Traditional Dresses of Uttar Pradesh

Costumes of Uttar Pradesh are simple yet elegant. The people of Uttar Pradesh wear a variety of native and Western style dresses. They have separate category of costumes for daily wear and occasional wear as well.

Introduction

The traditional dresses for the people of Uttar Pradesh are guided by the geographical considerations just like any other area. Uttar Pradesh is a vast state with an enormous diversity in its region, arts, people and culture. As far as the clothing style of Uttar Pradesh is concerned, people prefer the cotton fabric more as it is not only comfortably wearable but also suits the climatic conditions of the area. The clothing style of state is fairly inclined more towards the national side than something of the western influence. It has a blend of both the Hindu and Muslim religions.

Traditional Dresses of Women in Uttar Pradesh

The appropriate garment for the women includes a blouse and a saree draped in a way covering the abdomen area. The saree is supported using a basic garment know as petticoat worn inside. Another garment is the lehenga choli which is worn both daily and occasionally depending on the women. The lehenga or Ghagra choli is worn with a vein or "odhni" in a pattern which is similar to wearing a saree. They also wear Salwaar Kameez but mostly sarees are worn by majority of the women.

There are two types of sarees, one is of a standard length of 5.5 yards and the other is of a shorter length. The later one has a resemblance with "odhni". However, most of the cotton sarees available in the state have a "chikankari" thread work over them which is a famous embellishment of Lucknow. "Brocade" is another famous silk work done over Benarasi sarees which are worn during the wedding and kept as an asset. The fabrics use metallic work or silver and gold all over the saree.

Traditional Dresses of Men in Uttar Pradesh

cotton dhoti on a daily basis. They wear topi or more appropriately known as "Pagri" on their head which is a made by tying knots with a cotton fabric especially of solid colours like blue, pink, orange, etc. On occasions, they wear sherwanis with a churidar. The sherwanis are similar to the brocade sarees of women as they have high embellishment of silver or gold thread work. It is silk fabric or crepe fabrics used for the churidars worn under the sherwani. They wear a "Pagri" made up of crepe or any high quality fabric for such occasions which is different from the daily wears.

However, with the changing winds of civilization and exposure to globalization, western outfits are being worn and accepted by the people too. They especially belong from a middle class or high class status. It has gained popularity among the present generation.