Indian Selections

In part 1 of this article, we saw some of the popular types of salwar kameez that are available. Let us continue to see some more.

Chudidar kurta is another type of salwar kameez but is different form ordinary salwaar kameez as the pant is tighter around the hips and near the ankles. It resembles leggings. The aspect which makes it unique is that it is tight from knee down. The length of the salwaar legs is longer than the wearer’s legs thus giving it a crinkled look, forming circular patterns around the ankle. Hence the name is perfect for the dress as ‘churis’, in Hindi mean bangles.

A Chudidar is also adorned with long kurtas and sherwanis for men. Chudidar kurta is a common dress worn by the North Indian groom. But is not limited to the North alone – by the sixteenth century, the tight Chudidar pajama had become a crucial part of the attire of the Kathak dancers.

Patiala’s are yet another much adored form of salwar kameez. It is recognized by the excessively large numbers of pleats that fall back around and give a baggy look. Its origin can be traced back in history. The king of Patiala (a region in north India) used to wear such baggy pants with a kurta. Soon it became popular among the women and it has now become a very common form of salwar kameez

Another interesting type of salwaar kameez is a pathani suit, which can also be called the Pakistani version of salwar kameez. It is known as a pathani salwar as the pathans of the Afghanistan area donned this type of pants. Salwar is a pair of thin cotton trousers, baggy but tapered at the ankles. In this case the ends of the salwaar is not excessively narrow, but only marginally so.

The popularity of salwar kameez has increased so much that designers are coming up with new designs regularly. The ones which became very popular in recent times are the shararas and the parallels suits. Shararas can be described as a long flowing gown that has been divided into two from the middle of the pants. They are tight till the knees and waist down and resemble a lavish skirt. Parallel suits on the other hand consist of pants that are of the same size from top to bottom and give the look of a pair of pants.

So whatever be your outlook to clothing and fashion, there is sure to be a type of salwaar kameez to suit your style. Go ahead and take your pick.

** Choose a type of Salwaar Kameez to suit your own personal style