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Costumes Indians have been very fashionable from the very ancient times if the sculptural evidence is anything to go by. Cotton cloth has always been worn in India by the masses while the rich favored the use of silks. Elaborate head-dresses and jewelry were even sported by men. The earlier dress code revolved around wrapping the body with varied lengths of cloth. Surprisingly, though styles were given a great deal of importance, stitching was not. Women would use one length of piece as the blouse and tie the other round their waist as a sari. These would accentuate their figures, making them look attractive. Indian men usually wear shirt and trousers, but this varies in different parts of India. The typical costume of the Indian women, are the Sari, Salwar Kameez and the Ghaghra Choli. The diverse cultures and traditions have greatly influenced the styles of these costumes. Sari, the six-yard length of cloth is still draped beautifully in the most intriguing manner. It is worn with a stitched blouse. Usually six metre in length, the sari in its most accepted form is worn with a blouse and petticoat. The sari is pleated in the front, tucked into the waistband of the petticoat, and the end is flung over the shoulder, displaying the pallav, which has intricate designs on it. There are regional variations in the way it is worn. In the western states, the pallav is displayed in the front. In Maharashtra, the sari is 9 metre long and is worn tucked between the legs. Half saris are worn by young girls in the south and the northeastern regions. Salwar Kameezes are worn mainly by the women of northern India but is favored all over India by now. It includes a baggy pair of pyjamas called the Salwar, worn with a long and flowing shirt called Kammez. The Kashmiri and the Himachali women wear a similar dress. Theirs is thicker to suit to the climate and the embroidery done on them is particular to the region. In Lucknow, the baggy pajamas are replaced by tight and long leggings that form many folds at the ankles. These are called churidars, suggesting 'bangles'. So comfortable is the dress that it is worn by most working women across India. The Ghaghra Cholis with their glittering mirror work is the most attractive. This comprises of long pleated skirts, known as Ghaghra or Lehenga, and is worn with twin blouses. The blouses have elaborate mirror work and patch work on them and are very colorful. It is designed to leave the back and midriff bare. This type of dresses is mainly by women in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Gujarat. Variations of this dress are worn in the northeast and southern states. These are known as half-saris. In Meghalaya, the women favor the jyensyem, a traditional dress consisting of two ankle length pieces of cloth gathered at the shoulders. In Arunachal, Nagaland and Mizoram they prefer a blouse and a length of cloth wound around the waist and running down the ankle like a skirt, but more closely resembling the male Lungi of the south. As for Indian men, the most favored dress is the western shirt and trousers. In the rural areas, the lungi or dhoti (long piece of cloth wrapped around the legs) is worn. The pyjama and Kurta (long shirt like with closed is worn at home during leisure. This garb is also favored by Indian politicians, who sport spotlessly white kurta pyjamas.
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