Indian Bridal Salwar Kameez: In spite of stiff competition from Sarees and ghagra cholis, the Indian salwar-kameez has maintained its position as the most convenient and graceful garment in Indian fashion. The fame and ease of the shalwar kameez has reached such breathtaking heights that most of the fresh breed designers have started channelizing a chief fraction of their creative abilities to give this ensemble a novel look. Varying from the ethnic touch to the cocktail look, the salwar kameez has come to go well with all occasions, especially weddings.

In general, there are diverse costumes for bride in different religions. Conventionally speaking, Indian Salwar Kameez is the bridal wear for only Punjabi women in India. Nowadays, however, young brides from North India also wear salwar kameez on their marriage day. A Sikh bride wears a dazzling shalwar kameez, especially the kurta is very gorgeous. The color of the Kameez is by and large red or magenta. The Dupatta is a necessity on the head of the bride. The salwar kameez is a heavily embroidered one.

Traditional Indian Salwar Kameez has specific design. Salwar or bottom part is a sort of slack Pajama like trouser. In the traditional design, it is broad from top. It has 4 to 5 inches belt attached to rest part of the salwar that is pleated. Upper part of the belt has passageway for the drawstring. Salwar has big room at thigh and calf area. Salwar has almost double bottom size as the perimeter of the ankle so as to make good space for the feet to put inside for wearing.

Traditional Kameez, also called kurta is usually long up to knee with wide fringes (Gher). It is approximately entirely covered from the back as back neck line depth like 2-3" and intermediate low at the front like 6-7" inches as front neck line in deepness. It is open or broad at neck like 6-7" inches to put the head into the Kameez. That is, kameez is usually found long upto knee, drawn out sleeves, medium neck and low down back depth.

The bridal salwar kameez is traditionally made on these lines as well. On the Indian subcontinent, for nuptial purposes you can opt for colors like rust brown, hues of red and yellow since it is considered propitious colors for Indian bride. The rich colours that are used are figurative of festivity/fertility. In our day, brides desire a modern-day look, a balance of contemporary design with the tradition. Yet, there are brides who dare to look ostentatious or don’t mind going for the 'mix and match look'.

The bridal salwar suits come in diverse fabrics and styles. Mostly bridal suits are offered in silk and brocade. Heavy embroidery is made on the suits with zardosi and zari work. Lucknow is prominent for its legendary chikankari suits. But the styles chikankari and zardosi have evolved over the years. Zardosi embroidery, which is done with gold thread, is typically seen in bridal suits. At the present time, Patiala style of salwar suits is in vogue; although churidar styles are also seen around. It has loads of gathers, and drapes in a well-designed mould forming smooth folds from hip to ankle. With the passage of time, the fashion of kameez salwar suits or kurtas has altered. A striking salwar kameez with elaborate golden embroidery beauty is an unparallel and extremely attractive suit, just the thing for brides looking for something exclusive.

Designer Salwar kameez have no parameters of creativity or it does not follow the rules of customary parameters even when they are being designed for weddings. Designer Salwar Kameez may be the result of non-uniform inventiveness, out of the box thoughts, odd combinations, uneven sections and disproportionate number of fabrics but the result is sheer beauty and elegance personified. Sometimes the churidar itself is immensely eye catching with exquisite designs on the lower part.

Designer Shalwar suits put into practice work like uneven patches of diverse fabrics on the base material, resham embroidery, silver embroidery, golden embroidery, metal beads, real pearls, unusual shapes and curves, stylish cuts, buckles, wood beads, glass beads, glass work, lace work and net work. Fashion designers follow amalgamation of varied beautiful and traditional concepts in terms of designs and patterns by means of a great combination of silk or cotton threads. At times you see brightly coloured kurta with a dazzling churidar, or may be the vice versa. Designer salwar kameezes are perfect for marriage and party wear and even as the bridal wear.

Hence, although bridal shalwar kameez is not worn by many because a saree is still the preferred wedding attire of most Indian women, but still, there are a good number of takers of the traditional ensemble today, its popularity as a wedding wear, growing by the day.

Indo-Western Trends in Salwar Kameez: Westernization is at its, zenith touching all aspects of the Indian way of life. So why should the humble Indian Salwar Kameez be left behind which is donned on by a majority of the females in India, from the mustard fields of Chandigarh to the desert region of Rajasthan. So, what is Indo-Western trends in Salwar Kameez ?

And if you thought this indo-western trend in salwar kameez won’t go down well with Indian women then look around you. The first mark of this indo-western trend in salwar kameez is the absence of the dupatta or the scarf, which is worn and carried differently by different women. If it has not totally disappeared, then it has lost considerable length in terms of meters. As per the Indian Salwar kameez trends of yester-years, the dupatta was an inescapable part of any salwar kameez ensemble.

It still is considered vital by a certain section and can’t be hailed as the only way of adapting to the Indo-western trends in Salwar Kameez. Sleeveless tunics, strap and spaghetti sleeved tunics worn over traditional Indian Pajamas and carried with a dupatta have been around for a decade now and are still in vogue, only that now they are worn over slacks or what most people call 'legging', which Wikipedia defines as "fitted, long tapering garments to cover the legs".

Indian Standards once considered these leggings immodest but thanks to the Western Salwar Kameez trends, they have become the most sought after piece of clothing in India. Everyone, from a teenage girl to a homemaker to a female corporate executive is considering leggings as a comfortable option to couple up with the kurta or the kurti.

Interestingly, though many of us are familiar with the Indian Salwar Kameez Trends, we are often found to be at a loss when it comes to differentiating between the two i.e. the kurta and the kurti. Well, the only difference is that the kurti is shorter and at present reaches just below the hip. And Yes! u guessed it right. It is another mark of indo western trends in salwar kameez.

One could see the impact of western trend in salwar kameez with empire-neck tunics and tunics with a centre yoke, worn over pajamas or leggings, making a foray into the Indian Market and take it virtually by storm. This western trend in salwar kameez shouldn’t come as a surprise, after all the foreigners are known to have been enchanted with vibrant colors, for which Indians have a fetish, since ages. They have modified the Indian Clothing to suit themselves - they made a tunic, which was a mix of Lycra and cotton that gave the quintessential feminine look that every female aspires for.

The Indians picked up these western trends and combined it with their age old ones, thus giving rise to the indo-western trends in salwar kameez, which is here to stay for atleast two to three years, thanks to the flexibility it has provided the Indian Woman in terms of design, cut, color and fabric.

Comfort Factor Of Indian Salwar Kameez: The salwar kameez is widely regarded as the most comfortable of all Indian garments. The variation in styles allows easy movement as well as versatility. Once the proper fabric for the suit is chosen, it is time for the artisan to display his handiwork. Hand worked fabrics are those which are embroidered or embellished using manual skills. Flawless hand embroidery requires a lot of dexterity and patience. India is famous for it’s regional styles of needlework and has numerous artisans all over the country who are experts in provincial embroidery work.

The most widely preferred of all Indian needlecraft is the renowned Lucknowi chikankari. Chikankari salwar kurtas are very popular because of their elegant style as well as the comfort factor. Chikankari is also practiced in Rampur and Agra, both of which are well known too. Chikankari work consists of delicate floral designs stitched onto fine cotton or muslin cloth. Other than chikankari, the hand painted designs and Jamdani weave of Faizabad is also quite admired.

Among the prominent embroidery styles of northern india, the Punjabi ‘phulkari’ is widely practiced. ‘Phulkari’ which means growing flowers, is practiced by Punjabi women and can trace its origins as far back as the Vedic ages. ‘Phulkari’ work is done using silk floss on ‘khadi’. The stitching is complicated as a single thread is used at a time and worked in various directions to achieve the light and shadow effect. Chope, ghunghat bagh, suber, darshan-dwaar and chamba are some of the common ‘phulkari’ styles.

Eastern India is famed for its Bengali ‘kantha’ stitch, especially on wedding sarees. The various styles of ‘kantha’ stitching include sujni kantha, archilata kantha, durjani kantha and rumal kantha. ‘Kantha’ stitch is basically running stitch cleverly sewn to resemble various motifs. The style of stitching varies from the simple style to the mat style, maze style and tessellation style. Neighbor Sikkim on the other hand is recognized for its leather appliqués.

Western India has its mirror work over colorful thread embroidery which is a specialty of the Rajasthani gypsies. Rajasthan is also famous for block printing, bandhini (tie and dye) and of course the intricate Jodhpuri jaali work. Coming to central India, the zari work of Indore and Bhopal are much appreciated.

Another kind of legendary Indian embroidery is the Aari or Zardosi embroidery. This variety of embroidery was introduced by the Mughals. ‘Aar’ which means needle is done on a wooden frame which keeps the cloth fixed and stretched out. The designs are copied onto the fabric and then thread is traced over the outline. This method is borrowed from the technique of cot making. It enables artisans the freedom to use both hands thus increasing speed and expertise. Once the designs are overlaid with thread, beads, sequins and gold or silver wires are used for further embellishment giving the finished product a rich look.

Indian needlework has always attracted connoisseurs from around the world with its distinctive style and the level of skill shown by artisans. The art of this embroidery are passed on from one generation to another and always leaves people awestruck at the beautiful designs.