Monday, 7 November 2016

3 Most Common Ethnic Garments Worn By Indian Women

For Indian women ethnic wear is a way of life. Most Indian women wear ethnic wear on an everyday basis, whether it is a casual saree or a designer cotton kurti. These everyday items of ethnic clothing find favor for a number of reasons however the major selling point for these garments are their aesthetic appeal that exclusively caters to the Indian tastes. Having made that point, it is important to also point out that the demand for these ethnic ensembles are widespread and extends to neighboring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh to The major components of ethnic garments are the silhouette that is truly unique, indigenous and exquisite fabrics and embroidery and embellishment. The common embroidery methods used to accentuate these outfits are zari, zardosi and resham embroidery techniques. Read further to know more about these essential everyday ethnic wear garments for women and how to effectively style these casual garments.

Designer Cotton Kurtis

Designer Cotton Kurtis


Designer cotton kurtis make for great everyday wear. These easy to wear, summer friendly kurtis can easily be worn to work, college or even casual outings. Designer cotton kurtis are truly versatile as they can be worn with a wide range of bottoms. For a slim look, one can pair up the kurti with a churidar bottoms or leggings. For an ultra feminine look, try pairing up your cotton kurti with a peasant skirt or go full on Boho-Chic by teaming up a floral pattern kurti with a great pair of palazzo bottoms. Another advantage of having these cotton tunics is that they come in a wide range of designs, prints and are embroidered or embellished hence one could stock up their closet with more than a few of these tunics and yet create a unique look every day.

Casual Salwar Suits
Casual Salwar Suits

Casual salwar suits are a great example of ethnic garments that work well for everyday wear. These easy to wear garments are commonly worn by Indian women to school, college or work and are equally popular in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. The primary reason for the widespread popularity of the salwar kameez is the aesthetic appeal of this garment that obviously suits the tastes of the wearers in the countries this ensemble is worn in. Another reason why this garment is popular for everyday wear is that the garment comes in a wide range of easy to wear light weight fabrics and is often beautified with multi colors prints and embroidery in multi-color threads with an emphasis on gold and silver thread works.

Casual Wear Sarees
Casual Wear Sarees


Casual wear sarees in fabrics like georgette, crepe and cotton are popular garments for everyday wear. Many women in many parts of India wear nothing but the saree when leaving the house for such women casual wear sarees are truly a boon. These sarees are generally light weight and easy to drape with minimum embroidery and embellishment which often makes a garment weighty. These sarees come in bright vibrant colors and are printed with varied designs and motifs for aesthetic appeal.

Wednesday, 2 November 2016

Prominent Examples of Indo Western Dresses for Men

Indo-western fashion for men that amalgamates the best of eastern and western fashion elements has always been popular with Indian men. Indo-western dresses for men like the sherwani and bandhgala blazer are popular examples.

Indian art and fashion has always found plenty of inspiration from within itself and outside sources and hence it is not surprising that indo-western fashion is so popular in India. Indo-western fashion for men is particularly big in India and items of clothing that we now consider essentially Indian are byproducts of fusion fashion. Take for examples the Nehru Jacket which was created in the 1940’s and was directly inspired by the western coat. Today the Bandhgala blazer or Nehru jacket is considered essentially Indian however history points out that this garment is essentially fusion fashion. This clearly proves that fusion fashion is so widespread that sometimes we can't even tell the difference. Read further to know more about prominent examples of Indo-western fashion fusion for men.

Kurta Shirts for Casual Wear

Kurta Shirts for Casual Wear

Kurta shirts are a big trend right now and  a prominent example of popular indo-western fusion. It is easy to see that these shirts incorporate both western and eastern style elements which is one reason why they are very popular amongst Indian men. These shirts can be easily paired up with denims or chinos for everyday casual wear.

Trendy Bandhgala Blazers
Trendy Bandhgala Blazers

Indian men are definitely fascinated with the bandhgala blazer and this dapper Mandarin collar jacket definitely lives up to the hype. Bandhgala blazers are quite versatile and make for great casual and festive wear depending upon the blazer.  The popularity of this indo-western dress for men can definitely be gauged from the fact that many Indian designers regularly feature bandhgala blazers in their collections.

Indo-Western Sherwani
Indo-Western Sherwani

The Indo-Western sherwani is one of the most apparent examples of indo-western fashion. This shorter version of the typical sherwani is often designed to closely resemble a closely fitted western overcoat. These sherwanis are often stitched from western suit fabrics and are extremely popular with grooms and at weddings. These ensembles have taken over a large share of the sherwani market and the demand is well supplied as most indian designers regularly feature indo-western sherwanis for men in their wedding collections.

Nehru Jackets
Nehru Jackets

The Nehru Jacket is a prominent example of indo-western fusion and a sleeveless variation of the bandhgala blazer. This jacket is a fusion garment that is clearly inspired by the western waistcoat. The Nehru jacket is very versatile and contemporary trends have made it popular to style this jacket as both casual wear and festive wear. The Nehru jacket can easily be worn with kurta shirt and denims or chinos for a smart casual look while it can also be worn over a kurta pyjama ensemble for weddings and festivals. The Nehru jacket is extremely popular on the Indian fashion runway and is a huge hit with Bollywood celebrities on the red carpet.