Know Your Indian Clothing with The BFIW Glossary

Trying to decipher how your wedding sari or lengha should look? Want to know what patterns are common?

 

Aari work (patched)
Gujarati art where patches of hand-embroidered cotton cloth are stitched together. The embroidery is hand done by skilled specialized artisans.

 

Aba
A loose cloak, possibly of Arabian origin. Related to the jama in men’s wear, and to the abbo (q.v.) in women’s.

 

Abho
A loose shirt-like garment, worn by women mostly in Gujarat and Rajasthan. The garment was generally worn with short, wide sleeves, open at the neck, loose-fitting on the upper part and really flared in its skirt. Often decorated with embroidery and mirror-glass work.

 

Achkan
A men’s long-sleeved coat-like garment, worn close to the body, reaching down to the knees or even lower, and buttoned in front-middle.

Ajrak
A block printing technique of geometric patterns in indigo.

Ambi
Literally means rich, a mango or paisley shaped pattern.

Amli
Needlework embroidery native to Kashmir.

 

Anat
A circular gold ornament worn on the upper arm.

Anarkali
A type of dress worn with a churidar to be a salwar kameez. The top is straight and not corseted, it is not fitted and is usually made from organza before the waist. Some styles of anarkalis have coats.

 

Angarkha
Long sleeved, full skirted upper garment of varying length generally open at the chest and tied on the front with an inner flap or parda. Usually worn by men.

Angia
Short, close-fitting upper garment with elbow length sleeves.

Anguthia
Metal toe rings worn by women. Also known as an avla.

 

Asharfi Buti
Popular textile design consisting of small floral discs or circles, sometimes with small patterns within the circle.

 

Atansaw
A wide, commodious chogha-like garment for wrapping around the body.

 

Badam
A textile term for oval-shaped motifs

 

Badla work
Delicate needle-work done with flattened gold or silver wire.

 

Baga (bagatri)
Upper garment with tight bodice, high waist and flared skirt. Similar to the jama.

Baghal Bandi
A kind of tunic or jacket, worn shorts and fastened under the armpits.

 

Balabar
An outer garment, worn by men, related in shape to the coat-like ashcan

 

Baluchar
A type of brocaded silk sari

Bandhani
A process of patterning cloth by tie-dyeing in which the design is reserved on the undyed cloth by tying small spots very tightly with thread to protect them from the dye. Bandani is popular in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Bandhej
The design produced by using bandhani.

Bangri
A bangle, often engraved with floral motifs, worn on the forearm.

Bare Pychon ka Paijama
A pajama with wide, flared legs.

Batik
Traditional Gujarati dyeing technique where warm wax is poured over cloth in a motif or design before dyeing the cloth in cold water. The wax is peeled off to reveal the silhouette on the cloth.

Bor
A spherical metal ornament worn by women in the center of the forehead. It is a symbol of marriage for women.

Buta
Means “a plant,” it is a floral motif, derived from Persian sources. Buta is used in Indian textile design and traditionally rendered as a flowering plant with a curling bud at the top. The motif is also sometimes reduced to a floral pattern designed within the form of the plant.

 

Chakdar
A garment similar to the jama but with an asymmetric hemline.

Chamki
Tinsel printing.

Chandanhaar
Long, elaborate necklace with large central pendant.

Chand-Tara
A “moon and star” pattern.

 

Chaubandi Chola
A short tunic or shirt fastened with tie-cords worn by children.

 

Chaugoshia (topi)
A four-cornered cap.

 

Charpatti
A four panelled ghaghra.

Chauri
A flywhisk made generally from a yak’s tail. Important as a symbol of royalty or divinity.

 

Cheent
Spotted.

 

Chika
Metal ornament for the upper foot.

Chikankari
White embroidery, predominantly floral patterns, executed on fine white cotton with untwisted threads of white cotton or silk.

 

Chogaichoga
A loose, sleeved coat-like garment worn over an inner garment like the angarakha, generally sumptuous and appropriate for ceremonial occasions. Of Turkish origin, the chogha was also known as a chugha, chuha orjuha; in Russia as shuba or sbubka.

 

Choli
A short, bodice-like breast garment top for Indian women. Cholis are worn with saris and lenghas. The garment is worn in many styles; thus, with back covering or without, fastened with strings or extended cloth-pieces, with shaped breast-pieces or flat, etc.

 

Cholu
A loose, shirt-like garment.

 

Chuda
A group of bangles that symbolize marriage for women. They are usually red in color.

Churidar paijama
Style of tight-fitting paijama, rouched from the knee to the ankles (lit. the pajama with bangles)

 

Chutila
Silk braid often plaited into the hair.

Crepe
Woven fabric. Usually in silk. Soft in touch and lustrous in look. It is fairly sheer and has a slight rippled texture.

 

Dabka
Embroidery done by sewing fine gold wire springs, to create motifs and various designs.

Dhabla
An unstitched length of narrow width fabric worn by women of the Jat, Bishnoi, Gujar, and Kumhar communities.
 

Dhila
Loose or baggy. Thus, a dhila payjama, wide and roomy all over.

 

Dhoti
The traditional Indian dress for the lower part of the body, consisting of a piece of unstitched cloth draped over the hips and legs. Worn in various ways in different parts of the country, alike by men and women.

 

Doru
Long rope with which the thick woolen coat worn by the Gaddis is secured around the waist.

 

Duni
A bracelet made of two bands joined on the inside.

Dupaluidupallari Top
Small, close-fitting cap made generally of muslin, and consisting of two identical pieces cut slightly rounded and curved towards the top.

 

Dupatta
An unstitched length of material for the upper body traditionally worn by both sexes, but now mainly worn by women as part of a salwar kameez (paijama and tunic) ensemble.

 

Fad
Short lived fashion are called fad’s; They seldom have any lasting Impact on future fashion. They are briefly and suddenly seen everywhere and just as suddenly they vanish.

 

Farji
A type of jacket. The faiji was a long over-garment without sleeves, or with very short sleeves, open in front and worn like a coat over pajama or angarakha.

 

Farshi Paijama
Wide-legged payjama that trails on the ground, sometimes completely covering the feet; worn often with a kurta or angarakha.

 

Fatuhi (Faz-vi)
A ‘jacket without sleeves’. Generally understood as a vest lightly padded with cotton wool, and quilted.

 

Gamla Buti
A popular motif in textile design in India, consisting of flowers of different kinds growing in a flowerpot, neatly arranged.

 
Gaddi
A coarse woolen cloth

Gaj
Equivalent of unit in formal Indian measurement system of about 90cm.

Gajjalu
Cast brass ankle bells on a leather strip. Normally worn by male dancers.

Gajra
A flexible ornament worn on the forearm that is made of small rectangular plates joined together.

Ghagho
A woman’s dress, closely related to the abbo. The skirt part of the abagho was often more flared than that of an abbo, the ample gathers at either side of the waist lending it peculiar gracefulness when the wearer moved.

 

Ghaghra
Skirt, usually with a great deal of flare. The simple ghaghras have only one vertical seam, which turns the cloth or ghaghra-pata into a tube, fastened with a drawstring passing through a long, narrow slot at the waist. Flared ghaghras are made up of, several triangular gored pieces stitched together.

Gherdar

Flared with an ample skirt, as in a gherdarjama.

 

Ghundi

Loop; generally used to hold the little button-like boss called the tukma.

 

Ghunghru
Small musical bells worn in foot ornaments.

Gokhru
Silver or Gold Bangle worn on the forearm.

Ghutanna

A short paoan, worn by men, tight and ending just below the knees. Much favoured in 19th century Sikh Punjab.

 

Gota
A narrow ribbon or strip woven with gold or silver thread used for appliqué work.

Gota Patti
Gota handwork in small leaf-like shapes.

Hamel
A long necklace with a rectangular piece made of solid silver.

Hansli
Rigid circular torque for the neck.

Hara
Green

Hirmani
Circular ring worn on the ankles.

Izar
A kind of payjama.

 

Izarband
Drawstring at the waist for a garment like the pajama. Literally, ‘fastening of the izar.’

 

Jaal
An all over pattern in print or embroidered fabric.

 

Jabia
A head ornament piece worn as an attachment to the bor.

Jama
Full-sleeved outerwear for men, greatly popular at the Mughal and Rajput courts and worn well into the 19th century. Literally, “a garment, robe, vest, gown, coat

 

Jameval
Traditional Kashmiri woven or embroidered shawls or fabric.

 

Jamdani
Fine cotton muslin with a floral pattern brocaded in thick soft cotton. Dacca was a famous center for the production of finejamdani work.

 

 

Janghia
Short drawers, worn by men and boys. From Sanskrit

 

Jhabba
Loose, tunic-like garment.

 

Jhalar
Large and elbaorate earrings.

Jhoomar
Jewelled hair ornament worn on side of the head.

 

Jhula
A kind of blouse for children.

 

Jhumb
A covering for the head and body made simply by tying a sheet or blanket at one end and draped over the head.

Jhumka (Jadau)
Bell-shaped metal earrings.

Jugavali
A pendant on a necklace.

Jugni
An elaborate pendant for a necklace.

Jutis
Slip on shoes, usually elaborated embroidery and with unturned toes.

Kada (Kadi)
A ring in solid metal worn on the wrist or ankle that is wider at one end.

Kala
Black.

Kalgi
A head ornament worn on the turban, made of feather plumes and precious stones.

Kalamkari
Painted cloth (as a trade term it referred to both painted and printed cloths)

Kali
A gored panel

Kalioyndar Pajama
A wide bottomed pajama made up of several panels

Kameez
A tunic

Kanchala – Kundal
A type of earing

Kanchli
A sleeveless bodice worn in western India

Kanni
A complex weaving technique originating in Kashmir (known in the West as the double twill-tapestry technique)

Khadi
Fabric made of handspun yarns, symbol of India’s fight for Independent

Kurta
A loose, stitched garment worn by men and women, most commonly described as a tunic
(also known as a kameez)

Kurti
A short Kurta usually worn by women a type of grass fiber)

Lahariya
A pattern in which diagonal wavy stripes are formed by the fold-resist dyeing technique of the same name

Lehnga
A skirt. A lengha-choli or simply lengha is an outfit worn by Indian women consisting of a choli, lengha, and odhani.

Libaas
An ensemble or dress.

Mashru
A medium weight wrap faced satin or twill fabric with silk wrap and cotton weft

Minakari
Colored enamel jewellery, borders or butis woven with different colored silk to give the appearance of enamel

Moor
Peacock

Mothra
A criss-cross pattern obtained through fold-resist dyeing in woven fabrics the term
Moti A bead or pearl

Mulmul
Cotton, usually in reference to Indian muslin, particularly the muslin woven in Bengal

Odhini
A veil, usually 3m x 1m, worn by women with a ghaghra, kurti and kanchli, it covers the head and the right shoulder, is drawn across the body and either tucked into the waistband or left hanging in front

Pagri
The common term for a turban

Paijama
Drawstring trousers worn by men and women with many different styles

Paithani
Cotton and silk sari produced in Paithan, Maharastra. The paithani usually has amli, moor, and large floral motifs in the patters.

Pallav
The decorative border at one or both ends of a length of fabric usually of a sari, odhani or patka

Pashmina
The wool made from the fleece of the underbelly of the rare Tibetan wild mountain goat

Patti
A border or edging

Peshwaz
A long high-waisted gown

Phulkari
Folk embroidery typical of the Punjab

Poncha
The ankle opening of a paijama, usually the salwar, which is often quilted or
ornamented with decorative stitching

Purdah
The practice of sequestering women, the flap of fabric in the angarkha that covers the chest,
the pieces of fabric used to make up the cups of a choli

Sari
An unstitched length of fabric up to 9 yds in length and 18 to 60 in width with a decorated end panel draped in a wide variety of styles

Shatoosh
The fleece of the tibetan chiru antelope that is spun and woven into fine shawls

Salwar Kameez
A baggy style of paijama tapered at the ankle worn mainly in the Punjab, Afghanistan
and African garment

Shervani
A formal knee-length coat fitted to the waist for men.

Sinjaf
The facing inside the hem of a garment

Sitara
Tiny metal discs, often of gold or silver with a tiny hole at the centre

Tanchoi
Figured silk with multiple supplementary weft threads, that create a heavy densly patterned fabric

Teej
A festival celebrating conjugal love, held in Northern and western India held int he month of Shravan.

Tikka
A forehead ornament also used to refer to a bindi

Topi
Cap

Tussar A type of wild silk made in Eastern and Central India from hand spun yarns

Tikki / Tikki Embroidery
Metal discs used in zardozi embroidery

Vastra Clothes

Zardozi Gold thread embroidery using metallic elements and threads, sometimes mirrors,
precious or semi precious stones

Zari Metal wrapped yarn used for zardozi embroidery