6th century CE, terracotta, HAA.JPG, Terracotta head, wearing possibly an early form of pagri
Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...
from the Gupta period.
File:GuptaDanceMusic02.jpg, Ancient form of ''Churidar
Churidars, also churidar pyjamas, are tightly fitting trousers worn by both men and women in Indian Subcontinent. Churidars are a variant of the common shalwar pants. Shalwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow more ...
'' worn during the Gupta period
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
, c. 300 AD.
File:Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Shakuntala.jpg, Shakuntala, wife of Dushyanta
Dushyanta ( sa, दुष्यन्त, translit=Duṣyanta) is a king of the Chandravamsha (Lunar) dynasty featured in Hindu literature. He is the husband of Shakuntala and the father of Bharata. He appears in the Mahabharata and in Kalidas ...
and the mother of Emperor Bharata
Bharata ( sa, भरत, Bharata) is a legendary king featured in Hindu literature. He is a member of the Chandravamsha dynasty, and becomes the Chakravarti (universal monarch). He is regarded to be the ancestor of the Pandavas, the Kauravas, ...
, from Kalidasa's play ''Abhijñānaśākuntala
''Abhijnanashakuntalam'' (Devanagari: अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तलम्, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Abhijñānaśākuntalam''), also known as ''Shakuntala'', ''The Recognition of Shakuntala'', ...
'', wearing a sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
, painting by Raja Ravi Varma.
File:Iacuci11d0b62ppy.D.0.Ajanta-Cave-painting-Painting-Dance.jpg, Dancing girl in kurta-salwar-like choli; Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...
.
File:Krishnacart.jpg, Gupta
Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by se ...
-period depiction of women in Ghagra choli
Ghagra choli (also known as lehenga choli and locally as chaniya choli) is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Pu ...
, 320–550 AD, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
, India.
New trade routes, both overland and overseas, created a cultural exchange with Central Asia and Europe. Romans bought
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
for dyeing and cotton cloth as articles of clothing. Trade with China via the
Silk Road introduced silk textiles using domesticated silkworms.
Chanakya
Chanakya (Sanskrit: चाणक्य; IAST: ', ; 375–283 BCE) was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭil ...
's treatise on
public administration
Public Administration (a form of governance) or Public Policy and Administration (an academic discipline) is the implementation of public policy, administration of government establishment (public governance), management of non-profit est ...
, the
Arthashastra written around third century BC, briefly describes the norms followed in silk weaving.
A variety of weaving techniques were employed in ancient India, many of which survive to the present day. Silk and cotton were woven into various designs and motifs, each region developing its distinct style and technique. Famous among these weaving styles were the
Jamdani
Jamdani ( bn, জামদানি) is a fine muslin textile (figured with different patterns) produced for centuries in South Rupshi of Narayanganj district in Bangladesh on the bank of Shitalakhwa river. The historic production of jamdani was ...
, ''Kasika vastra'' of
Varanasi
Varanasi (; ; also Banaras or Benares (; ), and Kashi.) is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.
*
*
*
* The city has a syncretic t ...
, ''butidar'', and the
Ilkal saree
Ilkal sari is a traditional form of ''sari'' which is a common feminine wear in India. Ilkal sari takes its name from the town of Ilkal in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka state, India. Ilkal saris are woven using cotton warp on the body ...
.
Brocades of silk were woven with gold and silver threads. The
Mughals
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
played a vital role in the enhancement of the art, and the
paisley and ''Latifa Buti'' are fine examples of Mughal influence.
Dyeing of clothes in ancient India was practised as an art form. Five primary colours (''Suddha-varnas'') were identified and complex colours (''Misra – varnas'') were categorised by their many hues. Sensitivity was shown to the most subtlest of shades; the ancient treatise,
Vishnudharmottara
The Vishnudharmottara Purana (or the ''Vishnudharmottara'') is a Hindu Sanskrit text in the '' Upapuranas'' genre. Like the ''Mahapuranas'', it is also encyclopedic covering a wide range of secular and religious topics in the traditions of Hinduis ...
states five tones of white, namely
Ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals i ...
,
Jasmine, August moon, August clouds after the rain and the conch shell.
The commonly used dyes were
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
(''Nila''),
madder red and
safflower
Safflower (''Carthamus tinctorius'') is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual plant in the family Asteraceae. It is commercially cultivated for vegetable oil extracted from the seeds and was used by the early Spanish colonies along ...
.
The technique of
mordant
A mordant or dye fixative is a substance used to set (i.e. bind) dyes on fabrics by forming a coordination complex with the dye, which then attaches to the fabric (or tissue). It may be used for dyeing fabrics or for intensifying stains in ...
dyeing was prevalent in India since the second millennium BC.
Resist dyeing
Resist dyeing (resist-dyeing) is a traditional method of dyeing textiles with patterns. Methods are used to " resist" or prevent the dye from reaching all the cloth, thereby creating a pattern and ground. The most common forms use wax, some typ ...
and
Kalamkari
''Kalamkari'' is a type of hand-painted cotton textile produced in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Only natural dyes are used in ''Kalamkari'', which involves twenty-three steps.
There are two distinctive styles of Kalamkari art in India ...
techniques were hugely popular and such textiles were the chief exports.
Integral to the history of Indian clothing is the
Kashmiri shawl
The Kashmir shawl, the predecessor of the contemporary ''cashmere shawl'', is a type of shawl identified by its distinctive Kashmiri weave and for being made of fine '' shahtoosh'' or '' pashmina'' wool. Contemporary variants include the ''pashmi ...
. Kashmiri shawl varieties include the
Shahtoosh
Shahtoosh (from Persian شاهتوش 'king of wools'), also known as Shatoush, is a wool obtained from the fur of the chiru (''Pantholops hodgsonii'', also called Tibetan antelope). Also, shawls made from the wool of the chiru are called shaht ...
, popularly known as the 'ring shawl' and the
pashmina
Pashmina (, ) refers to, depending on the source, a term for cashmere wool of the Changthangi cashmere goat,Janet Rizvi: ''Pashmina: The Kashmir Shawl and Beyond''. Marg Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-8185026909. for fine Indian cashmere woolRobert ...
wool shawls, historically called ''pashm''. Textiles of wool find mention as long back as the Vedic times in association with Kashmir; the Rig Veda refers to the Valley of Sindh as being abundant in sheep, and the god
Pushan
Pushan ( sa, पूषन्, Pūṣan) is a Hindu Vedic solar deity and one of the Adityas. He is the god of meeting. Pushan is responsible for marriages, journeys, roads, and the feeding of cattle. He was a psychopomp (soul guide), conduc ...
has been addressed as the 'weaver of garments',
which evolved into the term ''pashm'' for the wool of the area. Woolen shawls have been mentioned in Afghan texts of the third century BC, but reference to the Kashmir work is done in the 16th century AD. The sultan of Kashmir,
Zain-ul-Abidin
, spouse =
, issue = Haider Shah
, issue-link =
, issue-pipe =
, house = Shah Mir dynasty
, father = Sikandar Shah Miri
, mother =
, birth_date = 25 November 1395
, birth_place = Kashmir, Shah ...
is generally credited with the founding of the industry.
A story says that the Roman emperor
Aurelian received a purple
pallium
The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropol ...
from a Persian king, made of Asian wool of the finest quality. The shawls were dyed red or purple, red dye procured from cochineal insects and purple obtained by a mixture of red and blue from
indigo
Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
The most prized Kashmiri shawls were the
Jamavar and the ''Kanika Jamavar'', woven using weaving spools with coloured thread called ''kani'' and a single shawl taking more than a year for completion and requiring 100 to 1500 ''kanis'' depending on the degree of elaboration.
Indian textiles were traded from ancient times with China, Southeast Asia, and the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
. The
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
The ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' ( grc, Περίπλους τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς Θαλάσσης, ', modern Greek '), also known by its Latin name as the , is a Greco-Roman periplus written in Koine Greek that describes navigation and ...
mentions
mallow cloth,
muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.
Muslin of uncommonly delicate hands ...
s and coarse cottons.
Port towns like
Masulipatnam
Machilipatnam (), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar, is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the mandal headquar ...
and
Barygaza won fame for its production of muslins and fine cloth. Trade with the
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
who were middlemen in the
spice trade between India and Europe brought Indian textiles into Europe, where it was favored by royalty in the 17th–18th century.
The
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
,
French and
British East India Companies competed for monopoly of the spice trade in the Indian Ocean but were posed with the problem of payment for spices, which was in gold or silver. To counter this problem,
bullion was sent to India to trade for the textiles, a major portion of which were subsequently traded for spices in other trade posts, which then were traded along with the remaining textiles in London. Printed Indian
calicos,
chintz
Chintz () is a woodblock printed, painted, stained or glazed calico textile that originated in Golconda (present day Hyderabad, India) in the 16th century. The cloth is printed with designs featuring flowers and other patterns in different colour ...
, muslins and patterned silk flooded the British market and in time the designs were copied onto imitation prints by textile manufacturers in Britain, reducing the dependence on India.
Opposition to
British rule in India
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
, in particular the
1905 partition of Bengal
The first Partition of Bengal (1905) was a territorial reorganization of the Bengal Presidency implemented by the authorities of the British Raj. The reorganization separated the largely Muslim eastern areas from the largely Hindu western are ...
, sparked the nationwide
Swadeshi movement
The Swadeshi movement was a self-sufficiency movement that was part of the Indian independence movement and contributed to the development of Indian nationalism. Before the BML Government's decision for the partition of Bengal was made public in ...
. One of the integral aims of the movement was to attain self-sufficiency, and to promote Indian goods while boycotting British goods in the market.
This was idealised in the production of
Khadi
Khadi (, ), derived from khaddar, is a hand-spun and woven natural fibre cloth promoted by Mahatma Gandhi as ''swadeshi'' (self-sufficiency) for the freedom struggle of the Indian subcontinent, and the term is used throughout India, Pakistan ...
. Khadi and its products were encouraged by the nationalist leaders over British goods, while also being seen as a means to empower the rural artisans.
Female clothing
![Indian girl in saree](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Indian_girl_in_saree.jpg)
In India, women's clothing varies widely and is closely associated with the
local culture,
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
and
climate
Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
.
Traditional Indian clothing for women in the north and east are
sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
s worn with
choli tops; a long skirt called a
lehenga The ''lehenga'', ''lehnga'' or ''langa'' (also known as a ''ghagra'' or ''gagra'', ''chaniya'', ''pavadai'', or ''lacha'') is a form of ankle-length skirt from the Indian subcontinent. Different patterns and styles of traditional embroidery are used ...
worn with choli and a
dupatta
The dupattā is a Hindu shawl traditionally worn by women in Indian subcontinent to cover the head and shoulders. The dupatta is currently used most commonly as part of the women's shalwar kameez outfit, and worn over the kurta and the gharara.
...
scarf to create an ensemble called a
ghagra choli
Ghagra choli (also known as lehenga choli and locally as chaniya choli) is a type of ethnic clothing for women from the Indian Subcontinent, notably in the Indian states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Pu ...
; or
shalwar kameez suits, while many south Indian women traditionally wear sari and children wear ''
pattu langa''. Saris made out of silk are considered the most elegant.
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
, formerly known as Bombay, is one of India's fashion capitals. In many rural parts of India, traditional clothing is worn. Women wear a sari, a long sheet of colourful cloth, draped over a simple or fancy blouse. Little girls wear a ''
pavada''. Both are often patterned.
Bindi is a part of women's make-up.
Indo-Western clothing Indo-Western clothing is the fashion of western culture, Western and South Asian fashion.
History
Until as late as 1961, the beach city of India known as Goa was still under Portuguese control. In fact, the Portuguese did not even formally recogni ...
is the fusion of
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
and
Subcontinental fashion. Other clothing includes the
churidar
Churidars, also churidar pyjamas, are tightly fitting trousers worn by both men and women in Indian Subcontinent. Churidars are a variant of the common shalwar pants. Shalwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow more ...
,
gamucha
A gamucha () is a traditional thin, coarse cotton towel, often with a checked design, found in the Indian subcontinent, mainly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as various parts of South and Southeast Asia. It is used for drying the body aft ...
,
kurti and
kurta
A ''kurta'' is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia, (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women." Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South ...
, and
sherwani
Sherwani is a long-sleeved outer coat worn by men in South Asia. Like the Western frock coat it is fitted, with some waist suppression; it falls to below the knees and is buttoned down the front. It can be collarless, have a shirt-style collar, ...
.
The traditional style of clothing in India varies with male or female distinctions. This is still followed in rural areas, though is changing in the urban areas.
Traditional clothing
Sari and wrapped garments
![Women in Karnataka wearing Kodagu style sari](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Women_in_Karnataka_wearing_Kodagu_style_sari.jpg)
A ''saree'' or ''sari''
is a female garment in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
.
[Alkazi, Roshan (1983) "Ancient Indian costume", Art Heritage; Ghurye (1951) "Indian costume", Popular book depot (Bombay); Boulanger, Chantal; (1997)] 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. These include:
Sambalpuri Saree from East, Mysore silk and Ilkal of Karnataka and,
Kanchipuram of Tamil Nadu from South,
Paithani from
Maharashtra 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 may wear half-sarees, a three piece set consisting of a langa, a choli and a Stole (shawl), stole wrapped over it like a saree. Women usually wear full sarees. Indian wedding saris are typically red or pink, a tradition that goes back to India's pre-modern history.
Saris are usually known with different names in different places. In Kerala, white saris with golden border, are known as ''kavanis'' and are worn on special occasions. A simple white sari, worn as a daily wear, is called a ''mundu''. Saris are called ''pudavai'' in Tamil Nadu. In Karnataka, saris are called ''Seere''.
The traditional production of handloom sarees is important to economic development in rural communities.
The Sari Series provides a documented resource of over 80 different regional drapes of India.
; Mundum Neriyathum
![Raja Ravi Varma, Malayalee Lady](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Raja_Ravi_Varma%2C_Malayalee_Lady.jpg)
''Mundum Neriyathum'' is the oldest remnant of the ancient form of the saree which covered only the lower part of the body. It is the traditional dress of women in Kerala, a state in the southwestern part of India.
[Boulanger, C (1997) Saris: An Illustrated Guide to the Indian Art of Draping, Shakti Press International, New York. ][Ghurye (1951) "Indian costume", Popular book depot (Bombay)]
The basic traditional piece is the ''mundu'' or lower garment which is the ancient form of the saree denoted in Malayalam as 'Thuni' (meaning cloth), while the ''neriyathu'' forms the upper garment the mundu.
;Mekhela Sador
![DWIJEN (43)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/DWIJEN_%2843%29.jpg)
Mekhela Sador (Assamese: মেখেলা চাদৰ) is the traditional Assamese dress worn by women. It is worn by women of all ages.
There are three main pieces of cloth that are draped around the body.
The bottom portion, draped from the waist downwards is called the ''Mekhela'' (Assamese: মেখেলা). It is in the form of a sarong—a very wide cylinder of cloth—that is folded into pleats to fit around the waist and tucked in. The folds are to the right, as opposed to the pleats in the Nivi style of the saree, which are folded to the left. Strings are never used to tie the mekhela around the waist, though an underskirt with a string is often used.
The top portion of the three-piece dress, called the ''Sador'' (Assamese: চাদৰ), is a long length of cloth that has one end tucked into the upper portion of the Mekhela and the rest draped over and around the rest of the body. The Sador is tucked in triangular folds. A fitted blouse is worn to cover the breasts.
The third piece is called a ''Riha'', which is worn under the Sador. It is narrow in width. This traditional dress of the Assamese women is very famous for their exclusive patterns on the body and the border. Women wear them during important religious and ceremonious occasions of marriage. Riha is worn exactly like a Sador and is used as ''Orni''.
; Rignai
![Tripuri bride](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Tripuri_bride.jpg)
Rignai is the traditional dress of Tripuri women, the native inhabitants of Tripura. It is worn by wrapping it around the waist. It's worn with "Rikutu" which covers the upper half of the body. It is worn by the every Tripuri women in Tripura.
The most significant rignai is called the "Chamathwi bar" and comprises white cloth bordered by maroon or other colors. The "Chamathwi bar" is worn during important occasions like wedding ceremonies and festivals like Goria Puja and Hangrai.
Salwar Kameez
The salwar is a generic description of the lower garment incorporating the Punjabi salwar, Sindhi suthan, Dogri pajama (also called suthan), and the Kashmiri suthan. The ''salwar kameez'' has been traditionally worn by the women of the Punjab region and neighbouring areas, including Punjab, India, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, where the ensemble has been called the ''Punjabi suit'', ''salwar suit'' or simply ''suit''. The Punjabi suit also includes the "churidaar" and "kurta" ensemble which is also popular in Southern India where it is known as the "churidaar".
The salwar kameez consists of loose trousers (the salwar) narrow at the ankles, topped by a tunic top (the kameez).
Women generally wear a ''dupatta'' or ''odani'' (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 ''dupatta'' usually depends upon that of the suit and is generally of cotton, Georgette (fabric), georgette, silk, Chiffon (fabric), chiffon among others.
The suthan, similar to the salwar is common in Sindh where it is worn with the Sindhi dress, cholo
and Kashmir where it is worn with the Phiran. The Kashmiri phiran is similar to the Jammu dress, Dogri pajama. The patiala salwar is an exaggeratedly wide version of the salwar, its loose pleats stitched together at the bottom.
Churidaar
![GuptaDanceMusic02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/GuptaDanceMusic02.jpg)
''Churidaar'' is a variation on the salwar, loose above the knees and tightly fitted to the calf below. While the salwar is baggy and caught in at the ankle, the churidar fits below the knees with horizontal gathers near the ankles.
The ''churidaar'' can be worn with any upper garment such as a long ''kurta'', which goes below the knees, or as part of the Anarkali suit.
; Anarkali Suit
![Priyanka Chopra walks for Manish Malhotra & Shaina NC's show for CPAA 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Priyanka_Chopra_walks_for_Manish_Malhotra_%26_Shaina_NC%27s_show_for_CPAA_02.jpg)
The Anarkali suit is made up of a long, frock-style top and features a slim fitted bottom. The Anarkali is an extremely desirable style that is adorned by women located in Northern India, Pakistan, and the Middle East. The Anarkali suit varies in many different lengths and embroideries including floor length Anarkali styles. Many women will also opt for heavier embroidered Anarkali suits on wedding functions and events. Indian women wear Anarkali suits on various other occasions as well such as traditional festivals, casual lunch, anniversary celebrations, etc. The kameez of the Anarkali can be sleeveless or with sleeves ranging from cap- to wrist-length.
Lehenga Choli (skirt and blouse)
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 an ''odhani''. A ''lehenga'' is a form of a long skirt that is pleated. It is usually embroidered or has a thick border at the bottom. A ''choli'' is a blouse shell garment, which is cut to fit the body and has short sleeves and a low neck.
Different styles of ''ghagra cholis'' are worn by the women, ranging from a simple cotton lehenga choli as daily wear, a traditional ghagra with mirrors embellished usually worn during Navratri for the ''garba'' dance or a fully embroidered lehenga worn during marriage ceremonies by the bride.
Popular among unmarried women other than salwar kameez are Gagra choli and Langa voni.
; Pattu Pavadai/Reshme Langa
![Langa Dhavani](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Langa_Dhavani.jpg)
''Pattu Pavadai'' or ''Langa davani'' is a traditional dress in south India and Rajasthan, usually worn by teenage and small girls. The ''pavada'' is a cone-shaped skirt, usually of silk, that hangs down from the waist to the toes. It normally has a golden border at the bottom.
Girls in south India often wear ''pattu pavadai'' or ''Langa davani'' during traditional functions.
Girls in Rajasthan wear this dress before marriage (and after marriage with sight modification in certain sections of society.)
; Langa - Voni/Dhavani
This is a type of South Indian dress mainly worn in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, as well as in some parts of Kerala. This dress is a three-piece garment where the langa or lehenga is the cone-shaped long flowing skirt.
Male clothing
Traditional clothing
For men, traditional clothes are the Achkan/Sherwani, Bandhgala, Lungi, Kurta, Angarkha, Jama costume, Jama, Shalwar Kameez and Dhoti or Kurta Pajama. Additionally, recently western clothing such as trousers and shirts have been accepted as traditional Indian dress by the Government of India.
Undergarments
Kaupin is unsewn and langota is sewn loincloth worn as underwear in Akhara#Dangal, dangal held in akharas especially Wrestling in India, wrestling, to prevent hernias and hydrocele.
It is mandatory for Sikhs to wear kacchera.
Vetti
''Dhotis'' are one of the most common male dresses found in India. 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 by a style of wrapping and sometimes with the help of a belt, ornamental and embroidered or a flat and simple one, around the waist.
Owing to its widespread popularity throughout India, different languages have different terms to describe dhotis. In Marathi language, Marathi, it is called ''dhotar''. In Punjabi language, Punjabi, it is known as a ''chadra.'' In Gujarati language, Gujarati it's known as "Dhotiyu", while in Telugu language, Telugu they are called ''Pancha.'' In Tamil language, Tamil, they are called ''veyti,'' and in Kannada language, Kannada it is called ''Panche/Lungi''. Over the dhoti, men wear shirts or kurtas.
Panche or Lungi
A ''Lungi'' is another traditional garment of India. A ''Mundu'' is a lungi, except that it is always white.
It is either tucked in, over the waist, up to knee-length, or is allowed to lie over and reach up to the ankle. It is usually tucked in when the person is working, in fields or workshops, and left open usually as a mark of respect, in worship places, or when the person is around dignitaries.
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 most 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.
Achkan
![Rajput Sherwani 2014-04-23 04-27](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Rajput_Sherwani_2014-04-23_04-27.JPG)
Achkan is a small-jacket that usually sports exposed buttons through the length of the jacket. The length is usually just at the knees and the jacket ends just below the knee. Achkan is very similar to the Sherwani which is a much longer coat-jacket dress. The jacket has a Nehru collar.
The Achkan was mostly worn with tight-fitting pants or trousers called
churidar
Churidars, also churidar pyjamas, are tightly fitting trousers worn by both men and women in Indian Subcontinent. Churidars are a variant of the common shalwar pants. Shalwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. Churidars narrow more ...
s. Achkan is made from various fabrics for both formal and informal occasions. The achkan features traditional Indian embroidery like gota and badla. Achkan was commonly worn by the grooms during wedding ceremonies or other formal festive occasions in the Indian subcontinent but when it evolved into the Nehru Jacket, the achkan became less worn. It was used by men. In India, the achkan is generally worn for formal occasions in winter, especially by those from Rajasthan, Punjab, India, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Hyderabad, Telangana, Hyderabad. The achkan later evolved into the Nehru Jacket, which is now popular in India. It may be embroidered with gold or silver. A scarf called a dupatta is sometimes added to the achkan.
Bandhgala
A ''Jodhpuri'' or a ''Bandhgala'' is a formal evening suit from India. It originated in the Jodhpur State, and was popularized during the British Raj in India. Also known as ''Jodhpuri Suit'', it is a western style suit product, with a Coat (clothing), coat and a trouser, at times accompanied by a vest. It brings together the western cut with Indian hand-embroidery escorted by the Waist coat. It is suitable for occasions such as weddings and formal gatherings.
The material can be silk or any other suiting material. Normally, the material is lined at the collar and at the buttons with embroidery. This can be plain, jacquard, or ''jamewari'' material. Normally, the trousers match that of the coat. There is also a trend now to wear contrasting trousers to match the coat colour. Bandhgala quickly became a popular formal and semi-formal uniform across Rajasthan and eventually throughout India.
Angarkha
![Navratri Garba](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Navratri_Garba.jpg)
The term angarkha is derived from the Sanskrit word , which means protection of the body. The angarkha was worn in various parts of the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
, but while the basic cut remained the same, styles and lengths varied from region to region. Angarakha is a traditional upper garment worn in the Indian subcontinent which overlaps and is tied to the left or right shoulder. Historically, the Angrakha was a court outfit that a person could wrap around himself, offering flexible ease with the knots and ties appropriate for wearing in the various principalities of ancient India.
Jama
The Jama (coat), jama is a long coat that was popular during the Mughal Empire, Mughal period. There are many types of jama costumes which were worn in various regions of South Asia, the use of which began to wane by the end of the 19th century A.D. However, men in parts of Kutch still wear the ''jama'' also known as the angarkha which has an asymmetric opening with the skirt flaring out to around the hips. However, some styles fall to below the knees.
Headgear
The Indian turban or the ''
pagri
Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...
'' is worn in many regions in the country, incorporating various styles and designs depending on the place. Other types of headgear such as the Taqiyah (cap), Taqiyah and Gandhi cap are worn by different communities within the country to signify a common ideology or interest.
Dastar
![Its relatives from sikh community weddings](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Its_relatives_from_sikh_community_weddings.png)
The Dastar, also known as a
pagri
Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...
, is a turban worn by the Sikh community of India. Is a symbol of faith representing values such as valour, honour and spirituality among others. It is worn to protect the Sikh's long, uncut hair, the Kesh (Sikhism), Kesh which is one of the Five Ks of Sikhism.
Over the years, the dastar has evolved into different styles pertaining to the various sects of Sikhism such as the Nihang and the Namdhari.
Pheta
''Pheta'' is the Marathi language, Marathi name for turbans worn in the state of
Maharashtra. Its usually worn during traditional ceremonies and occasions. It was a mandatory part of clothing in the past and have evolved into various styles in different regions.
The main types are the Puneri Pagadi, Kolhapuri and Mawali ''pheta''.
Mysore Peta
![Sir M](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Sir_M._Vishweswariah.JPG)
Originally worn by the kings of Mysore during formal meeting in Durbar (court), durbar and in ceremonial processions during festivals, and meeting with foreign dignitaries, the Mysore peta has come to signify the cultural tradition of the Mysore and Kodagu district.
The Mysore University replaced the conventional mortarboard used in graduation ceremonies with the traditional ''peta''.
Rajasthani safa
Turbans in Rajasthan are called ''pagari'' or "safa". They are distinctive in style and colour, and indicate the caste, social class and region of the wearer. In the hot and dry regions, turbans are large and loose. The ''paggar'' is traditional in Mewar while the ''safa'' is to Marwar.
The colour of the ''pagaris'' have special importance and so does the ''pagari'' itself. In the past, saffron stood for valour and chivalry. A white turban stood for mourning. The exchange of a turban meant undying friendship.
Gandhi topi
The Gandhi cap, a white coloured cap made of khadi was popularised by Mahatma Gandhi during the Indian independence movement. The practice of wearing a Gandhi cap was carried on even after independence and became a symbolic tradition for politicians and social activists. The cap has been worn throughout history in many states such as Gujarat,
Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...
and West Bengal and is still worn by many people without political significance. In 2013, the cap regained its political symbolism through the Aam Aadmi Party, which flaunted Gandhi caps with "I am a Common Man" written over it. This was partly influenced by the "I Am Anna" caps used during Anna Hazare's Lokpal movement. During the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, these caps led to a scuffle between Aam Aadmi Party and Congress workers, based on the reasoning that Gandhi caps were being used for political benefits.
The Kashmir shawl
One of India's most famous exports was the Kashmir shawl, distinctive for its Kashmiri weave, and traditionally made of ''shahtoosh'' or ''
pashmina
Pashmina (, ) refers to, depending on the source, a term for cashmere wool of the Changthangi cashmere goat,Janet Rizvi: ''Pashmina: The Kashmir Shawl and Beyond''. Marg Foundation, 2009. ISBN 978-8185026909. for fine Indian cashmere woolRobert ...
'' wool. Valued for its warmth, lightweight, and characteristic Buta (ornament), ''buta'' design, the Kashmir shawl was originally used by Mughal royalty and nobility. In the late 18th century, it arrived in Europe, where its use by Queen Victoria, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Empress Joséphine, Empress Joséphine of France popularised it as a symbol of exotic luxury and status. It became a toponym for the Kashmir region itself (as Cashmere wool, cashmere), inspiring mass-produced imitation industries in Europe, and popularising the ''buta'', today known as the Paisley (design), Paisley motif. Today, it continues to be a symbol of luxury in the Western world, commonly used as a gift to visiting dignitaries and used by public figures.
Contemporary clothing
During the 1960s in fashion, 1960s and 1970s in fashion, 1970s, at the same time as Western fashion was absorbing elements of Indian dress, Indian fashion also began to actively absorb elements of Western dress.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Western designers enthusiastically incorporated traditional Indian crafts, textiles and techniques in their work at the same time as Indian designers allowed the West to influence their work.
[ By the turn of the 21st century, both Western and Indian clothing had intermingled creating a unique style of clothing for the typical urban Indian population. Women started wearing more comfortable clothing and exposure to international fashion led to a Indo-Western clothing, fusion of western and Indian styles of clothing.][ While women have the choice to wear either Western or traditional dress to work,] most Indian multinational companies insist that male employees wear Western dress.
Women's clothing in India nowadays consists of both formal and casual wear such as gowns, pants, shirts, and Top (clothing), tops. Traditional Indian clothing such as the ''kurti'' have been combined with jeans to form part of casual attire.[ Fashion designers in India have blended several elements of Indian traditional designs into conventional western wear to create a unique style of contemporary Indian fashion.][
]
See also
* List of fashion designers#India, Fashion designers of India
* Fashion in India
*Kimkhwab
Kimkhwab (Kim-Khwab, kamkhāb, ḳamkhwāb, ,, ) is an ancient Indian brocade art of weaving ornate cloth with gold, silver, and silk yarns. Kinkhwab is a silk damasked cloth with an art of zar-baft (making cloth of gold), The weave produces beauti ...
* 1950s in Indian fashion
* 1960s in Indian fashion
* 1970s in Asian fashion
* 1980s in Indian fashion
* National Institute of Fashion Technology
* 1990s in Indian fashion
* 2000s in Indian fashion
* 2010s in Indian fashion
Bibliography
*
*
*
Notes
References
Further reading
* Boroian, Michael; Poix, Alix de. (2008).
India by Design: The Pursuit of Luxury and Fashion
'. .
* Russell, Rebecca Ross (2010). Ownership Case Study: Indian Wife/Widow Jewelry, in:
Gender and Jewelry: A Feminist Analysis
'. CreateSpace. .
Indian Sarees For Wedding Season
by BrandMedia, Mid-Day, Mid-day, November 30, 2022
{{Clothing in South Asia
Indian clothing,
History of Asian clothing