What is an Indian Dress?
What do you think of when you hear the term Indian dresses?
For most people, sarees, lehengas, salwar kameez, and others come to mind. The Indian dress culture has been influenced by its long history, different eras and civilizations, and the thousands of different ethnic groups that make up the fabric of this incredibly diverse nation.
Straight Style Designer Indian Dress for Women
The styles in India showcase the traditional fashion taste and philosophy of the Indian people. Fashion here is undoubtedly a major part of the cultural heritage of the Indian people. In this post, however, we’ll shed the spotlight on these diverse heritage-inspired designs that dominate the South Asian fashion scene.
Indian Dresses: Background, History, & Origin
Several eras and civilizations have influenced the attire in India. The Indus Valley Civilization, coupled with the Mughal empire era, appear to be the two most culturally significant periods as far as styles and fashion are concerned in India.
The first recorded history of clothing in India is usually traced back to the Indus Civilization era of the 5th millennium BC. According to historians, this was when cotton began to be woven, spun, and dyed across the region. Perhaps because it was the oldest, the cotton industry in India is highly developed and many of the conventional cotton-weaving traditions still exist today.
While the saree can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization, many other garments that make up the fashion scene such as the salwar kameez and Anarkali styles can be traced back to the rule of the Mughal Empire.
Indian Dress for Women in Yellow Color
Together with the saree, the lehenga, salwar kameez, and Anarkali ensembles today are the most prominent styles in the wardrobes of most women in the Indian subcontinent. These garments have undergone several years of modifications and evolution as the entire fashion scene has over the years taken and adapted several elements of both Western and European fashion. While western styles are now commonplace in everyday fashion for Indian women, these champions of traditional fashion are still very popular across India.
Dress Making In India (Process, Fabric, Etc)
Ever wondered how Indian attire is made?
Traditional styles sport vibrant colors, are beautifully unique and cherished across the world. While modernization and civilization have brought several changes to the manufacturing process in India, some artisans in India are still fond of crafting garments by hand, using pure fabric materials.
● Fabric types
Today’s Indian silhouettes are a mix of both age-long traditions and modern best practices. These styles are made from a range of fabric products that include silk, cotton, chiffon, georgette, velvet, etc. These garments, while featuring skillfully made embroidery and embellishments, also come in diverse styles and designs.
Along with the diverse fabric types, Indian attire also comes in diverse prints and colors made from natural dyes. Two main types of dyes are used in the process; plant or vegetable dyes as well as reactive dye.
● Dye types
The Kalamkari process of dyeing fabrics with plant or vegetable dyes usually involves natural substances like fruits, vegetables, and leaves. Yellow dyes are usually produced from turmeric or boiling pomegranates in water. Other dyes can then be created by mixing a few basic colors together to form another color.
Reactive dyes are a little different from plant dyes. Unlike plant dyes, reactive dyes have a chemical reaction on the fabrics they are used on by changing the fabric on a molecular level. The dye becomes a permanent part of the fabric, protected from fading or bleeding out after a while.
● Embroidery and embellishments
Embroidery and embellishments also happen to be some of the most significant distinguishing features of Indian attire. These silhouettes often sport beautiful motifs, patterns, designs, and embroidery work of all kinds.
Along with strands of threads, these garments can often be done using beads, pearls, crystals, and sequins. The embroidery works are distinguished by certain factors such as the base fabric as well as whether the embroidery is stitched on the surface or through the base fabric. While different regions and states of India have different types of embroideries associated with their attire, the most common embroidery works include zari work (also known as zardosi embroidery), phulkari, Kantha, kashida, and chikankari, among others.
Indian Dress Styles & Types
The Indian fashion scene is filled with styles of all kinds — just what you’ll expect in a country with a vast population and its ethnically diverse composition.
Salwar Suit Type Indian Dress
That said, here are some of the most popular style types in India;
- Lehenga: A 3-piece garment also known as the lehenga choli or ghagra choli, the lehenga comprises of a pleated long skirt, a cropped choli, and a dupatta. It’s a favorite among Indian girls and women today and is a common sight at cultural ceremonies and other formal occasions.
- Saree: A strip of an unstitched piece of fabric, usually draped over the body and worn by both young teenage girls and older women across the subcontinent. The saree is usually paired with a blouse and underskirt.
- Salwar kameez: The combination of a salwar top, the kameez bottom, and dupatta is loved by women across the region as one of the most comfortable attires available.
- Anarkali: This style is comprised of a long frock style kurta usually paired with tight-fitting churidar pants. The Anarkali dates back to the Mughal empire era and is today one of the most gracious ethnic Indian styles featured.
- Churidar: Churidar trousers are usually long trousers with the length usually exceeding the leg. The trouser is always tight-fitting with folds at the ankle that look like bangles (churi), hence the name churidar. This is a common part of Indian women’s attire and can usually be paired with Kurtis.
Latest Indian Fashion Trends for 2026
From sarees to lehengas, traditional South Asian attire, anarkalis, and more, there are hundreds of trends dominating the fashion landscape. Here are some that are popular this year;
- Multicolor sarees; from multicolor fabric to multicolor stones, Indian designers are exploring more colorful sarees now than ever!
- Sarees with sequin work: colorful sequin works are popping up everywhere on more sarees and lehengas and they remain popular throughout 2026.
- Thin borders/borderless sarees; while thin borders are gradually being chosen in place of broader ones, some sarees are also doing away completely with border designs.
- Bridal lehengas; many choose to celebrate their heritage in beautiful bridal lehengas in bright red colors as well as blue, maroon, and pastel shades!
- Lehengas with preattached dupattas; new dupatta trends are appearing everywhere, including lehengas with preattached dupattas.
- Layered lehenga ensembles; layered lehenga styles are becoming more prominent, with some featuring a heavily embroidered top over a plain layer.
- Cropped salwar pants
- Patra and gota Patti work
- Ankle-length Anarkali suits
Indian Dress as Salwar Kameez for Women
These trends dictated the tune in 2025, and they remain just as prominent in the coming years.
How/When To Wear An Indian Dress
There are Indian styles for every occasion.
Lehengas are a popular choice for cultural ceremonies, as are sarees and Anarkali ensembles. In the case of the saree, one would need to master the art of draping, which is essential to achieve the proper look. The festive regional ensembles can always be paired with a Kurti and jacket, peplum tops, or crop tops. As much as lehengas are popular for weddings, they’re also worn to other festive occasions and parties.
Indian Dress With Embroidery for Women in Red Color
Why The World Loves Indian Dresses
Ethnic Indian styles are appreciated globally and the reasons are clear.
First, the Indian nation and people value traditions so much and fashion is one of the strongest aspects of culture. These styles are beautiful, colorful, and versatile, making them easy to admire.
A Simple & Typical Indian Dress
The Indian fashion landscape offers a variety of different kinds of styles.
You can always discover a look for any occasion. These silhouettes are very versatile and, depending on their style, can fit into different events and celebrations. Ethnic Indian garments are simply timeless. These styles tell the story of India with beautiful colors, patterns, and motifs that never get old. This is why they are loved and appreciated globally.
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