Indian Sari, Suits & Pashmina Shawls
The two most common and easily
identifiable dresses of India are the Sari and the Salwar Suit. The sari
is also referred to as a saree and the Salwar suits are often referred to as the Salwar Kameez suits.
Indian Sari Dress
The word Sari comes from a Sanskrit word that just means cloth. Sari is a piece of cloth usually 18 feet long and is wrapped around to form a dress.
The common women usually wear cheaper cotton saris where as the affluent women have a choice of other materials like silk.
Saris,
in India, can cost anywhere from rupees 100 for an ordinary cotton sari
to amounts even higher
than a hundred thousand rupees.
It is not only
the material of the cloth for the sari but the work like embroidery done
with gold and silver threads that make the prices for some sari’s
ridiculously high. Some brides during their wedding wear sari’s that
cost well over US$2000. Indeed a tidy sum to pay for just one dress.
Salwar Suits
The Salwar Suit is a two piece dress in India.
The Salwar is the pant part and the Kameez is the shirt part.
Salwar suits
come in a variety of styles and fashions to suit every taste.
Price
depends on the material and the extra work done to enhance the dress
with embroidery etc.
Fashion Accessories from
India
Artificial Jewellery - Earrings, Necklaces
Some of the finest pieces of jewellery comes form India. In addition to gold and diamond jewelry, India offers a superb variety of artificial jewelry. Some very artistically made necklaces, bangles, earrings, broaches etc are available at bargain prices in India.
Costume jewelry is usually called artificial jewellery in India. Also while in the west Jewelry is spelt as 'Jewelry' in India it is spelled with two 'l's as 'Jewellery'.
While readymade Salwar suits are available all
over
India has the added incentive to get such dresses
custom tailor
made as labor charges are quite
cheap when compared to the west.
Made to measure fashion dresses
I have seen tailors in India with magazines and catalogues of foreign fashion magazines and some of these tailors are quick to point out that they can tailor make any design from the catalogue that you fancy.
They take your measurements, you select the cloth and within a matter of hours your designer suit is ready.
Tailors in India usually do not sell the cloth. There are several cloth stores where you can select the cloth of your choice and then get your garments stitched from Indian tailors.
The cost of stitching is very cheap compared to
western standards. I had a two piece woolen pant suit stitched in Delhi
and
paid less than fifty dollars.
Custom Tailored Gents Suits
One of the better places for gents to get tailor made suits made is at a clothing shop called 'Raymond's'. I believe this is a franchise with stores all over India. Customers can buy cloth of your choice at their stores and get it stitched elsewhere or from tailors that are present in the shop. Stitching is done according to the style you wish. I had a woolen suit made at Raymond's and they had it ready for me on the third day.
When it comes to shopping, India is indeed the place to shop.
The prices are quite reasonable when compared to prices that consumers pay in the west for many items that are exported out from India.
Fashions for men, women and children are all
available in India.
The sari and Salwar-Kameez attire although are
popular Indian dresses for women in India. Many Indians today wear
western style dresses. Several styles of western dress are also today
actually made in India and exported to western countries.
India is an excellent place to purchase quality Shawls, dresses, scarf's, ties, fashions for men, women and children at savings of at least 60% compared to prices in the west. These savings are based on purchasing quality items. For cheaper items savings can be as high as 90% on some items.
Over the years Indian materials have become quite popular. Next time you go shopping in western countries. Check the labels of quality dress items like shirts, dresses etc and you will find that that labels on cheaper stuff shows 'Made in China' while some of the name brand clothing shows labels as 'Made in India'. On your next visit to India, do check out the bargains there. You may find that India is indeed a shoppers paradise for western tourists.
Shawls
Shawls are an integral part of winter wear for women in India. They are available in various designs and materials.
The most common size of a shawl in India is 36 inches wide and 80
inches long.
While the basic function of a shawl was to protect against
the cold, shawls are now also used to make fashion statement all over
the world.
Shawls of many different varieties are sold all over India.
Featherweight Pashmina shawls have created a fashion sensation worldwide, combing today’s vital elements of style with comfort and luxury.
While Pashmina Shawls have become very popular worldwide. India also is the place to buy woolen shawls. Some very good quality shawls are available in India at very reasonable prices.
When purchasing woolen shawls ensure that the material is 100% wool and does not have acrylic fiber. Woolen shawls provide excellent warmth and come in several fashionable styles and colors.
Some unscrupulous stores in India or for that matter some online sales companies on the internet, may offer imitation Pashmina Shawls and sell them to unsuspecting customers as pure Pashmina. Just because a piece of clothing passes though the ring on your finger it is not pashmina. Some stores will trick you into believing anything. Viscose is NOT Pashmina. So buyers should be aware of what they are buying. When buying Pashmina buy only from reputable dealers, check references and compare prices as they vary quite a bit depending on where you are purchasing the items from. The next page has some information on Pashmina Shawls. If you are in the market to buy a Pashmina Shawl, do check it out. >>>Pashmina Shawls Information>>>
