A.Types of Salwar Kameez

Salwar kameez has created a exclusive craze. Various changes in its shape and designs has arrive over the years. The various types of Salwar Suit are:

• Salwar kurta/Punjabi suit
• Customed or tailored salwar kameez
• Churidar kurta
• Parallel salwar suit
• Patiala salwar suit
• Pakistani/pathani salwar kameez
• Sharara salwar kameez

1.     Salwar Kurta/Punjabi Suit

Salwar Kurta is the most popular, comfortable, convenient and widely worn dress in India. It is very famous and mostly wore by women in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and often worn in Afghanistan. Some versions are sometimes called a Punjabi suit, after the Indus valley area called the Punjab. In India, this was traditionally the dress worn in Punjab, but is now worn almost everywhere by all Indian women. Punjabi suits or salwar kurta define the latest trend in Indian fashion garment.

What is a Salwar Kurta or a Salwar Kameez?
A salwar kurta includes three parts in its creations:

Ø  Salwar, kurta, dupatta:

• Salwar: Salwars are loose pajama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the bottom. The legs are pleated or gathered into a waistband with a drawstring. In salwars, the legs are wide which tapers slightly towards the ankles. salwar is also called as sulwar.  Traditional Salwar is very comfortable to wear and has lot of space for legs movement.
•  Kurta: The kameez or the kurta is a knee-length flowing shirt or tunic worn over a salwar or churidar. The side seams are left open below the navel, which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. The tailor's taste and skill are usually displayed in the shape of the neckline and the decoration of the kurta. Traditionally, the kurtas were knee length. But today, short kurtas are also available.
• Dupatta: A dupatta generally completes the ensemble. When women wear the salwar kameez, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. In ancient time women used to put cloth on their heads for cultural, religious. Gradually this became a part of fashion as well. Today, the dupatta is a stylish accessory that can be worn over one shoulder or draped around the chest and over both shoulders. It is also called chunari.

Design
Styles of salwar kurta varies from simple to complex in respect of all material, design, durability, quality, pattern and look, etc. The designs on salwar kurtas are many and varied.

They can be plain, printed and embroidered. The styles are in conservative styling as well as Indo Western styles. These sets may have embroidery work in silk thread or a combination of bead work and zardosi, chicken work, sequins, etc.

Traditional Kurta is generally long with full sleeves, half sleeves or sleeveless and is mostly up to knee length and can be more than this also. As the creation took place in modern era, the meaning, style and shape of Kurta or Kameez has changed. Short Kameez, Kurti upto hips, are popular these days. The quality and designs vary from a simple one to designer's creation. The choice is endless. You can choose any style and length for sleeves as well-whether short, long, or sleeveless. Various designs are available for necklines for the Kurta as well which can give a different look to the same salwar kurta.

2.     Custom or Tailored Salwar Kameez

Custom made salwar kameez means sewing salwar kameez according to the choice of the customer.

One of Indian women's most desired, traditional and comfortable clothing is Salwar Kameez. Styles of salwar kameez varies from simple to complex in respect of all material, design, durability, quality, look and pattern etc. The popularity and comfort of the salwar kameez has reached such stupendous heights that most of the new breed designers have started channelizing a major portion of their creative abilities to give this ensemble a new look. Varying from the ethnic touch to the cocktail look, the salwar kameez has come to suit all occasions and what could be better and more creative than adaptation of various styles on salwar kameez.

Because of the popularity of salwar kurta among women who consider it as an easy alternative to saree in their busy schedule, unstiched fabric of all types is available in the Indian market to fit any budget and salwar kameez are custom made to give a good fit. Made to order Salwar Kameez or custom or tailored salwar kameez has many advantages:

• You can choose any color.
• You can choose any size including plus, petite, misses, junior, maternity, teens, kids, regular and custom.
• You can choose any fabrics mentioned.
• You can choose any style for sleeves whether short, long, three-quarter or sleeveless.
• You can choose any length: Hip length, Mid thigh, Knee length or Mid calf length.
• You are free to choose any style of salwars (whether churidars, parallel, straight leg, baggy, pants, trousers, traditional, patiala, punjabi, western, bell-bottom, boot-cut etc.)

The choice is absolutely yours.

  3.     Churidar Kurta

Churidar Salwar Kameez is not exactly like a traditional salwar kameez. To give a different look and feel to salwar, the churidar was designed by the traditional designers which became popular in the modern age. A churidar is similar to the salwar but is tighter fitting at the hips, thighs and ankles more like leggings (basically there is a chunatt called creases at the end of the lower).

What is a Churidar and what is the difference between Salwar and Churidar?
The churidar is actually pants made in such a way that it is tight from the knee down and loose and comfortable from the knee up. It is worn very similar to draw string pants but the legs are tapered. The basic difference between salwar and a churidar is that salwar is a loose pajama-like trousers while the churidar is a tight-fitting trouser which gathers at the ankles. What is special about them is that they are longer than the legs. Creases thus developed resemble 'churis' or bangles, hence the name churidar kameez.

Fabric
Churidar kurta sets are stitched in different types of fabric: silk, cotton, chiffon, georgette and so on.

Design
There are variety of designs of churidar kurta. Traditionally, the kurta was long, below the knee. Today, the short kurta and churidar which looks very elegant and is in fashion too. With the changing times the style and shape of the kurta varies from simple one to very jazzy look. There are different neck shapes, neck depth and kameez length available in so called modern Kameez. Some of them are simple and plain with a multicoloured churni. There are mix and match combinations of the kurta and the churidar. Some of them come with heavy embroidery and rich designs which are usually worn on special occasions.

There are varied styles available in churidar like churidar with elastic belt, drawstring, hooks and chains on sides and with embroidery in the bottom with/without hooks.

A churidar is also a perfect accompaniment to long kurtas and sherwanis for men. Infact, churidar kurta is a common dress worn by the North Indian groom. By the sixteenth century, the tight churidar pyjama became the staple attire of a Kathak dancer.

4.     Parallel Salwar Suit

As fashion grew in the new era, the designing, styles and the shapes of the basic pattern has changed. Parallel suits are an updated version of the salwar kameez, very popular among the younger generations of Indian women and many Non-Indian women as well. They are  also known as a trouser suit or pant suit in Indian fashion clothing.

What is Parallel Salwar Suit?
The difference between the parallel suit and salwar kameez suit is in the cut and style of the parallel suit. The lower is made up like straight pants. Parallel is like pant with narrow front belt, back elastic and side chain or full elastic. Parallel salwar kameez has wide room at upper and wide bottom like pant. The bottom of the pant may vary from small flair to a wider one. The pants are parallel with side slits at bottom. These pants can also have front slits at bottom. Parallel salwar kameez is also comfortable to wear like Indian salwar kameez.

 5.     Patiala Salwar Suit

Salwar is a traditional name as the modern age has grown. The traditional Salwar has taken different shapes and styles like Churidar, Parallel and Patiala.

Origin of Patiala Suits
Patiala Salwar Kameez or Patiala Suit is having some special historical background. There is a story behind this name. Patiala is a place in Punjab at North India. In ancient times, King of Patiala was very famous. His dress was a pleated and baggy type salwar with long loose kameez with full sleeves. He used to wear this dress as a king and for comfort also. In the new modern era, the women community copied his dress and named Patiala Salwar kurta or Patiala Suit.

What is a Patiala Salwar?
Normally, the salwar of patiala salwar kameez is having a number of pleates of different styles. The fall of pleates goes back and looks like baggy with pleates. Patiala Salwar kameez is similar to Indian traditional salwar kameez except that patiala salwar has more pleates and big fall comes on wearing at back. From top, it has belt like any other traditional salwar and a long tunnel for drawstring. The upper portion like traditional salwar is wide spread or has a big room for hips and legs movements.

Design
In Patiala Salwar Kameez, kameez is same as other traditional designs. However, short kurta is more popular. There is no hard and fast rule for sleeves, neck designs, front and back neckline depth and curves and cuts. Patiala salwar is very comfortable to wear. The whole set comes in variety of fabric, colours and patterns starting from plain, printed to embroidered ones. This is a very common dress for Punjabi ladies.