Western Dress

Pants shirt (trousers)

Pants or trousers is the lower garment covering waist down to the feet. Trousers and pants is one and the same thing. Only difference is that the word trousers is used in Britain where as in Canada and America the word pants is in the vogue. This must be known that all the words used for this garment are treated as plural, as; pants, trousers and pantaloons etc. Its other synonymous terms are; strides, slacks kegs, breeches etc. Its shorter form is called as shorts.

In the medieval times trousers got famous in England and it had been widely used by men, whereas in the modern times it is equally used by women. Trousers is held tight in waist with a belt. Shorts are mostly used in the hot season or it is also treated as the school uniform for the children in summer.

The fashion of trousers is now famous in all over the world and it is now made an international dress. The accessories trousers are; shirt, tie and belt. Its tropical variety is for the summer weather.

There are mainly two types of dresses; the formal and informal ones.

The Formal Dress

In the formal variety of this dress there are pieces like shirt, pants, tie and belt. The term dressing indicates the formality of this dress.

The Informal Dress

The informal dress is the one that is used in informal gatherings or at home. The informal dress pieces are; T-shirt and trousers. T-shirt is the short sleeved dress with bit rounded collars. It fabric is thick and soft, and usually not inserted into the trousers. It is called T-shirt mainly due to the fact that when arms are put straight they give the look of the letter T. Trousers is quite different than its formal variety (pants). It is of different material, usually the softer one and held up with a drawstring or elastic. This dress is mostly used by the sportsmen, during exercise, while being at home or in the informal gatherings. 

Women’s trousers

It was only in 1960s that women were allowed to wear man’s trousers in public. Till then it was considered as unacceptable dress for women. Women’s trousers are now different in style than men’s. One famous style is shorter in length that does not reach feet rather ends on the shins. It is also tighter than the men’s. Sometimes looks like paijamas in being tight on the legs, in other cases it is looser on the legs. They are richer in patterns and colours. 

Jeans

The word "jeans" actually came from Italian word "genuense", which means "of Genoa" and Genoa is the North West part of Italy, capital of Liguria. It is the tight trousers made of thicker and rough material known as denim worn by men and women equally. Blue jeans is the most famous one that is introduced by Calvin Rogers, Jacob Davis, and Levi Strauss in 1873. This dress was actually designed for cowboys. Now it is famous in all over the world. 

Arabic Women’s dress

Ladies in the Arab world are required to wear the dress with complete covering of the body. Their skirts ought to be well below the knee and preferably of the ankle-length. It is also binding upon the women to have a headscarf which is called niqab.

What is the legally required dress code for women in Saudi Arabia?

It is something very strange about the arab world that they are not only conservative rather dictatorial about every thing and same applies to the dress and more emphasis lies on the women’s side. The areas like Jeddah, Dammam are a bit relaxed about the dress code. Every woman is bound to wear niqab (scarf) of any shape, color, style or design.

Black abaya is the most important to be worn by women in public. Little girls wear long tunics. Arabic dress is not as tight as is in the case in the rest of the world. Women at home wear the dresses that are not so much different from the other parts of the world. Dress code in public is the one with loose and long fabric. It is something strange that the Arabic dress code is under the strict observation of its being loose and covering the whole body, whereas indoor dress is equally liberal in nature the one that gives the effect of the European styles. Even the tourists are strictly required to observe Arabs own dress code and they are not allowed to wear their own dresses in public.

There are following types of indoor dresses for women

Classic Arabic Wedding Dress

It is mostly white frock having long and loose frill which is much identical to the wedding dress of European societies. The Arabic wedding dresses are of great many varieties.

Tony bowls bust crystal beaded fishtail design

This is the latest design of 2012. with petticoat and fragile blouse, in the different colours and designs

sequins beaded white arabic evening dress

This too is the latest dress first introduced in 2011, with blouse and petticoat. Petticoat gives the looks of fish tail.

Ethnic Middle East Arabic evening dress

It is with usually v-shaped shirt along with petticoat. The shapes of shirts vary. There are many styles and designs 

A-line V-neck Arabic Evening Dress Designer

This is the single long garment from the shoulders to feet. It is quite popular in the Arabic society as the indoor evening dress.

Taffeta Strapless Arabic Evening Dress

A single long and backless shirt which is rather tied up with back laces

Long sleeve hat designs long veils Arabic wedding dress

This gives a deep traditional look and it has a long history in the Arab world.

All these dresses give the effect of the Western style in spirit. It looks, which of course is the reality that Arabic women’s dress is the imitation of the West. In the advanced states of UAE where laws are bit relaxed and tourists visiting interest is high there is great liberty regarding dress code.

ARABIC DRESSES

The female dress of Arabic world mostly of Saudi Arabian is strictly in accordance with hijab. The dress in the both is loose and long and it is mainly due to the hot tropical region. The men’s usual garment is thawb a loose outer dress of the length that reaches ankles. It is made of wool or cotton. With keffiyeh that is the square cotton cloth wrapped around the head or ghutra which is just gung from the head fixed by Igal (igal) black rope-like cord (cord coil). In the cold season camel-hair cloak (bisht) is largely used in Arabic world. Bisht is the long black cloak like a gown with usually golden strip on the corner. It is equally worn by he women. Clothes for the women are decorated with tribal motifs, sequins, coins, appliqués and metallic threads. Abaya an Arabic long cloak for women is quite popular for the public use.

The dresses above are further explained here. 

Ghutrah 

That is the scarf like usually cotton piece that is used to be wrapped around the head in quite different ways. It is the square cloth with different patterns. Since the Arab world is the symbol of Islam and it is copied in the other Muslim countries too that is why the fashion of Ghutrah is introduced in other Muslim countries as well. It is used by the imams of the mosques or by the men of some religious frame of mind. Since this is the traditional dress article of Arabic world and one of the great purposes it serves is to protect one’s head from having direct exposure to the sun. Arabs also wear sunglasses for the same purpose. Ghutrah is also used as handkerchief to protect mouth and eyes from the dust of the desert. 

Agal 

Agal is the round black rope like cord which is coiled up and fixed on the head to hold Ghutrah from falling. Its colour is generally black and worn in the large scale. Nearly everyone in Middle East uses it.

Thawb 

Thawb is the Arabic word used for the garment. It is just like robe and equally lengthy. Mainly on account of the hot season in all the countries of Middle East thawb is loosely fitted garment, so that it may not be worm.

Bisht 

This is the Arabic cloak. There is the hallmark of great difference between Bisht and Thawb. Thawb is used as shirt whereas Bisht is the upper garment as cloak. It is Arabic formal dress which is preferred to be worn in the formal occasions. Its exact counterpart in the other parts of the world including Pakistan is gown, which too is of the same size and colour. The differences are that the gown is the internationally used and recognized dress whereas Bisht is traditional dress of Arabic world and is made of camel-hair. Bisht is equally worn by the women. One of its conventional use is in the wedding ceremonies. 

Abaya 

Abaya is only for the women. It is the long cloak, like bisht usually in black. It is the loose garment worn in outdoor. It covers entire body except head, and to cover head and face women use niqab.

Shalwar Kameez

Shalwar Kameez is perhaps the only oriental dress which has longest history than the other varieties. This dress is equally worn be men and women in Pakistani and Indian society. Kameez is the long shirt rounded at the lower corners whereas shilwar is the lower garment like trousers but a loose one, held up either with elastic band or drawstring.

The history of shalwar kameez is of centuries in the sub-continent. It has been the popular dress from the day immemorial. It had undergone many changes but the general design remained the same. The old kameez was a bit shorter and shalwar floppy than the present fashion and it was in the case of both men and women.

In case of men there is little variety than ladies’ dress. The only changes are of embroidery works that are sparingly applied on the collars, button strip and sleeves. Whereas in the case of ladies there is a large variety of styles and fashion. Ceremonies and festivals, especially the wedding ceremonies have a great deal of contribution in the world of fashion and this affected women more than the man, as is of course the case in the entire world. 

Ladies’ varieties in Shalwar Kameez

Patiala shilwar with short shirt

This is also called pattian walee salwar. The origin of this dress is Patiala City which is very famous city in the Northern area of Indian Punjab. It was rather associated to the king of Patiala. This is the floppy lower garment quite similar to the Pathan female’s dress fashion in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Shirt with it is rather shorter than usual with dopatta. Patiala’s modern fashion is little changed from old one with having some more elegance and grace. 

Trousers shirt

It is ladies’ latest fashion with medium shirt and trousers. This trousers is different than the one used in the West. 

The big difference is that of cloth. In the West cloth for trousers is thicker one whereas in the sub-continent it is of he same cloth of shirt. 

Trousers unlike shilwar is floppy up to the lowest end. Its general outline looks same.   

Churidar pajama and long shirt

Churidar pajama is the product of wedding ceremonies. This is the tight trousers, longer than the usual size which is gathered after having worn, and due to the creases of gathering it is called churidar. This is the dress for the marriage ceremonies especially and has nothing to do in the formal gatherings. 

Common shilwar kameez

The common shilwar kameez the one that is widely used by the female is a formal dress. The kinds mentioned above are mainly due to the shape and size, and common dress usually have singularity of shape with differences of style and embroideries. Common dress is usually simple neither too floppy nor tight. That may be used in the formal gatherings and looks more decent and graceful.

It is owing to the great craze of dress in female that they have large many varieties even in shilwar kameez.

Sari or Saree For All

This is the single strip of cloth that is wrapped around the body with some different styles and this is the popular dress in the Sub-continent, also in Singapore and Malaysia. Sari is worn over blouse of short sleeves and low neck which is also known as choli. The word sari actually came from sanskrit language and it means “strip of cloth” as it really is. Its origin in subcontinent is traced back to four or five thousand years back Indus Valley Civilization. The statues found there are wearing sari type dress. 

Styles

Sari is worn by the women in many different ways. To the great astonishment of readers there are eighty ways. The most common way of wearing is to wrap it around the waist and the loose end is to be dropped over the shoulder. Different styles are; Nivi style of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Bengali, Kodagu, Dravidian, Madisar, Malayali, Gond etc. These all are actually the regional variations of the styles of draping.

With every kind of sari blouse and petticoat is necessary.

Nivi style Sari

It is used along with petticoat which is tightened with the drawstring and a blouse. The colour of petticoat shout match the colour of sari exclusively as possible. Blouse is short sleeved or sleeveless. Sari is inserted into petticoat and wrapped around the waist. While wrapping cloth is gathered for many times of the length of 5 inches and also inserted into petticoat. The remaining fabric is wrapped around the waist from left to right till the upper part of the body and last corner is thrown into the shoulders. 

Gugrati Sari

Gugrati sari is worn a bit differently than the nivi. In having two rounds of wrappings it is thrown down in the front from the back side of shoulder.

Bangali Sari

This gives a typical Bangali look. Worn from right to left as in the case of almost all styles. This rather covers the whole front and end is pinned up on with the right shoulder. 

Maharashtrian Sari

This is something quite identical to male dhoti of Maharashtrian. In this style ends are brought forward and tied in the front after having wrapped around the legs. It is due to the same it looks tighter on legs quite unlike other styles. The wrapping of sari always goes upwards from the legs and from the shoulder it is generally thrown down. This style is mostly used by Brahmin women of Maharashtra and many other states of India.

Madisar sari

This is bit identical to the Maharashtrian Sari as mentioned above.

The difference of sari is the difference of style just only, whereas pieces and clothing are the always same. There are three pieces with every king of sari; Petticoat (the lower garment), blouse (upper garment) and sari or drape (a long strip of cloth). Sari is of course considered to be the dress of nobility, elegance and decency.