Overview of Indian Traditional National Costume and Customs

The clothes and makeup of Indians have extremely distinctive national characteristics and are different from other ethnic groups. Indians tenaciously and confidently adhere to their long traditions and aesthetic habits in clothing, and proudly show the beauty and elegance of Indian clothing to the outside world.

Indians learned to "spin and weave" during the Neolithic Age. With cotton fabrics, during the Indus Civilization, in addition to cotton fabrics and clothing, linen fabrics, wool fabrics and silk fabrics also appeared. In the Vedic period, clothing became more sophisticated. It was divided into three parts: underwear, outerwear and cloak. They were colorful and made of cotton, deerskin or wool. The outerwear was embroidered with gold thread, and there were Sari and Todi. After the Persians and Mughals entered India, foreign clothing such as salva, shirts, jackets, men's trousers, and hats were also introduced, but it was only worn by princes, aristocrats and urban residents. Most people wore Todis, scarves, headscarves, etc. After Europeans entered India in large numbers, they imported European clothing such as suits and ties. With the advancement of the times and the development of society, some costumes have changed, but some traditional costumes are still popular today.

Nowadays, most Indian men usually wear collarless or round-necked gowns and loose overalls Todi, with a thick headscarf wrapped around their heads. The long gown is generally no more than knee-length, the trousers hang above the feet, and the headscarf is several meters long. There are many ways to wrap headscarves, with as many as a dozen. The differences in how to wrap heavy headscarves can be seen at a glance who is Hindu and who is Sikh. The turbans come in different colors, including white, red and other colors, among which the turbans of Rajasthan and Sikh people are the most gorgeous. Hindus wearing headscarves is a tradition and also to prevent direct sunlight. It is purely a personal act and can be taken off at any time if they don't want to. The head wrapping of Sikhs is a characteristic of their nation and a religious rule that must be followed. They cannot be easily taken off. If others ask them to take off their headscarves, it will undoubtedly be an insult and manipulation to the Sikhs.

Most Indian men wear "Nehru costumes" on some more formal occasions where ethnic characteristics are required. This kind of costume is a symbol of the Indian national spirit during the Indian National Independence Movement, namely "national costume". It is a bit similar to China's "Zhongshan Suit", except that the upper body is slightly longer, and the buttons are also several rows. In addition, in modern cities, the number of people wearing suits and ties is gradually increasing. However, farmers in rural areas still mainly wear Todi, briefs and bare feet. In central and northern India, the weather is colder in winter, and a thread blanket or blanket can be worn over a single coat to keep out the cold for the winter.

Indian women's clothes are more gorgeous, mainly skirts, saris and tights. Skirts are all kinds of colorful, some are embroidered with flowers, making them refreshing, and some are inlaid with lenses to make them shine. Sari is the most favorite traditional dress of Indian women. Not only Indians like it, but even foreigners are also intoxicated by it. When wearing a sari, you must first put on a tight-fitting top that tightly wraps your shoulders and chest, while your forearms and waist are completely exposed. Wear shorts or petticoats on your lower body, and then put the sari on your body up to your ankles. Since the sari itself is very light and easy to pass through light, the color of the petticoat should match the sari.

Sari fabrics are generally 5-8 meters long and 1.25 meters wide. The texture ranges from ordinary cotton to shiny silk. The embroidery patterns are eclectic and unpredictable. The wearing methods are elegant and diverse, varying according to different regions and personal preferences. Some wrap around the whole body, some wrap around the head, some look as if they are wearing a robe, and some women in some regions wear a sari between their legs, and the most common method is to wrap the whole body around the shoulders and discount it. Women like to change saris with different colors as the seasons change. In summer, the colors of saris are mostly light yellow, light blue, light green, etc. In winter, the colors of saris are mostly dark red or light red, and in rainy seasons, they are mostly dark green.

Saris are popular among women of all walks of life in India. Whether they are high-ranking ladies in the upper class or farm women who are busy all day long, they all wear the same style of saris. The only difference is the texture. Famous aristocrats often wear silk saris, some of which are inlaid with countless gems or glass lenses, which are dazzling. They often have dozens or hundreds of saris with different colors and patterns, according to their own moods, preferences and occasions. Choose to wear them. Most ordinary people wear cotton cloth or cotton yarn sari, and the number of pieces is relatively small. Because of its dignity, subtle, elegant and generous, the sari is also favored by international fashion design masters. They design novel and unique sari to show people around the world the infinite charm of the sari, the king of traditional costumes.

Muslim women in India are accustomed to wearing a veil, and some do not even take it off when eating or drinking water, especially Muslims in North India. In the past, Muslim women were not allowed to go out without wearing a veil, even while sitting in sedan chairs and carriages. Nowadays, the situation of Muslim women wearing veils in India has changed. In some more civilized or prosperous areas, women do not wear veils, but in most areas, they still wear veils. Indian Muslims pay attention to wearing clothes. There are many styles of Muslim clothing. According to different regions and seasons, the types and styles of clothes and hats vary. Among them, the costumes of Delhi, Lucknow, and Hyderabad are the most famous.

Indigenous Garros in the Garros Mountains wear very little clothing. The vast majority of men only wear a pair of briefs to cover their lower bodies. Women wear a knee-length black cloth around their waists and a corset on their upper bodies. Some women are bare. Non-Christian men and women wrap a home-woven cloth belt around their heads. On special occasions, they wear a red silk with edging edges, and their headscarves are wrapped in circles, exposing the top of their heads. Cultured Garros and Christians wear British clothes.