Clothing

Women
Sari - A sari is a strip of unstitched cloth, usually brightly colored, that is draped over the body in various styles. Most commonly, it is tied around the waist and draped over one shoulder, baring the mid-drift.



Types of Sari Draping

Nivi - Pleats of the sari cloth are passed through the legs and tucked back into the waist

Gujarati - Like the Nivi, but the loose end is draped back to front instead of front to back

Kashta - The center of the sari is placed at the center of the back, the ends are brought foreward and tied securely. Then the two ends are wrapped around the legs, then brought up over the shoulders

Dravidian - Features a pleated rosette at the waist

Kodagu - Pleats are created in the rear instead of the front. Loose ends are draped back to front, over the right shoulder and is pinned to the rest of the sari.

Gond - Draped over the left shoulder and arranged to cover the rest of the body.

Tribal style - Tied around the waist, then the loose ends are secured by tying them firmly across the breasts. Worn without a Choli beneath.

Other clothing

Choli/Ravika - A short sleeved/low necklined top worn beneath a sari. Usually cropped to bare the mid-drift. They may be backless or of halter design. Choli's usually are highly decorative, embroidered with beads or mirrors, especially in special occasions.

Lehengha - Skirt worn below the waistline and descends to the toe. Worn with a Choli or Kameez

Kameez - A long shirt or tunic usually worn with a Lehengha or loose billowy pants.

Pavada - Worn by little girls. A long skirt worn beneath a blouse.

Burka - A loose body covering, head covering and veil. The face-veil portion is usually a rectangular piece of semi-transparent cloth who's top side is sewn into a headscarf. The headscarf hides the entire head, trailing over the shoulders. The rest is robe-like in design up to the neck and hides the entire body.

Men
Dhoti - Rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, wrapped around the waist and legs then knotted at the waist. Often worn with another unstitched cloth draped around the shoulders.

Lungi - Like Dhoti's though sewn into a tube-like skirt shape. Normally made of cotton, silk only used for special occasions. Often lined at the top and bottom with a black/white stripe to prevent fraying.

Kurta - Loose shirt falling just at or below the knees. Usually worn with loose fitting Salwars

Salwars- Loose pajama-like trousers