Did you get invited to a wedding by your Southeast Asian friend? Whether youāre a close family friend or someoneās plus one, youāll fit right in (at least fashionably) with this guide.Ā
First things first: letās talk about your optionsĀ and where they lie on the wearing-complexity scale.
3-piece suits
This is the most common type of Indian wear there is, which is probably why it is also the one with the most amount of sub-categories, namely Anarkali, Churidar, Salwaar-Kameez, etc. There are three basic components for these outfits: a top, some kind of pants, and a scarf-type cloth (aka dupatta or chunni).
Shirt styles:
Kameez (also called Kurti or Kurti) is a short, tunic type of shirt with cuts on the sides.
AnarkaliĀ is a much longer, gown-style shirt. It generally reaches the knees or even up to the ankles and is usually fitted through bodice but flares out at the skirt.
Pant styles:
Churidar pants are pajama-like pants; they are loose through the hips and thighs (to give the wearer room to move and sit) but very fitted below the knees. The bottom half of the pants are very long so that the fabric gathers along the calf and ankle giving the pants a bangle-like (aka churidar) effect.
Salwar can be thought of as the balloon pants. Unlike the churidar pants, a salwar is loose-fitting and not as fitted through the calf and ankle.
The dupatta is a long veil or scarf that can be worn in a variety of ways and with different outfits.
When you mix up the different style of pants and shirts, you get a brand new type of Indian outfit!
Here are some examples:
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Lehenga Choli (or Chaniya Choli)
This style of clothing is more common in certain parts of India. The Chaniya Choli is also a 3-part outfit. The outfit consists of a crop top or fitted blouse with a long skirt and the dupatta cloth to bring it all together.
Here are some examples:
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Sari
Sari seems to be the more commonly known Indian outfit (at least in my social circle). Also worn with a blouse, a very long cloth (known as the sari) is wrapped around your body with the excess length of fabric crossed over the upper body. It is tucked into an inner skirt which is usually the same color as the saree making it less noticeable, if at all.
For some people, this is the most uncomfortable type of Indian clothing. But trust me, when worn right, you can break dance all night in this outfit and not move it an inch!
Here are some examples:
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Accessorizing:
There is basically no limit to accessorizing. You can go as minimal, or as over-the-top as wish! My personal rule, though, is to use my jewelry to offset my outfit. Which means that if my outfit is very out-there and heavy, I wear very little jewelry. If itās a rather plain, every-day type of outfit, I will go all out with my accessories. The time of day and type of event are also huge factors in deciding your jewelry. Generally, you want to be less flashy during the day and at smaller, family-only events.
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Where to get it
Now for the fun part ā shopping! There are tons of sellers for Indian outfits in North America. Correction, there are tons of sellers all over the globe that can ship to North America! Here are some of my favorite suppliers:
Utsav Fashion
Kalki Fashion
C Bazaar
Bombay Couture
Hacks for blouses: Shop H&M or Forever 21! Sometimes they have fancy sequined crop tops that you can use as a saree or Lehenga blouse. Or, go a cloth warehouse, and get your blouse stitched. This may or may not be a cheaper option, but it gives you more control over the type and fitting of you blouse.Ā
For more ideas about all things Indian, check out my Pinterest Board.
If you have any questions about Indian outfits, please comment!
Indian Outfits 101 & where to getĀ them Did you get invited to a wedding by your Southeast Asian friend? Whether youāre a close family friend or someoneās plus one, youāll fit right in (at least fashionably) with this guide.Ā
