Indian saris, salwar suits and made-to-measure tailoring

India is one of the most rewarding places in the world to shop for clothing. The two iconic women's garments — the sari and the salwar kameez — span everything from a thousand-rupee everyday cotton to a hand-woven heirloom silk costing several lakhs. Add the regional silk traditions, the made-to-measure tailoring shops, the men's sherwanis and the children's wear and there is genuinely something for every traveller.

This page covers the major garments, the regional silks worth knowing about, where to shop, and how custom tailoring works for visitors.

The sari

The Indian sari (or saree) is a single rectangular piece of cloth — typically 5.5 to 9 yards / 5–8 metres long — draped around the body without stitching. The Sanskrit sāṭī simply means "strip of cloth", and the form has been unchanged for around 5,000 years.

A complete sari outfit has three parts:

The sari itself.
A blouse (choli), usually tailored to fit; sold as cloth attached to the sari.
A petticoat (under-skirt), tied at the waist to support the drape.

Regional silk traditions

Most of India's celebrated saris are GI-protected and woven in specific towns:

Banarasi silk (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) — the classic wedding sari, with heavy gold and silver zari brocade. GI-protected since 2009. Real Banarasi is hand-woven on a pit loom and can take months for a single piece.
Kanchipuram silk (Tamil Nadu) — the south-Indian wedding sari; thicker silk with woven (not embroidered) zari borders. Real Kanchipuram has the body and pallu (end-piece) woven separately and joined with the korvai technique. GI-tagged, with a Silk Mark.
Patola (Patan, Gujarat) — double-ikat silk, both warp and weft tied and dyed before weaving. Six months to a year of work per sari, prices in the lakhs of rupees. GI-tagged.
Chanderi (Madhya Pradesh) — light cotton-silk blend with sheer translucent ground; lovely for warm-weather wear. GI-tagged.
Maheshwari (Madhya Pradesh) — similar light cotton-silk to Chanderi, with reversible borders.
Paithani (Maharashtra) — silk with woven peacock motifs; prized as a Maharashtrian wedding sari.
Bandhani / Bandhej (Gujarat, Rajasthan) — tie-dye on cotton or silk; small clusters of dots forming patterns. Best from Jamnagar in Gujarat and Jaipur.
Bhagalpuri Tussar / Tussar silk (Bihar) — wild silk with a natural golden colour, more textured than mulberry.
Kosa silk (Chhattisgarh) — another tussar variety with a slight ribbed feel.
Sambalpuri ikat (Odisha) — single ikat on cotton or silk, characteristic curving designs.
Pochampally ikat (Telangana) — geometric ikat patterns. GI-tagged.
Kasavu (Kerala) — plain off-white cotton with a gold-zari border; the classic Onam and Kerala-wedding sari.
Khadi (handspun cotton, India-wide) — Gandhi's symbol of self-reliance; soft, breathable, takes natural dyes beautifully.

What to look for

GI tag and Silk Mark for any expensive purchase. The Silk Mark hangtag (a green-and-orange logo) is issued by the Silk Mark Organisation of India and certifies pure mulberry silk.
Real zari is metal thread. A magnet will not stick to genuine gold or silver-coated zari — but it will stick to cheaper polyester-based imitation zari.
Hand-loom vs power-loom. A hand-woven sari has very small irregularities in the weave; a power-loom piece is too perfect.
Pallu and body weave on Kanchipuram silk should be joined with a different-coloured thread (the korvai technique).

Sari prices

A useful rough range:

₹500–₹2,000 — everyday cotton.
₹2,000–₹10,000 — better cotton, mid-range silks, Chanderi, simple Maheshwari.
₹10,000–₹50,000 — quality Banarasi, Kanchipuram, Patola, hand-woven Tussar.
₹50,000+ — heirloom-quality, all-silk, hand-woven, bridal pieces. Top-end Patola, Banarasi and Kanchipuram regularly sell into the lakhs.

Salwar kameez and lehenga choli

The salwar kameez is a three-piece outfit — long shirt (kameez), trousers (salwar or its narrower cousins churidar and patiala), and a long scarf (dupatta) — popular as everyday and office wear across north India.

Salwar suits are sold as stitched (ready-to-wear) or as a dress material — three uncut cloth pieces in a coordinating combination, designed to be sewn to fit by a tailor.
Anarkali suits are a frock-style variation, fitted to the bodice and flaring below.
Patiala salwar has a distinctive baggy pleat at the hip.

The lehenga choli is a long flared skirt (lehenga), short fitted blouse (choli) and dupatta — the dominant bridal outfit in north India and increasingly the modern alternative to a wedding sari.

Men's wear

Kurta–pyjama / kurta–pajama — long shirt and loose drawstring trousers; the everyday Indian male alternative to western wear, comfortable in the heat. Linen, cotton and silk versions all common.
Sherwani — long fitted coat, knee-length to ankle-length, worn with churidar trousers; the classic Indian groom's outfit and a sharp formal alternative for any black-tie equivalent.
Bandhgala / Jodhpuri suit — the structured "Nehru jacket" worn with matching trousers; a popular smart-formal option.
Dhoti — the traditional unstitched lower garment of much of southern and eastern India; mostly ceremonial today.
Lungi / mundu — comfortable cotton wraparound, everyday wear in much of southern India.

Made-to-measure tailoring

This is one of the great pleasures of shopping in India — you select the cloth, the tailor takes your measurements, and a proper custom-fitted garment is delivered in a few days at a fraction of western prices.

How it works

Choose your cloth at a fabric / cloth store. Tailors in India usually do not sell cloth; the cloth shop is a separate stop. Some larger stores have a tailor on the premises.
Bring a reference garment or a picture. The clearer your design brief, the better the result. Indian tailors are accustomed to copying photos from western fashion magazines or showing you their own catalogue books.
Get measured. A good tailor will take 8–12 measurements; expect a 10-minute appointment.
Pick a delivery date. A simple shirt or kurta is often same-day in tourist hubs; a suit takes 2–3 days to a week. Trial fittings are normal for tailored suits.
Pay in instalments tied to milestones for expensive garments — half down, balance on delivery is typical.

Where to find a good tailor

Hotel concierge recommendations — at established hotels, usually reliable.
Famous tailoring streets — Connaught Place (Delhi), Brigade Road and Commercial Street (Bengaluru), Janpath (Delhi), Colaba Causeway (Mumbai).
Cloth-store tailors — many fabric retailers like Raymond's (largest national chain for men's suiting fabric), Reliance Trends and Fabindia can either tailor on the premises or refer to a trusted tailor.

Realistic prices

These vary by city — significantly more in central Mumbai or Bengaluru than in a Tier-2 town:

Cotton kurta or shirt — ₹500–₹2,000 stitching.
Salwar kameez full set — ₹1,000–₹3,500 stitching for a three-piece outfit.
Wool or wool-blend two-piece men's suit — ₹6,000–₹25,000 stitching depending on tailor and finish; bespoke houses go higher.
Hand-tailored sherwani — ₹15,000+, three-piece bridal sherwanis in the lakhs at premium houses.

The cost of the cloth is separate and depends on quality — anywhere from ₹500 a metre for everyday cotton to ₹15,000+ a metre for premium Italian wool or pure silk.

Children's fashions

India has an active children's-wear market spanning the same regional traditions as adult clothing — mini lehengas, sherwanis, kurtas for festivals; embroidered cotton frocks and printed dresses for everyday wear; mainstream chains like FirstCry, Mothercare, Pantaloons Junior, Mom & Me for brand-led shopping.

Tailoring is also widely available for children — useful if you want a matching mother-daughter or sibling-set outfit for a wedding. Cloth and tailor are usually the same separate-stop process as for adults, but at lower prices.

Where to shop

Government-run emporia (good for first-time visitors)

Cottage Industries Emporium chain (CIE / Central Cottage Industries Corporation) — flagship at Janpath, Delhi; branches in Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai. Fixed prices, certified handloom, all states represented.
State handloom emporia — Co-optex (Tamil Nadu), Kairali (Kerala), Surabhi (Karnataka), Hantex (Kerala handloom), Rajasthali (Rajasthan), UPICA (UP), Boyanika (Odisha), Lepakshi (Andhra) — every state has its own emporium chain.

National chains (mainstream)

Fabindia — pan-Indian chain selling handloom cotton and silk, ready-made and dress-material; reliable quality.
Anokhi — block-printed cottons in modern cuts.
Westside, Pantaloons, Reliance Trends — Indian fashion / department-store chains.
Biba, W, Aurelia, Global Desi — ready-made ethnic-wear chains.

Bridal and designer

Designer studios in Mumbai (Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, Anita Dongre, Tarun Tahiliani), Delhi (Manish Arora, Ritu Kumar) and Hyderabad. Fittings are by appointment; expect serious prices.
Bridal districts — Lajpat Nagar and Chandni Chowk in Delhi, Linking Road in Mumbai, Chickpet in Bengaluru, T. Nagar in Chennai for everyday silks.

Traditional bazaars

Old Delhi: Chandni Chowk, Lajpat Nagar, Karol Bagh.
Mumbai: Mangaldas Market, Crawford Market, Zaveri Bazaar (jewellery side, cloth nearby), Linking Road Bandra, Hill Road.
Jaipur: Bapu Bazaar (textiles, jutis), Johari Bazaar (jewellery, but textile shops nearby), Sanganer (block prints).
Kolkata: New Market, Burrabazar.
Hyderabad: Charminar/Laad Bazaar (bangles), Sultan Bazaar.
Chennai: T. Nagar, Pondy Bazaar.

Practical tips

Bargain in family-run shops, not in fixed-price emporia. A reasonable opening counter at a tourist-area shop is about a third of the first quote; you usually settle around half to two-thirds.
Driver and guide commissions apply — they get paid 20-40% on top of your bill at the shops they recommend. Pick your shop yourself; if you must use a recommendation, ask a hotel front desk rather than a driver.
Insist on a printed tax invoice for any expensive purchase. It documents authenticity, supports a customs declaration, and matters for any insurance claim.
Pack soft and flat. Silk and embroidered pieces should travel in a fabric bag inside a suitcase, between layers of clothing — never folded sharp or compressed in a vacuum bag.
Check delivery dates carefully when you commission tailored work. Build a buffer day before you fly out for last-minute fittings.
Do not pay 100% upfront for tailored work. A 50% deposit and balance on delivery is the normal arrangement.
For long-distance shipping, use a reputable courier (FedEx, DHL or India Post Speed Post EMS). Get the cloth invoice and a copy of the courier waybill for customs at the destination.