bridal party dress

indian dressing styles are marked by many variations, both religious and regional with a wide choice of textures and styles. The traditional Indian dress are Sari, ghagara choli, and lenghas.  Salwar Kameez is the second most popular dress and is gaining in popularity fast with the younger generation.

The lenghas and gaghra cholis owe their history to ancient people of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. From the Rajasthan  Utsav Sarees presents the traditional and ethnic saga of womanhood through these lenghas, gaghra cholis, ghagara, lehenga cholis.

The study of the people of Rajasthan is incomplete without the knowledge of costumes and ornaments. The costumes of the present have the reflections of the costumes of the past. Clothes express one’s personality and distinguish people of different places from each other. Both males and females dress in the customary dresses fully influenced by climate, economy, status and the profession. The traditional dresses being ‘potia’, ‘dhoti’, ‘banda’, ‘angrakha’, ‘bugatari’, ‘pachewara’, ‘khol’, dhabla’, gaghra choi amongst Hindus; and ‘tilak’, ‘burga’, ‘achkan’ mongst Muslims, which are fast changing now with ‘bushirt’, ‘salwar’ and ‘skirts’, lehenga, saris and pants accordingly.

Turban, the head dress of Rajasthani men, is a differential pattern, of each geographical region designed to suit terrain and climatic influence. All over Rajasthan, the ‘bandhni’, the tie-and-dye sari and turban reign supreme.

The common dress of the women constitutes (i) sari or ‘odhani’, (ii) ‘kanchli’ or ‘kunchuki’ or ‘choli’ (iii) ‘ghagara’ or ‘ghaghri’ or ‘lenghas’ elegant lehenga. Besides, the women of high status and ranks wear ‘dupatta’ and ‘patka’.

The use of chappals or sandals or ‘jutees’ is also common but ladies of high families use coloured sandals studded with gold threads and stars. The standard design is a four-piece dress which includes the ‘ghagra’ (skirt), the ‘odhni’ (head cloth), the ‘kurti’ (a short blouse) and the ‘kanchi’ (a long, loose blouse).

The oldest dress of Gujaratis is chaniya choli, very similar to lehnga choli. Women in villages of put on 'chaniyo' the coloured petticoat often embroidered with 'abhala' or glass pieces, a similarly embroidered blouse or bodice called as 'choli' or 'polku' along with 'odhani', a coloured piece of coarse cloth covering the body and the head. Elderly males of higher classes put on 'dhoti' (waist cloth) and 'kafani' or 'peharan' (shirt).

Uttar Pradesh is a huge state with immense diversity in its culture, people and region. The costumes worn by the people are basically guided by geographical considerations.

For the women, sari is the basic and the most graceful form of dress. The saree is draped in different styles in the cities and in the villages of the hills. Salwar suit, lehngas, shararas, and gararas, the flairy parallel trouser-like dress, worn over long kurtas are also popular in the state, especially among the Muslim women.