A Beginner’s Guide to Indian Traditional Clothing
Introduction
Indian traditional clothing includes dozens of garment styles, fabrics, and regional traditions and brands like Hatkay have made that range more accessible than ever. Alongside saree, salwar kameez is one of the most known Indian clothing items known across the globe.
Despite the vast outfit choices, it can be quite overwhelming to decide which Indian traditional clothing to buy. This guide helps you with precisely that.
From fabric choices to design choices per occasion, it clears all this and more, to make your next Indian clothing purchase worth it.
Popular Types of Traditional Indian Clothing
Knowing the popular types of Indian clothing out there can help you pick the right one for you.
– Salwar Kameez: The Indian salwar kameez is a 3-piece suit, with a longer top wear, a bottom wear and a dupatta. The outfit either comes with balloon-style trousers or slim fitting pants called a chudidar.
Hatkay’s collection of designer salwar kameez, include different styles of the outfit from Anarkali (variation with long flared top wear), Palazzo suit, as well as straight cut and Gharara style.
You can wear the salwar kameez to weddings, house warmings, festive gatherings and more, depending on its design.
– Sarees: India’s most well-known clothing item is the saree. It’s a long piece of fabric draped across your body and worn along with a top called a blouse. A saree’s draping, color, patterns and even fabric can vary from region to region. For instance, a Kanchipuram, Mysore Silk saree, represents South India’s traditions, while a Banarasi and Chikankari saree is more popular in the North. A saree is often worn with the undergarment, a petticoat.
Wondering where to wear a saree? It’s a highly versatile outfit. It can be an ideal fashion choice for occasions like house pooja, community gatherings, weddings, festivals (Diwali) and even daily wear, if you opt for a cotton saree. Cotton sarees also keep you feeling cool and regulated in hot weathers.
– Lehenga Choli: A lehenga choli set consists of a flared skirt with vibrant colors and designs, a blouse and a dupatta. From a bride, bridesmaids to an attendee at a festive event, it’s suitable for various occasions. Its slowly replacing saree as the outfit choice for brides across India.
– Sharara/Gharara: Another 3-piece style suit that comes with a kurti, flared sharara pants and dupatta. It’s commonly associated with Hyderabadi culture.
A spin on this style is the Gharara, with the only difference that the Gharara pants are fitted from the waist to the knees and then flare dramatically. A Sharara on the other hand, has flare from waist down.
The Fabrics and Craftsmanship That Define Indian Traditional Clothing
Traditional Indian clothing is especially renowned for its fabric and craftsmanship. Hence, the key to nailing your “desi” look is understanding both these aspects and applying them to your style.
Below are key things to know about fabrics, craftsmanship and design techniques of Indian suits and other traditional wear.
– Common fabrics: Silk, cotton, chiffon, georgette and brocade form the basis of Indian clothing. Other commonly used fabrics include linen, and organza. You’ll find them in sarees, lehenga cholis, salwar kameez, sherwanis and more outfits.
– Common fabric design techniques: Some of the most common fabric techniques include Chikankari – a form of delicate embroidery, Bandhani – tie die design, and Block printing – printing patterns onto fabrics. However, dozens of techniques that make Indian ethnic wear one of a kind.
– Key embroidery styles: Embroidery is one of the most popular fabric design techniques. Some of the most widely used ones include Zardozi for bridal outfits, Chikankari for everyday and festive wear, and Phulkari for festive wear.
Pro tip: Heavier fabrics like silk, brocade, velvet etc with vibrant prints and embroidery are best suited for formal occasions like weddings, religious celebrations etc.
For casual or semi-casual occasions like family gatherings, lunches etc, a light cotton saree or salwar kameez are better suited.
How to Choose the Right Traditional Indian Clothing for Any Occasion
So you love Indian outfits but don’t know which one to pick for which occasion? The below guide helps you ace the decision.
– Weddings: Opt for heavier sarees like Banarasi, Kanchipuram or lehenga cholis. You can alternatively also pick a designer saree or an Anarkali style salwar kameez.
– Casual and office wear: Cotton or linen kurti with jeans or lightweight pyjamas look perfect for office wear. Even a cotton salwar kameez can make you feel pulled together yet comfortable on hectic work days. These outfits also add a touch of color and flavor to your weekend family outings.
– Festive wear: You can never go wrong with a saree if you pick the right fabric. However, if you are bored with wearing the same Indian outfit, lehenga cholis and shararas can also look stunning. They surely are head turning outfits for this occasion.
– Housewarming and naming ceremonies: A simple salwar kameez set or a Tussar silk saree can be a splendid choice for such occasions. It’s ethnic, but not overstated.
Conclusion
Indian traditional clothing doesn’t just keep you occasion ready, it also adds a new flavor to your wardrobe. With kurtis, you can gradually introduce this new style element in your wardrobe.
For special occasions like a friend’s wedding, you can go all out with sarees, salwar kameez and lehenga cholis.
If you want to maximize use from your Indian clothing purchase, pick the style and fabric that best matches your lifestyle needs and personal style preference. If you like an understated look, pick a lighter color with light prints.
Explore Hatkay’s range of Indian ethnic wear to find styles that match both your personality and budget.
