How Indian Clothing Has Evolved Over The Years

Indo western fashion trends came into existence in the twentieth century when mass culture traditions in India and the West mixed with that of a highly modernized India. The merging of Indian and Western fashion styles gave birth to the concept of “Bollywood style”, which has since become a major export among Bollywood movie stars. Popular western fashion accessories and clothes became a hot favourite with a section of Indian women who wore them with a lot of panache. Though, this is a product of globalization, the Indian designers have also started assimilating the western styles and patterns with their own style.

The west’s love affair with denim, which was the very first product of India’s industrial revolution boom, reached an all time high in the early part of the 20th century. The popularity of jeans led to a fashion obsession with the denim jacket and track jackets. This was followed by the trend of tattooing and body piercings, which were equally popular among men and women. With time, the western fashion elements were imbibed by Indian women. One such famous trend was that of dyed colored bangles, which came as a boon to the women of the impoverished eastern segment of Indian society.

The indigo dye used to create the effect was originally invented in India. Today, you can easily find a vast variety of indigo hues at the local stores. Another fascinating trend which emerged in the early part of the 20th century was the wearing of feathered headdresses called ghagra choli. These cholis were designed using silk and embroidered with motifs of geometrical and flower designs. Other interesting western fashion trends include the skull caps, which emerged in the early part of the 20th century. In fact, many of the banks in India allow customers to wear skull caps with their bank accounts.