Dresses for Women

For sheer elegence of matchless beauty, no other country can boast of designs that are capable of projecting the allure of feminism as Indian apparels do. Though western influences have decidedly altered the dress code of the men, it has yet to make a dent into the clothing styles for women.

The traditional Indian dress is the Sari which can be worn in many ways. Underneath the sari one wears a petticoat, a waist-to-floor length skirt, tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring and covering the chest a Choli : a blouse that ends just below the bust. The Salwar Kameej is the second most popular dress and is gaining in popularity fast with the younger generation. The Salwar Kameej too has had many design changes. The new designers have come up with great variations of the Salwar Kameej. Women also wear Lehangas.


Unstitched garments have historically been projected with sacred overtones. The Sari, a single length of material, is perhaps the most versatile garment in existence. It is a rectangular piece of cloth that is five to six yards in length. The style, color and texture of this cloth varies with the creative talents of its designer, and it might be made from cotton or silk.

The amazing quality of the sari is that it can fit any size and when worn properly can accentuate or conceal. It is this supremely graceful quality that bestows modesty and demureness to the womenfolk. The traditional manner of tying the sari varies significantly over regional boundaries. There are the Maharashtrian Navvari, Gujarati style, Bengali style, Kerala style, Irula style, Pinkosa (farmer) style and so forth. The type and manner of sari worn is indicative of the status, age, occupation, region and religion of a woman and is true especially in India.

The Choli is a tightly fitted, short blouse that ends just below the bust and worn under a sari. Sleve designs and neck cuts vary according to fashion. 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. Blouses of this type are still common in the state of Rajasthan.

The Salwar Kameej is another popular attire of women in India. 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 in tightly at the waist and the ankles. Over the salwars, women wear a long and loose dress 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 more like leggings. Over this, one might wear a collarless or mandarin-collar dress called a kurta.

The Lehanga or Ghagra is a form of pleated skirt design used by women in Rajasthan. 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 "odhni" or "dupatta".