DRESS DEFINITIONS
Kameez:
Kameez is a long shirt. Traditionally it falls over the knee area. The
length of kameez is a matter of choice. It may be above knee, over knee
or below knee.
Shalwar or Salwar:
Shalwar is a loose and comfortable pant, broad at the top and narrower
at the ankles.
Trousers:
Trousers are smarter pants. They have pants like shape with normally
elastic or belt at waist. They may have less flair (boot cut) or more
flair (bell bottom) at bottom.
Dopatta:
Dopatta is a part of South East Asian (India/Pakistan) dress tradition.
It is a long scarf, about 2.5-3.0 yards long. It not only adds to the
beauty of the dress but also serves as hijab for Eastern women. There
are many ways of wearing dopatta. Some place it over shoulders, half
hanging in front and half in back. Some wear it around neck area, with
both end falling in back. For hijab, it is used to cover the head area
and worn like a scarf.
Dopatta has matching or contrast colors and in some cases has beautiful
embroidery over it.
Choli:
Choli is a women's blouse. A choli is worn with a ghaghra or a lehnga.
Lehnga:
A long flowing and flared skirt worn with a short shirt (blouse). Flared
Lehngas or ghaghras have several triangular pieces sewn together for a
trumpet-like shape.
Sharara:
A very full flowing pants, narrow at top and quite wide flare at bottom.
It looks like a long skirt. It is worn under a short shirt and with a
dupatta.
Sherwani:
Sherwani is a formal men's dress. It is worn over shalwar and kameez or
kurta.
Chunri:
Chunri is a kind of dopatta.
Paranda:
Paranda is used to bind hairs backward. The upper portion of paranda is
twisted with hairs and lower portion with colorful threads hangs
backward.
FABRICS
Lawn:
Lawn is a fabric made from cotton. Lawn is designed using fine, high
count yarns, which results in a smooth feel. It is softer, lighter and
breathable fabric and is great for use in summer weather.
Georgette:
Georgette fabric is traditionally made from synthetic fibers such as
polyesters.
Grip:
Grip is also polyester fabric like Georgette, but it is slightly thicker
and non see-through fabric mostly used on pants.
Chiffon:
Chiffon is a fabric made from cotton, nylon, polyester, or rayon. It
tends to be sheer, with a faint shimmer and a simple weave.
Crinkle Chiffon:
Crinkle Chiffon is a Chiffon fabric with very fine wrinkles on it. This
adds to the beauty and look of the fabric.
Raw Silk:
Raw silk fabric is stiffer and a bit duller, yet the natural glow that
is so significant to silk fabrics are still present, but in a different
way.
The reason why raw silk fabric has a completely different texture than
other silk fabrics is that it has not been degummed. This means that the
sericin, which is a substance made from the silk moth that works as a
natural protecting layer around the silk thread, has not been taken
away. For other silk fabrics this has been washed away in a specific
procedure.
Katan Silk:
Katan, a thread, prepared by twisting a different number of silk
filaments according to requirement gives a firm structure to the
background fabric. Katan is a plain woven fabric with pure silk threads.
It consists of two threads twisted together and is mostly used for the
warp of light fabrics.
Jamawar:
Jamawar is a silk based fabric with self pattern designs in it. Normally
floral self pattern designs are more common in this fabric. The self
pattern design color is same as of base fabric.
Jamawar Chiffon:
Jamawar Chiffon is a chiffon based fabric with self pattern designs in
it. Normally floral self patterns or round dots are more common in this
fabric. The self pattern design is normally in golden or silver colors.
Zarri Jamawar:
Zarri Jamawar is similar to Jamawar fabric, the only difference is color
or self pattern designs. In case of Zarri fabric, the self pattern is
made with golden or silver zarri threads.
Piping:
Piping is actually a ribbon, fabric or lace stitched to the edges of
shirt or dopatta.
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