The Evolution of Salwar Kameez
The Salwar Kameez craze isn’t new to us. It has always been a staple in Indian clothing. However, over time as generations pass, the traditional original form of Salwar Kameez has evolved into something else entirely! Here’s a quick recap of its history and how it has changed over time.
The Mughal Influence
Believed to have originated from the Mughal era, the salwar kameez used to be just a combination of a tunic and loose bottoms. Anarkali suits and sharara suits, strongly influenced by Persian culture, were most popular at that time as an opulent outfit choice meant for royals and courtesans. While anarkali suits are still a popular option for special occasions, it is not restricted to that alone. People wear anarkali suits on a daily basis to work and outings too.
The Bollywood Influence
The salwar kameez fad had evolved into everyday casual patiala suits in the northern states of the country. Soon after, the Bollywood influence brought about snug, figure-hugging churidar suits, made popular by actress Sadhana in the 1960s-80s which were embraced with larger than life hairdos. Soon, by the 1990s, Madhuri Dixit was killing it in modernized halter neck salwar kameez and sheer outfits in Dil To Pagal Hai.
The 21st Century Twist
As we entered the new century, there came a new twist to the traditional salwar kameez. Kurta sets or just Kurtis became more popular in the early 2000s and the dupatta no longer played a part in the outfit. Younger Bollywood actresses and designers brought about the shift in traditional outfits to indo-western outfits like pairing a t-shirt with patiala pants or palazzos and everyone is more than happy to jump onto the bandwagon. In fact, I think it’s safe to say we all loved Anushka Sharma’s ‘leather jacket and Kurti’ look in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.
Thus, the salwar kameez went from being the obvious staple everyday wear to a fashion statement in simply a few decades. Now as are moving towards the second decade of the century, with heavy worked dupatta coming back into fashion, we are left wondering if we will embrace the traditional salwar kameez once again.