History of Indian Dress

The history of Indian dress dates back to the 5th millennium BC, with the Indus Valley civilization that used to spin, weave and dye cotton. The cotton industry was extremely advanced, and some of the techniques used in the past still survive today.

During the Maurya and the Gupta period, people used to wear both stitched and non-stitched clothes, and the main item was the anariya made of white cotton and tied to the waist by a sash. With time, the new trade routes expanded the textile industry of the subcontinent. The Romans bought indigo for dyeing, and trades with China introduced silk textiles.

In ancient times – and still today – silk and cotton were woven into various designs peculiar to each different region.The Mughal greatly helped India to develop its textile techniques, and dyeing of clothes became a sort of art, and mordant dyeing, resist dyeing and Kalamkari techniques became predominant.

Textiles have always been an important part of Indian trading. India used to trade with China, Southeast Asia, the Roman Empire, the Arabs, and, during the 17th century, also Europe, in a lucrative exchange of spices and clothing. Printed calicos, chintz, muslins, and patterned silk invaded the English market, and, later on, became a source of pride for the nationalist movement.

Indian Dress- Saree

The saree (also sari) is the most representative traditional clothing of the Indian subcontinent. It consists of a drape that can be from 4.5 meters to 8 meters long, and about 1 meter wide.

It is usually wrapped around the waist, with one end covering one shoulder and baring the midriff.