Asian Fashion Terms
Kameez
The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The kameez is usually cut straight and many designs are available from bright colours to pale. The tailor's taste and skill are usually displayed not in the overall cut, but in the shape of the neckline and the decoration of the kameez.
Shalwar
Shalwaars are asian pants that go with a shirt. Salwars are pleated at the waist and held up by a kamarband (drawstring) or an elastic belt. The shalwar can be wide and baggy, or they can be quite narrow and made of fabric cut on the bias
Kurta
A traditional item of clothing worn in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India
and Pakistan.
It is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees
of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women.
These kurtas are typically much shorter than the traditional garments and
made with a lighter materials.
Pajamas
The word "pyjama" was incorporated into the English language from Urdu/ Hindi. The word originally derives from the Persian word پايجامه Payjama meaning "leg garment." the word originally referred to loose trousers tied around the waist.
Khussa
Khussa (khusa) is traditional footwear (shoes). Pakistani/Indian khussa slippers are hand made with colorful and sophisticated and elaborate embroidery on them. Singular term.
Haar
Haar means necklace in Urdu .
Moti
Beads that are made from pearl (or glass) that are used to design traditional outfits.
Shawl
A shawl (from Persian شال, Shāl) is an extremely simple item of clothing, loosely worn over the shoulders, upper body and arms, sometimes also over the head. It is usually a rectangular or square piece of cloth, often folded to make a triangle, but can also be triangular in shape to begin with.
Sari
A sari (also spelled saree) is the traditional garment worn by many in the Indian subcontinent. The sari is a very long strip of unstitched , ranging from five to nine yards in length, which can be draped in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the Waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder, with a low-cut, short-sleeved, midriff-baring blouse known as a Choli forming the upper garment.
Lengha
A lengha is a long flowing skirt with a short blouse or choli.
Hijab
Hijab or ħijāb (حجاب) is the Arabic term for "cover" (noun), based on the root حجب meaning "to veil, to cover (verb), to screen, to shelter". In some Arabic-speaking countries and Western countries, the word hijab primarily refers to women's head, face, and body covering. But in Islamic scholarship, hijab is given the wider meaning of modesty, privacy, and morality.[1] The word used in the Qur'an for a headscarf or veil is khimār (خمار).
Dupatta
When women wear the salwar kameez, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. For Muslim women, the dupatta is a less stringent alternative to the chador or burqa (see hijab). For Hindu women (especially those from northern India, where the salwar kameez is most popular), the dupatta is useful when the head must be covered, as in a temple or the presence of elders. For other women, the dupatta is simply a stylish accessory that can be worn over one shoulder or draped around the chest and over both shoulders.
Mehendi
Mehndi (or mehendi or mehandi or mylanji) is the application of henna (Urdu:
حنا) as a temporary form of skin decoration, most popular in South Asia,
the Middle East, North Africa and Somaliland as well as expatriate communities
from these areas. It is typically employed for special occasions, particularly
weddings.