Sunday, February 13, 2011

Indian Clothing



To the foreign traveler, one of the powerful attractions in India is the colorful and diversified attire of its people. The silk saris, brightly mirrored cholis, colorful lehangas and the traditional salwar-kameez have fascinated many a traveler over the centuries.

Trousers Salwaar Kameez
For a single length of material, the sari must be the most versatile garment in existence. It is only one of the many traditional garments worn by women, yet it has somehow become the national dress of Indian women. A sari is a rectangular piece of cloth which is five to six yards in length. The style, color and texture of this cloth varies and it might be made from cotton, silk or one of the several man-made materials. The sari has an ageless charm since it is not cut or tailored for a particular size. This garment can fit any size and if worn properly can accentuate or conceal. This supremely graceful attire can also be worn in several ways and its manner of wearing 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 a choli. The choli evolved as a form of clothing in 10th century AD and the first cholis were only front covering; the back was always bare. Bodices of this type are still common in the state of Rajasthan.

Cholis

Top ButtonApart from the choli, women in Rajasthan wear a form of pleated skirt known as the ghagra or lehanga. This skirt is secured at the waist and leaves the back and midriff bare. The heads are however covered by a length of fine cotton known as orhni or dupatta.

Another popular attire of women in India is the salwar-kameez. This dress evolved as a comfortable and respectable garment for women in Kashmir and Punjab, but is now immensely popular in all regions of India. Salwars are pyjama-like trousers drawn tightly in at the waist and the ankles. Over the salwars, women wear a long and loose tunic known as a kameez. One might occasionally come across women wearing a churidar instead of a salwar. A churidar is similar to the salwar but is tighter fitting at the hips, thighs and ankles. Over this, one might wear a collarless or mandarin-collar tunic called a kurta.

Though the majority of Indian women wear traditional costumes, the men in India can be found in more conventional western clothing. Shirts and trousers are worn by men from all regions in India. However, men in villages are still more comfortable in traditional attire like kurtas, lungis, dhotis and pyjamas.

Kurta and Lungi

The traditional lungi originated in the south and today it is worn by men and women alike. It is simply a short length of material worn around the thighs rather like a sarong. A dhoti is a longer lungi but with an additional length of material pulled up between the legs. Pyjama-like trousers worn by the villagers are known as the lenga.


Indian dressing styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional and one is likely to witness a plethora of colors, textures and styles in garments worn by the Indians. 



Indian Bride (Detail)



Wedding, be it in India, America or Brazil, marks the most important event in the life of a person, when he/she leaves behind his/her single life and gets ready to share his/her each and every thing with another person. However, the style in which it is conducted differs in each of these places. Talking about India, a wedding here is a much grander and opulent affair than most of the other countries of the world. One look at the Indian bride and you will come across the most noticeable difference in the weddings of India and abroad. She will also serve as the perfect example of the opulence that characterizes an Indian wedding.

On her wedding day, an Indian bride comes across as a picture of beauty and grace. While all the guests appreciate the way she is looking, hardly a few of them are aware of how much preparation goes into 'being an Indian bride'. Right from trying a thousand outfits (to select the best one for the wedding), to finding matching jewelry to taking care of the skin and buying just the right 'matching' accessories, she has to undertake a lot of efforts, to look her very best. In case you are a going to have an Indian wedding soon enough and are apprehensive about the preparations, the bridal tips given in this section will prove to be quite handy.

Bridal Accessories
Your wedding is just around the corner and, just like any other bride, you want to look your best on the D-day, mainly because it is the most important occasion of your life. Another reason you cannot afford to goof-up on the day is that all the eyes (of the guests) will be on your only. Apart from your dress, it is the accessories that help give you the perfect look on the wedding day. So, ensure that you select them with care and coordinate them perfectly with your wedding day outfit.

Bridal Hair Care Tips
In the days preceding the wedding, the bride does not even get the time to take an easy breath, forget about anything else. So many preparations have to be done, right from deciding the dress to taking the right bridal package. However, there are certain aspects that she simply cannot afford to forget and one of them comprises of hair care. You would not want to mar your overall look on the wedding day, simply because of your rough, dull and unruly hair.

Bridal Hairstyles
Wedding represents the most significant decision in the life of a person. He/she enters a new phase of life, which will comprise of much more love, companionship and even added responsibility. As the wedding day comes closer, the bride as well as the groom gets involved in a lot of preparations, regarding their wedding outfit, accessories, hairstyle, and so on. In case you are the bride and are wondering about the right hairstyle for the D-day, this article will help you make the choice.

Bridal Mehndi Designs
Wedding is an elaborate affair in India, comprising of a large number of rituals, customs and traditions. One of the important rituals, especially in context of the bride, comprises of 'Mehndi' (commonly known as henna). As a part of this ritual, the powder of henna leaves is mixed with water (and many-a-times, oil and lemon juice as well), to form a paste. This paste is then applied on the hands as well as the feet of the bride, in the form of intricate patterns.

Indian Bridal Jewelry
Jewelry forms a very important part of the overall attire of an Indian bride. In fact, the bridal look is believed to be incomplete unless the bride wears each and every piece of the jewelry meant for her. In majority of the Indian weddings, you will find the bride wearing yellow gold jewelry. However, depending on the budget, some people might opt for silver, platinum, white gold or diamond jewelry as well.

Trends In Bridal Lehenga
Talking about Indian bridal outfit, the names that crop up into your mind, at the very first instance, are lehenga-choli, sari and salwar-kameez. In the present times, most of the brides, especially in North India, prefer wearing a lehenga-choli for their wedding. The bridal lehenga is adorned with a lot of embellishments, to give it a very rich and luxurious look.

Bridal Makeup Tips
You have met the man of your dreams, fallen in love with him and even got the marriage date fixed. And now, you are eagerly waiting for the day of your union, when the two of you would become each other's, forever. In the meantime, you have started with the preparations, right from choosing the venue to selecting the bridal dress.

Trends in Bridal Salwar Kameez
When it comes to an Indian bride, salwar kameez comprises of one of the options that one considers for the D-day attire. One of the traditional Indian dresses; it offers her the perfect combination of elegance and comfort. Though it is mainly the Punjabis who have been known to wear a salwar suit on the wedding, brides from other culture have also started adopting the dress.

Bridal Skin Care
Wedding represents the most important day in the life of a bride. So, it is quite natural that she wants to look her best on the day. To attain this very purpose, most of the brides opt for skin care treatments with their beauticians, apart from appointments with their hair stylist. Talking about the skin, along with beauty treatments, there needs to some efforts on the bride's part as well, to make sure that it looks soft, smooth and glowing.

Bridal Trousseau List
Getting married is no easy task. There are so many preparations that have to be done before the D-day, like booking the venue, arranging for the decorations, selecting the caterer and, most important of all, doing the shopping. While shopping for a wedding, it is the bridal trousseau that takes most of the time and effort.

Party Makeup Tips For Bride
An Indian wedding comprises of a large number of functions, which start with the engagement, are followed by tilak, sangeet and, mehendi, and end with the D-day ceremony and reception. A bride has to get ready for each one of them in such a way that she looks apart from rest of the crowd. However, she also has to make sure that she does not end up looking the same on her engagement as well as the wedding.

Pre Wedding Bridal Package Tips
Wedding is such elaborate and extended ritual that it requires a lot of preparations. You are so busy in organizing your wedding that you tend to neglect your food and sleep. It is a time in your life when you need it more than ever. So it is important to take proper care of your health, skin and hair. If you find your skin looking dull and stressed, it means either you are not having proper diet or sleep.

Trends in Bridal Sari
Sari, the traditional garment worn by Indian women, has been a preferred choice for the brides in India, since ages. In fact, initially, sari was the only option considered by Indian brides, in many of the regions in the country. Though the trend has changed with the passing time, many of the brides prefer to wear a sari on their wedding day, even today.