Traditional pieces of the male and female national costumes in India: achkan, angarkha, bandhgala, chador, chaniya, choli, chunder, churidar, dastar, dhotar, dhoti, dupatta, gamucha, gandhi cap, ghagra сholi, gurgabi, jama, jutti, kameez, kurta, langa, lehenga, lehenga choli, lungi, mekhela, mundu, mysore peta, neriyathu, odhani, pagri, pancha, pavada, pheran, pheta, riha, sador, safa, salwar, sari, sarong, sharara, sherwani, taqiyah, and veshti.
Achkan – male knee-length jacket. It is used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. Another name for this garment is “Baghal bandi”.
Angarkha (angrakha) – men’s upper garment, a kind of a coat or long tunic tied to one of the shoulders. It is worn in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan.
Bandhgala – formal Indian male suit. It consists of a longish Indian-style suit jacket, trousers, and sometimes a vest. Suitable for any formal occasions.
Chador – female top with triangular pleats worn by Assamese women. It is a long piece of cloth draped around the upper body of a woman.
Chaniya – women’s garment; bright and colorful Indian petticoat decorated with embroidery and other embellishments.
Choli – traditional female short top worn with various sarees and other wrap-around garments. It is always tight-fitting, but the design can be diverse.
Chunder – headdress of Haryana (one of Indian states) women. It is a long colorful piece of cloth with shiny adornments used to cover the women’s heads.
Churidar (churidaar) – female loose trousers, similar to salwar, but churidaar are loose up to the knee and tight from the knee to the ankle.
Dastar – headdress (a kind of a turban) worn by Sikh men and women. It is an obligatory headgear for Sikh people.
Dhotar – male wrap-around garment. It is a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long. Men are wrapped in dhotar like in a skirt, they also often belt it. This and similar pieces of clothing are also called "mundu", "dhoti", "pancha/panche", "veshti", or "lungi".
Dhoti – male wrap-around garment. It is a piece of cotton fabric of 4-6 feet long. Men are wrapped in dhoti like in a skirt, they also often belt it. This and similar pieces of clothing are also called "mundu", "dhotar", "pancha/panche", "veshti", or "lungi".
Dupatta – female scarf or shawl used in several South Asian countries. It is often draped over the head and used as a veil.
Gamucha – piece of cloth traditionally used as a male scarf or even a towel. In some regions of India, gamucha is worn as a dhoti (wrapped around the lower part of the body). Usually, the pattern on the gamucha is checkered or striped.
Gandhi cap – men’s headdress; white colored sidecap, pointed in front and back, with a wide band.
Ghagra сholi – female costume popular among Indian women. The same as “lehenga choli”.
Gurgabi – traditional Indian shoes.
Jama – male long coat tight-fitting around the torso but flared out like a skirt to below the knees or the ankles. In the 19th-20th century, this name referred to an Indian shirt.
Jutti – traditional Indian shoes made from leather and adorned with embroidery.
Kameez – female long tunic or blouse. It is a part of the traditional Indian outfit called “salwar kameez”.
Kurta – women’s long blouse or tunic, which goes below the knee.
Langa – female long pleated skirt with a lot of embroidery and embellishments on the bottom line. It is also called “lehenga”.
Lehenga – female long pleated skirt with a lot of embroidery and embellishments on the bottom line. It is also called “langa”.
Lehenga choli – female costume popular among Indian women. The same as “ghagra сholi”.
Lungi – piece of cotton or silk cloth used as a skirt-like garment. It can be wrapped around the body or stitched and worn like a skirt. Both variants of usage are popular among Indian men. Some women in India wear lungi as well. Other names for this or similar garments are "dhoti", "dhotar", "pancha/panche", "veshti", or “mundu”.
Mekhela – part of the Assamese traditional costume called “mekhela sador”. It is a skirt-like female garment worn by Assamese women. It is a kind of a sarong – wide cylinder draped around the waist and downward.
Mundu – wrap-around garment. It is a long (ankle-length) white piece of clothing made from cotton or silk. But men often wear it tucked up to knee-length. Mostly, men use mundu, but some women do it as well. Other names for this or similar garments are "dhoti", "dhotar", "pancha/panche", "veshti", or "lungi".
Mysore peta – male headdress worn by the kings of Mysore for formal meetings and occasions.
Neriyathu – long piece of cloth which forms the upper part of the costume. It is a female garment. Neriyathu is worn with a blouse – either tucked into the blouse or worn over the left shoulder.
Odhani – female scarf or shawl used in several South Asian countries. It is often draped over the head and used as a veil.
Pagri – Indian traditional turban worn by both men and women. It can be also called “pagadi”, “sapho”, “safa”, or “fagri”.
Pancha (panche) – male wrap-around garment. It is a piece of cotton fabric. Men are wrapped in pancha like in a skirt, they also often belt it. This and similar pieces of clothing are also called "mundu", "dhotar", "dhoti", "veshti", or "lungi".
Pavada – clothing for small girls. It is a cone-shaped skirt draped from the waist to the toes. Usually, pavada is made from silk and adorned with gold embroidery on the hem.
Pheran (phiran) – traditional Kashmiri outfit used by both men and women. It consists of baggy trousers and a loose shirt that reaches to below the knee.
Pheta – male headdress; Marathi name for turbans, a headdress for ceremonies and occasions.
Riha – female piece of clothing, part of the Assamese traditional costume called “mekhela sador”. It is a 4-yard (about 3.5 meter) long scarf with tasseled ends that is worn wrapped around the waist.
Sador – women’s garment, part of the Assamese traditional costume called “mekhela sador”; long piece of cloth with one end tucked into the mekhela, and the rest of it is draped around the body. A fitted blouse is worn with sador to cover breasts.
Safa – Indian wedding turban worn by the groom. Another name for this garment is “pagri”.
Salwar – baggy trousers. It is a part of the traditional Indian outfit called “salwar kameez”.
Sari (saree) – traditional attire of Indian women. It is a piece of cloth of 4-9 meters long that is draped over the body in various styles. There are many traditional styles of draping a sari. The most widespread variant is to wrap it around the waist with one end then drape over the shoulder. Sari is worn with a blouse and over a petticoat. This garment is worn in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Asian countries.
Sarong – male wrap-around garment used in Asian and African countries. It is a large tube of fabric or a rectangular piece of cloth draped around the waist and to the ankles.
Sharara – traditional outfit of Asian women. Indian females often wear a sharara dress for special occasions. The design can be diverse, for example, the costume might include either loose pleated pants or a skirt.
Sherwani – long jacket or coat with exposed buttons through the whole length. Sherwani is just below the knee long. It has a stand-up collar. It is used for the formal occasions.
Taqiyah – male headdress; short, rounded skullcap.
Veshti – male wrap-around garment. It is a long piece of cotton fabric. Men are wrapped in veshti like in a skirt, they also often belt it. This and similar pieces of clothing are also called "mundu", "dhotar", "pancha/panche", "dhoti", or "lungi".
