North Indian Couture

The vibrant and glittery colours of the North Indian dressing style gets one interested in ethnic wear and drooling for some rich and glossy clothing when visiting it. North India, unlike the South, has got a deeper mix with the neo-traditional culture of dressing. The Choli, Lehenga, Salwar kameez and Bandini saris are some of the most popular dressing styles in the North. Simplicity is alien to them. The complicated texture and intricacy of designs is what made them widely known for their unique cloth patterns. The colour of the dresses worn by them though has intense shades with bright hues of varied geometric patterns or handmade prints of native sketches which exactly conform to the sweltering and sultry summers and pinching winters. What’s astonishing is that dark shades are worn in regions where it’s scorching hot! The complicated texture and fine quality blend with the plain fabric dyed in concentrated pigments of any given particular colour.

Moving onto the states comprising of north India, which are Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh have all one thing in common when it comes to dressing i.e.; wearing something vivid and dazzling. Punjab own a unique Indian form of embroidery called as the Phulkari, which is a flower consisting of multiple colours. It’s widely used on shawls which are used as tight fitting choli and gagras. It’s a traditional fetish among the Punjabi women to own a collection of woollen shawls. The Phulkari is popular in every occasion in Punjab when then is called as the “bagh” (a garden). This is made in such a manner where the whole cloth is covered with embroidery such that the base cloth is not made visible. Another popular clothing among the Punjabi women is the salwar kameez, which has a dupatta or chunni of about 2.5 metres worn on the dress.

Moving on to Rajasthan which is famously known for it Ghagra Cholis , which lighten the dull monotonous sands of the deserted state. These lurid dresses don't much give importance for the presence of flowers and other forms of flora. Rajasthan is well known for it’s dressing style which extends from tip to toe including all kinds of jewellery, Rajasthani designer clothes and Rajasthani footwear. This brand establishes an identity for themselves different from other states of the country. The Ghagra- Choli and Odhani are the two traditional dresses in the state. Ghagra, which is a long ankle length skirt holds the most elaborate of designs. The design of the Ghagra indicates the economic prosperity of the owner. The dye prints or Bandhani and the ties from Rajasthan are popular across the country. Their clothing has been an inspiration for most of the Indian and foreign artists who love blending their artworks and create a unique art form.

Then comes Haryana, which has got a close connection with the Punjab styling, but the element of simplicity makes it different. However, it still displays spirited enthusiasm for life in their dressing. The Haryana women wear Damman, Curtis and Chudner which are the common traditional wear. The ankle length, the flairy long skirt of bright hues is daaman whereas, the kurti is a wait length shirt otherwise called a blouse, also in bright colours. Chunder is a long coloured cloth like a chunni. It’s highlighted with shiny laces along the borders of the cloth and is worn over the head like a pallav in saris.

Jammu and Kashmir women wear a phiran. They are long, loose gowns covering their physique yet making them look attractive in their physical appearance, which falsifies the general notion of “loose fittings look dull and unattractive.” The gowns are decorated with colourful motifs in the shape of flowers and other designs. The Muslim residents wear this phiran till their knees and the Hindu residents wear them till their feet with long narrow sleeves up to their wrists. Sometimes this Phiran is tied at the waist with a folded material called as lhungi. About the headgear or headdress, the Hindu women wear something called as “Taranga” a stitched suspended cap narrowing backwards till the feet and on the other side, the Muslim women use a red coloured on known as “casaba", stitched into a turban, which is then pinned together with brooches. That pinned scarf suspended from the casaba descends to shoulder length. Nowadays, we find these stylings all over India not only restricted to the women in Jammu and Kashmir.