Kurti top is an upper garment worn 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 ...

encompassing

waistcoat A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit), or vest ( US and Canada), is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. ...

s, jackets and blouses.

Kurti

In modern usage, a short

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 ...

is referred to as the kurti, which is the attire of females. However, traditionally, the term kurti refers to waist coats, jackets and blouses which sit above the waist without side slits, and are believed to have descended from the tunic of the Shunga period (2nd century B.C.). The kurti is distinguished from the choli by the latter leaving the midriff exposed. It is a typical dressing pattern of Indians especially the northern regions. The trend and origin of this clothing style is from the northern India and even today the other parts of the nation though modernalized wear kurti but it is worn by females majorly in north while the south prefers saree. There are a number of styles of kurti which include the following:

Punjabi kurti

In the

Punjab region Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

, the kurti is a short cotton waist coat which is buttoned down the front to the waist. In the past, women wore a chain of gold or silver called zanjiri around the buttons. Men wore the zanjiri on the

in the

. Another style of Punjabi kurti is a short version of the anga (robe). The kurti can also be half or full sleeved and hip length with no front or back opening. Men's kurti is called phatui or wastkot in Punjabi. The kurti of South Punjab, Pakistan is referred to as the Saraiki kurti. Based on the wish of the consumer the length of the kurti can be decided. File:A Punjabi woman in Kurti and suthan visiting the Attar, the pharmacist. 1852.jpg, A Punjabi woman in Kurti and suthan visiting the Attar, the pharmacist. 1852 File:Saraiki children wearing cloths & saraiki Fashion ofr children.JPG, Saraiki kurti File:An Oberoi Hotel employee doing Namaste, New Delhi.jpg, An Indian hotel staff in a blue Kurti and brown

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 ...

Bihari kurti

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

, the term kurti is used to refer to a

bodice A bodice () is an article of clothing traditionally for women and girls, covering the torso from the neck to the waist. The term typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the ...

which is a combination of the choli and jacket.

Uttar Pradesh

The kurti in

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 the adjoining

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 10 ...

region is a short blouse. File:Choli.JPG, Kurti of Uttar Pradesh

Gujarat

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

and Kathiawar, the type of kurti (coat) falls to just below the waist. File:Kutch blouse.jpg, Kutch blouse

Rajasthan

The men's kurt in

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

is a full sleeved, tightly fitting, buttonless vest.

Sindh

Image:Muslim_girl_sind1870.jpg, Woman, in Sindh, British India, in kurti

References

{{Clothing in South Asia Indian clothing Pakistani clothing Tops (clothing) Folk costumes