Why salwar kameez never goes out of fashion.
My love for a well stitched salwar kameez never ends. It’s worn by almost most every desi woman and has never gone out of style. In fact it has only been modified into various styles that are inspired by Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi fashion.
I started wearing salwar kameez or churidhar at a very young age, mostly customised by myself than wearing a store bought one. As long as it’s comfortable I was okay with (still am) and I rarely cared if it was ’chic’ enough. But now I still wear it because of it’s unmatched comfortableness which you can never experience in other styles of clothing.
Above all, it doesn’t stick with one pattern, the style of both stitching and designing is always on the change and guess who’s a fan of it all?
Salwars are loose fitting and the pant is above ankle and is loose whereas Churidhars are tight fitting and the pant is crumpled near the ankle (below).
PREDOMINANT STYLES OF SALWARS
There were many designs of salwar kameez that made its entry and exit in the Indian subcontinent like:
Anarkali suit
Punjabi style suit
Cape style salwar
Lehenga style salwar
Coat over salwar
Floor length salwar
Above-the-knee salwar
Masakali
Bajirao Mastani (a bollywood movie) styled
Front cut salwar
No cut salwar
Collared salwar
Asymmetrical salwar
Harem salwar
Dhoti salwar
Sharara salwar
straight cut salwar
Flared salwar
Umbrella salwar
I’ve seen many people wear the straight cut and umbrella cut salwar.
The picture on the left (above) has a straight cut and the right one has a front cut.
If you wonder about it’s differences, it’s the cut. Every salwar and churidhar I mentioned above has a tunic, a pant and a dupatta (long fabric that‘s worn on neck) but the cutting of the fabric made while stitching makes all the difference.
Fabric material
Fabric material varies in every salwar but the predominant ones are polyester and nylon, which are synthetic fabrics. I don’t know if this surprises you but cotton fabrics are over priced and hence pure cotton salwars are costlier, along with pure silk salwars too.
Below is a straight cut cotton salwar
WHY IT NEVER GOES OUT OF TREND?
1. It’s cozy 😉:
It’s comfortable. End of debate. Nothing beats a well fitting salwar and kameez. You can even sleep with one on can you imagine? Of course tight fitting churidhars are a nuisance while sleeping sometimes but if you go for breathable fabrics like cotton, it can be very cozy and comfortable.
2. It’s modest:
Real talk.. modesty > style. But that’s just me. My vote is ALWAYS for a well-covering salwar even it’s simple. But most salwars are modest according to me than the other desi wears like saree or choli (blouse and skirt). Salwar tops that looks like a tunic gives good coverage to thighs and the butt.
3. It’s always changing:
Salwar kameez is a changing phenomenon. That’s it I said it. You’ll find no person wearing the same style of salwars throughout their life. Those types that I said above are only few of many that made its way into our wardrobes.
4. Easy to pee:
Okay.. I know it’s weird but who wants to wear something all day that makes going for pee-pee a struggle? jeans make things difficult, skirts - tights are worn inside (double work), saree - I don’t wanna start. Best case scenario is always a salwar. Because it’s easy to remove and put on and has an extra layer of clothing above the pant to hide any water splashes💦, S&K doesn’t bring up the need for you to be more self-conscious.
SHELF LIFE
Salwars‘ shelf life for me has been on the most, one and a half year, which of course depends on the quality of the fabric that you’re buying. I usually wash my churidhars on machine but depending on it’s instructions, it might get your hands wet too.
You may think of ‘one and a half year’ being a long time, but salwars being the traditional wear for Indian women, we own almost more than 12 suits in the minimum so it takes forever for them to wear out.
INSPIRATIONS FROM MOVIES
In India, movies play a major role in changing trends of salwars. Most of the designs I mentioned above like Anarkali, Punjabi, Bajirao Mastani, dhoti, flared types made their way into our households due to Indian movies. Companies for real marketed wisely by using movies as their muse.
MY LOVE FOR SELF-CUSTOMISED S&K
As I said before, more than buying ready made salwars, I love buying the desired fabric of my choice, designing it and stitching it with help of local tailors. I do this mainly because 1. I get my favourite prints on my favourite fabrics 2. there’s more shelf life to this 3. You can unstitch the spare stitches to help it loosen to fit your body. Store bought salwars are also great if it fits you perfectly and feels comfortable.
So if you’re a salwar kameez lover or has never worn one, I guess this piece of read made you realise on how this traditional desi outfit has never gone out of style!
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