Abaya Style Churidar Kameez
The Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is a full-length dress or Anarkali that was created by building on the culture and tradition of Islamic countries. The outfit draws inspiration from the ‘Abaya’, a robe like dress that is worn by most of the women of the Muslim faith. The traditional Abaya is a long garment that covers the whole body of the women except the feet and hands.
The Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is similar to this robe, as the kameez of this dress is generally kept floor length. The kameez is paired with a churidar salwar, to ensure that the kameez maintains its gracious shape.
abaya style suit with pants
Background
The Abaya has been traditionally worn by a majority of Muslim Women. Being a practice that is suggested in the Noble Qur’an a lot of women follow this practice; the dress has found popularity in non-Islamic countries as well.
With time, the influence of this dress was adapted into other designs, with the prime example being Abaya Style Churidar Kameez. These long dresses are designed with a long kameez or top that extends up to the ankles or the floor. The Abaya Style Churidar Kameez has evolved with the times and has become a hit with Indian women as one of the most favored dresses for social gatherings.
Sources of Inspiration
Having drawn the basic idea from an age old dress item, the Abaya Style Churidar Kameez has come a long way in terms of the design. From the simplest of styles to the finest of embroideries, these dresses have developed a range of designs, each suitable for different fashion sensibilities and different occasions. These churidar salwar kameez, made popular in the Islamic countries, have found a special place in the style circles across the faiths and communities in India.
Style and Variety
Abaya Style Churidar Kameez are created in a host of different materials, with the most commonly used materials used being faux georgette and net. These dresses are available in a number of different categories including wedding attires, dresses for special occasions like parties and also, in rare cases, for formal meetings.
The average Abaya Style Churidar Kameez has minimalistic design across the dress but is heavy on the artwork on the borders, sleeves and the neck. These dresses also have variants which have detailed art work on the dress and not just the borders.
There is range of styling and embroideries that are traditionally employed in Abaya Style Churidar Kameez. These include Floral Prints, Cutdana Work, Gota Patti, Dori Embroidery, Zari Work, Kashida, Resham Embroidery and Stone Work to name just a few. The distinctive feature of Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is that the sleeves are always kept long, covering the arms. These dresses also don’t have a lot of variations in the necklines, sticking to more modest varieties. Both these features help keep the essence of the ‘Abaya’ intact.
Beige and Black Art Silk Readymade Abaya Style Churidar Kameez
Wearing the Abaya Style Churidar Kameez
The beauty of an Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is that it can be worn with numerous kinds of accessories and looks equally good when minimally accessorized. One can select from a vast range of jewelry including earrings, necklaces, bangles and maang tikkas to go with the particular color and designs of the dress.
Footwear is an essential accessory for every Abaya Style Churidar Kameez. There are several different kinds of mojaris, juttis, slippers and sandals that can be worn with this dress to complete the look. A handbag is another vital accessory for any ethnic or formal look. There are a large variety of bags in different styles including resham embroidery, zari work, thread work and sequins work bags that the wearers can select to complement the dress.
Maintenance
Proper maintenance of Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is crucial to preserving the fine look of the dress. The costly materials generally used for this dress need to be mildly hand-washed in cold water to clean them up. Some of the more sensitive materials need to be dry cleaned to ensure that there is no damage to the material.
Influence
Growing on the back of distinctive designs and some of the finest embroideries, Abaya Style Churidar Kameez has become popular attire amongst women for any formal or semi-formal occasion.
The dress is known for providing an elegant and sophisticated look for every woman.
Abaya Style Churidar Kameez
Whenever attending a ceremony in the Indian sub-continent, these dresses are the considered the epitome of grace and provide the perfect ethnic look. Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is available in all the major marketplaces in these parts and also through online portals worldwide.
Innovations
With its roots lying deep in the cultural history of several countries, the Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is one of the dress items that have undergone several improvements in design. With the change in designs of the Abaya over the years, several improvements have been made to Abaya Style Churidar Kameez. The materials used for these dresses are amongst the prime innovations for these dresses.
In the early days, only the traditional fabrics like cotton and silk were used for these dresses but over the years, fibers such as georgette, chiffon, net and many more have been used, providing a wide range to choose from.
The styles of these dresses have also varied from the simple and straight kameez to the ones that are narrow at the waist with flourishing fabric below the waist. The patterns used on these dresses have also improved in terms of the embroideries and the works used along with the amount of embroideries and works on the dress.
Huma Qureshi in Abaya Style Churidar Kameez
Interesting Facts
- Commonly confused with the Anarkali salwar kameez, the Abaya Style Churidar Kameez is different in many aspects:
- The sleeves in Abaya Style Churidar Kameez are always kept full length in contrast to the Anarkali salwar kameez which has many variants in terms of sleeve length
- The necklines are kept fairly modest in the Abaya Style Churidar Kameez
- Some of these dresses can cost up to 2-3 times of the average cost
- Fabrics used for these dresses are generally light weight, with several layers used in the lower parts of the kameez
- Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi wore these ensembles in the recent movie “Dedh Ishqiya”
Reference
Categories: Cultural Connections, Societal Influences