I would like to use this thread to compile various dress styles in India.
Saris
Why do I find that most women look so much better in a sari with a bindi on their forehead?
An invention which has dominated for thousands of years, a sari allows a woman to express her personality. Depending on how one wears it, a sari can be a garb of modesty or be a sexy attire.
Quote:Ask Indian men about what looks best on women and most would answer unanimously: Sari. There is this timeless quality about the sari that has ensured its existence over thousands of years and survival despite the onslaught of many a fashion.
Sari does makes a women look beautiful, throw in a bindi too, but that's just my personal opinion. (I mean, I fall in love with every other woman I see.........so I'm very confused on this! <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> )
Anyway, I tend to go more with what kind of a person she is rather than what she's wearing. I mean, if a lady is wearing a nice looking sari with a bindi and all that, but she doesn't own much grey cells then it would be a definite turn off for me. OTOH, there is another woman who's wearing a simple, not so expensive sari, but can give me a run for my money.... <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> :cool
PS. I would like to hear more from the female sect about what's their preferred choice of dress code? What kind of clothing makes them feel themselves? What makes them comfortable, both mentally & physically!
Sari <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' /> , tried once, but not a good experience <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':o' /> . Yes, it looks good on anyone. Basically it hides all unneccessary fat. Brings out nice shape even to ....
It can be sexy or can be eligant depends on beholder.
It is one of the oldest dress of Indus/Hindu civilization which survived all external onslaught and still retain it purpose, to look beautiful, sexy and eligant. :thumbsup
[quote name='Krishna' date='Oct 24 2003, 11:23 PM'] Sari does makes a women look beautiful, throw in a bindi too, but that's just my personal opinion. (I mean, I fall in love with every other woman I see.........so I'm very confused on this! <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> )
[/quote]
Darn right!
I feel the same way about sari and bindi, and looks so good on my girlfriend too, even though she is blonde and blue eyed, but she always talk about "convenience" factor. :friusty But i guess she is the boss <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
Mudy, I believe that happens to everyone when they first wear a sari (or a dhoti in my case). Give it another chance, you may like the experience.
K. Ram, I agree that the "convenience factor" is a major bugaboo for my wife too.
Interestingly, there are pre-packaged saris available in India (unfortunately only for little kids) which do away with the inconvenience. Now, if only some enterprising desi comes up with an adult version, they may have a hit on their hands.
There are also pre-packaged dhotis available for little ones (which I got for my sons).
[url="http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/attire/saree/sari_story.htm"]The Story of the Saree[/url]
The Indian Saree (a.k.a. Sari, Seere, Sadi) boasts of oldest existence in the sartorial world. It is more than 5000 years old! It is mentioned in Vedas, the oldest existing (surviving) literature (3000 B.C.) Patterns of dress change throughout the world now and then but, the Sari has survived because it is the main wear of rural India. 75% of the population (now a billion as per official estimate) wear versatile sari. We can certainly call this cloth versatile because it could be worn as shorts, trousers, flowing gown-like or convenient skirt-wise--all without a single stitch!
Saree (original--Chira in Sanskrit, cloth) is of varied length
Folks>> Dont forget working women dont wear hipster Saris, but the way it is worn (like 9 yards) which goes bewteen the legs like a pyjama.
The closest thing is to the traditional way of ('Maharashtrian women wear') for work in the fields or at home. That is the way it was worn by mom, grand mom paternal and meternal. And aslo for 'madi' If you konw what I mean
So dont just pull down sari ( <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> ) as impractical working women attrire.
We arer now used to see Aishwaraya, Rekha etc wearing saree in Dekah mode. <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
Ha ha ha! <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />
I guess.......I'm a fan of this Dekah mode then! <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
Sculptures outside and inside temples are of so called in "Dekah" mode. Indian/Hindu society was very open. Things changed after repetitive invasion my muslim on our holy country.
>mudy u mean all women in pre-mohul era did not wear any upper cloths.
>eh..hmm.umm can we take this topic to general topics
In ancient India the upper garment was a sign of social status. Women of higher social strata wore upper garments, so also men. Nudity was not frowned upon in upper society individual.
The tale of draupadi vastraharaNa in the mahAbhArata implied that her upper garment was removed to degrade her social status. This was wrongly shown in the TV serial as her sari being removed (sari advertisement?)
The sArI spinster saheb mentions was quite versatile for I have seen the older generation women capable of working very capably in it.
One should read scriptures to understand that it was never the intent of our ancients to be ashamed of the body and its beauty. There was never a guilt or shame attached to it. The scriptures also cautioned against tooo much attachment to the beauty of the body but also look at the inner beauty.
If one pays attention to the ashtottrams , anga puja, a complete body is the greatest creation of the supreme brhaman.
One needs to understand the Soundarya lahari of sri sankara bhagwan, and the sri chakra siginificance to really get into Body mind intellect and supreme self that resides in it.
examples
' .....
Aajanu Bahum Aravinda dalaya thaksham
Ramam nisachar vinaskaram namami'
'.....
Kuchonnate, kukum raaga sone
pasa pustak ankusa dhare...
in Shyamala Dankam are some random examples that I can
ha ha ha ha.... <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />
who started this topic? very informative and funny ....
:cool Graduate
now i am waiting for some1 to start conversation on safari,khaki, topi ,kurta, paijama, langoti Graduate
In my opinion, LANGOTI is most sexy for men <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> :cool :cool
Perceptions about dress and dress code can be peculiar.
Some women's coleges in Bangalore forbid "figure hugging" jeans and short T-shirts for girls, but a salwar kameez is fine.
Some of these college authorites must be as blind to reality as any mullah, because if you watch a woman in a cotton salwar kameez towards the end of the day when the material has become soft and limp, and a light breeze is blowing towards her, you understand the REAL meaning of "figure hugging." In comparison with the shape and forms you can actually SEE in this dress as opposed to what you need to imagine with jeans, I would say that a pair of jeans is about as unsexy as any dress can get.
And yes, I agree with the college authorities in disallowing jeans and encouraging the salwar kameez - but we may not agree about the reason <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':lol:' />
Is lungi and langoti is the same thing? <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':o' />
i think i wanted to talk about LUNGI <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
shiv,
hahh ahhah ahhahaa.... let the breez flow smoothly <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> :cool
Is lungi and langoti is the same thing? <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':o' />
i think i wanted to talk about LUNGI <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
shiv,
hahh ahhah ahhahaa.... let the breez flow smoothly <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> :cool [/quote]
They are not
Lungi is the way Mehmood used to wear in movies, generally more conducive to ventillation, ( Shiv's breeze factor coefficient is 0.95 with under wear if not 1.0) and longoti on the other hand is tight around the crotch and compact something like a bikini brief, more work horse oriented. As can be seen in farm labor.
By the way the Shiv's breeze factor coefficient = 0 in this case.
hence the difference. ( also popular in TN Andhra Karnataka, Orissa, WB)
For further reading on this matter please get into old Filmfare magazines where in IS Johar had a lot to write and Mario Miranda lot to illustrate. (ex Balraj Blaram, Neembu Pani cartoons) <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />
' /> :cool 
' />
' />
' /> <img src='http://www.india-forum.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='
' />