Unraveling Indian Fashion Mysteries

 

Most countries in the world have cultural and religious diversity and India is among them. Indians customary affiliations and beliefs stem from their following certain religious groups like Christianity, Islam and Hinduism among others. Just as religion has a major say on what different genders and age groups wear at certain events the location of individuals is also a major influence of the same in India.

 

Any decent Indian woman covers herself with the sari from http://www.dulhanwear.com which is the most common traditional Indian dress for females across the country. The sari is the lower unstitched garment usually 4-9 yards in length and is draped in varying styles on an upper garment known as the choli or commonly called the blouse. The sari can be worn in different styles depending on a woman's preference and comfort.

 

What style the sari is worn depends on what region of India a woman comes from with some commonly known styles being affiliated with regions just like the pallu being the style of Gujarat women and the kacha for Maharashtra ladies. Despite its popularity, the sari is not the only traditional cultural and religious Indian female dress. There are garments used instead of the sari with the best examples being the salwar kameez of Punjab and gagra choli of Rajasthan.

 

The worldwide influence of globalization and westernization has also been seen to interfere with Indian fashion as women are embracing certain foreign aspects in their dressing. The conservative saris are fast being replaced with salwar kameez and churidha kurta with women of all ages preferring the former any time. The infiltration of modern culture does not stop here as is seen by the adoption of new fashions where jeans are being paired by traditional kurthi choli bring a casual feel to the entire garment.

 

Muslim ladies in India have a special garment of their own known as the Hijab. This attire is more of a religious garment than it is traditional. This cloth is commonly black in color with most women wearing it over other garments like the sari and usually it is accompanied by a head covering and a transparent facial cloth.

 

Men cannot be left out when talking about fashion in India. Though rare, some men in India still adorn in traditional garments from dulhanwear  especially the aged found in rural India as well as other men especially during special festivities. The dhoti is the traditional Indian male dress that goes with the kurta. The unstitched dhoti is usually 6 feet in length and worn to imitate normal pant while the kurta is worn like a shirt but always longer and double silted.