Indian Accessories

One of the traditional costumes of South Asia Salwar kameez is favored by a large number of women in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangla Desh. Salwar kameez is also known as Punjabi suit since it is a very popular outfit in Indian

and Pakistani Punjabis. Salwar is termed as salwar in Hindi and Punjabi, shalwaar in Gujarati and shalwar in Urdu, the Pakistani language while kameez is known as Qamiz in Pakistan. The salwar suit includes a bottom wear called salwar, a top kameez and a dupatta.

Salwar is a pajama like trousers that is loose and wider at the waist and thighs and becoming narrower at the bottom. Usually salwar has pleats at the waist and held up at the waist with the help of a drawstring or an elastic belt or a woven cord known as “Naala” or “Nssda”. Salwars are available in various designs. The normal salwars are wide like baggies, but some of the ultra modern women like to have only tight fitting salwars termed as pyjamis/churidar or churidar pyjamis. Patiala and Malwa region of Indian Punjab produce a loose variety of salwars known as Patiala shahi salwars with pleats at the front and the back. Patiala’s waist cord ‘Naala’/’Naada’ is also as famous as its Shahi salwars.

Kameez is like a long shirt or tunic with side seams, known as ‘chaak’, that are left open below the waist line giving free movement to the wearer. Traditional kameez looks flat with straight cuts and side cuts while modern kameez is provided with latest set-in-sleeves. Traditional kameez is either loose or normal whereas fashionable ladies opt for tight-fitting, figure-hugging kameez. A kameez requires tailoring skills to be stitched beautifully, specifically the neckline that might be either simple or decorated with embroideries, beads, mirrors, stones etc…

Dupatta is a long scarf or shawl-like cloth of light material worn by women around their heads or necks along with salwar suits. Often North Indian and Punjabi married women cover their head with the dupatta before elderly relatives like father-in-law and while at religious places or ceremonies.

Some ultra-modern kameez are tight fitting with deep cut plunging necks and short length. They might be sleeveless or styled in cup-sleeve designs and made in diaphanous materials. Some latest kameez are seen with the side seams start splitting from the waistline and salwars are tied very low on the hips. Some ultra fashion-aware women wear semi-transparent kameez mostly while going to parties, but they wear a choli or a cropped camisole as undergarment.

Salwar kameez is stitched in various fabrics, such as cotton, chiffon, silk, Banarasi fabrics, polycot and synthetics and some imported materials. Cotton suits are ideal for summer wear and daily use and are affordable while chiffon is finer and costlier than cotton. Luxurious and expensive silk suits adorned with various materials are worn on very special occasions. Usually fine light materials are used for stitching salwar kameez.

It seems that almost every season starts with modifications in the existing styles and fashions and introduction of some new ones. The demand for Indian Salwar Kameez, now days, is very high especially among girls and young working ladies.

Girls love to wear Indian Salwars, no matter whether it is short kurtas, salwar, trouser pants, churidars, partials or something similar to these. You will get a feeling of comfort in this wear particularly during sweltering summers when every one goes for light garments.

The latest trend wearing a printed salwar and a plain kurta is an instant hit with the college girls and the office going women. Almost all girls find a fancy in this latest salwar suit. People love this costume for its easy-to-wear feature and the comforts it provides in all seasons, especially in severe summer. More, a properly stitched Indian salwar gives an elegant look to the wearer. Even the West is deeply impressed with the fashionable Indian Salwar Kameez. Now you can easily access these Indian salwars by placing your order online, whether you are in or outside India.

The following are a few latest designs in Indian salwar kameez:

Richly embellished Indian salwar suits are very suitable to wear at the times of weddings, festivals, parties and other special occasions. Popular embroideries like dabka, zardozi, kundan etc are done on these salwar to give them a sophisticated look.

Silk salwar kameez has a majestic look and fit for any special occasion. These salwar suits are coming in various vibrant colors such as red, green, pink, violet and magenta. Heavy embroideries done on them add the beauty of the salwar set. Silk salwar suits are available in unique cuts and styles.

Churidar salwars, available in different tones, are gaining popularity among young women and college girls these days. They look attractive and elegant when short kurtis, anarkalis and long kameez worn as tops.

Embroidered salwars are loved by most of the Indian women as heavy bottoms/salwars give the costume a very heavy look. To have a heavy look, rich embellishments are done on salwars, parallels and churidars

Lucknow salwars are very famous for their crisp fabric, diverse color range and the fabulous fall of the cloth. These salwars are getting recognition from the young girls very fast. For the college girls and young working women, the combination of a good shade salwar and an elegant kurta seems very attractive as these casual wear is comfortable as well as very appealing. Indian salwar kameez in its different designs and styles have always been the first preference among women.

A wedding is celebrated in all parts and cultures of the world with fun and festivity. Wedding traditions and customs are different for different cultures, religions, countries, ethnic groups and social classes. A bride is usually

donned with customary outfits followed by subsequent generations on her wedding day. As Pakistan was a part of India before 1947 the bridal costumes of various religions in these two countries are almost the same. As a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual nation, different parts of India follow different styles of wedding dresses in accordance with their traditions.
Sari, the national dress of Indian women, is worn by most of the Hindu brides as their wedding costume. South Indian brides generally wear very expensive Kanjeevaram silk saris with elaborate zari works while their North Indian counter parts go for too costly Banarasi silk or some other richly embroidered and stone-studded expensive saris. Usually bridal saris come in popular traditional colors like maroon, magenta, pink and red.
In some parts of North India brides wear “Ghagra Choli as their wedding attire. Ghagra choli is available in three pieces, a long skirt, a short top choli/blouse and a long scarf known as “dupatta” to drape over the shoulders. In Punjab and Haryana this outfit is known as “Lehenga Choli”. The bridal ghagra choli is usually found in the popular traditional colors of maroon, burgundy, pink, red or wine red. In addition to the lehenga choli, Punjabi brides prefer to wear salwar-kameez, popularly called Punjabi Suits. You can see the dominance of red shades in the Punjabi bridal dresses. These bridal dresses are made up of costly silk or some superior variety of fabrics.
Lehanga or ghagra cholis are very much favored by Pakistani brides whereas Pakistani Punjabi brides’ choice goes with Punjabi suit. But some of the conservative Muslim brides in Pakistani Punjab do wear ‘burkahs’ or purdah instead of dupatta. Kurti is another costume worn by some Pakistani brides. Kurti, worn by women in North India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a traditional piece of attire, similar to male kurta. Traditional Pakistani brides hide their face with a veil while North Indian brides cover their head with dupatta or an end of the sari and the South Indians leave their head and face uncovered.
Both Indian and Pakistani bridal costumes are adorned with magnificent embroidery works at neckline and front hems. Some bridal dresses have even rich embroidery works done with gold or silver threads. These dresses are sometimes embellished with embroidery using colored beads and glittering stones or mirrors. Above all, certain well-to-do families in India and Pakistan use expensive jewelry in the making of bridal costumes.

A woman, draped in a lovely printed sari looks too elegant and graceful. Printing on textile fabrics is a process by which decorative designs or patterns are made on them using dyes, pigments or other related materials.

Even though the fabrics get a kind of decorative pattern during spinning printing offers an added look and appeal to the fabric. Saris made of different fabrics also are decorated with various designs and colors by sari printing or painting to make them more attractive and eye catching. Usually various types of Indian apparels have different styles of printing on them; some have abstract designs while others contain block printing.
Let us have a look at some of the important types of sari prints:
Golden Print Saris: These types of saris are very popular now and are available in various colors, designs and fabrics with golden prints on them. These golden prints enhance the beauty of the sari and make it more appealing and graceful.
Flower Print Saris: Flowers are beautiful, it is a universal truth. When floral prints in bright colors appear on saris there is naturally a mad rush among women to own one. These patterns of flowers make the attire look vivid. Very bright and fluorescent colors are used in the floral print saris to print a lot of big and small flowers.
Abstract Prints: No doubt, both the sari and the wearer get a stylish look by the abstract prints on saris. You find these saris in different colors, fabrics and designs and can wear on any time.
Bandhej Print Saris: Usually Bandhej designs are printed on traditional Indian saris. These saris, available in various fabrics and multicolor are extremely popular among Indian women.
Block Prints: In this traditional method of printing color blocks of different designs are used. These block designs give the sari a different and endearing look and these multicolor saris look very attractive.
Lehariya Printed Saris: This is the most sought after sari and has been in the top place among all types of printed saris for several years. Lehariya saris have all kinds of stripes vertical, horizontal or diagonal printed on them. Saris or blouse with printed stripes are considered as evergreen attire loved by working class women. Young ladies and women draped in striped printed saris is a frequent sight. These saris give an exceptionally classy and elegant look to the wearer.
Kalamkari Print Saris: Saris with kalamkari prints have an entirely unique and different look and have been a favorite of Indian women for decades. This print looks fascinating in all colors and fabrics.
Geometric Prints: Wearing a geometric print sari, available in all fashion fabrics like crepe, georgette, chiffon, laser etc is today’s craze. The saris look spectacular in different color combinations of the patterns.
Printed saris are affordable and the cost depends on the types of fabric and the prints used. Modern fashion designers use high-tech machines to print patterns fast and effectively.

A South Indian woman’s passion with silk saris cannot be described in mere words. In this modern world where drastic changes have taken place in every walk of life, a South Indian bride still sticks to wear a traditional silk sari on her wedding day. With the passage of each year, you can see definite changes in the sari designs as well. There exists literally a war among the South Indian retailers in bringing out innovations in silk saris to attract women. It is very interesting to know about the latest silk saris with remarkable innovations introduced quite recently.
The sari-shirt combo is one of the latest varieties of silk sari recently launched in Tamil Nadu, South India. This sari-shirt combination, known as Jodi Pattu, has a designed sari and a matching shirt piece intended for the lady’s husband. The sari and the shirt are woven in pure handloom silk. The pallu has a beautiful embroidery work that is found on the shirt piece too.
The concept of the color changing sari is that when the lady wearing the sari comes out of her house you can see a change in the color of the sari. This color change happens when the sari is exposed to sunlight. The retailer of such saris claims that it is the first time that color changing saris have been developed in the world,
Another innovation, known as The Durbar Krishna sari, carries a famous picture of Lord Krishna in the pallu embellished with swarowski crystals. This picture of Lord Krishna is believed to shower good luck to the wearer.
A marvelous innovative concept is the zip-n-wear sari, a sari designed with four different matching pallus. All the pallus have attached zips with which the wearer can detach one pallu very easily and attach another one within seconds. Never heard or seen before. This reversible sari with four attractive pallus and two different body colors could be worn in four different ways. No doubt, this creative and stylish design must have attracted every one.
The latest innovations include a silk sari with a pocket that can hold a mobile phone or other small articles just like a pant pocket.
A new type of sari recently introduced called the Landscape Sari is made up of pure silk and the pallu has the design of a beautiful landscape from a rural area woven into it. The Denim sari, woven in pure silk has the look of denim, but retains the soft feel the unique quality of silk. Vastrakala pattu, a new variety, contains North Indian art works done in the traditional South Indian Kanjeevaram silk saris.
Look, there is no limit for man’s creative powers; he has created wonders even in a simple 5 meter stretch of silk cloth using his innovative skills.

India’s true culture and heritage rest with its tribal community because the tribal people have preserved the ancient arts and crafts in their proper form while the rest of India had been continuously influenced by globalization. Ethnic tribal jewelry could be surely included in the preserved craft. India has several types of tribal folks, each differing from one another in many ways and the jewelry created by each is also unique in its own style. They use materials available in the local area to make jewelry that is charming in its rustic and earthy way. They craft their jewelry using primitive tools and its appeal lies in its chunky, unrefined looks. The raw materials like bone, wood, clay, shells, crude metals etc are generally used to make tribal jewelry and the shapes are basic.
The Rajasthan tribes, Banjara, create colorful heavy jewelry and belts that are decorated with shells, metal-mesh, coins, beads and chains. Their very famous silver jewelry, a vast collection of earrings, bracelets, bangles, armlets, anklets, hairpins and necklaces, have a unique oxidized appearance and are usually embellished with tiny silver bells and color stones.
The tribes of Bastar in Madhya Pradesh State produce jewelry of grass, beads and cane and popular traditional ornaments out of silver, wood, glass, peacock feathers, copper and wild flowers. Their women wear chains of one rupee coins.
Meghalaya’s tribes Khasi and Jaintia make a unique type of necklace with thick red coral bead and Garo tribe makes the same with thin fluted stems of glass strung by fine thread.
The tribe of Sikkim called Bhutia has jewelry of gold, silver, coral, turquoise and zee stone.
The picturesque North East Indian state’s tribal jewelry of cane and bamboo is very famous. They also use brass, bone, ivory, silver and gold to make their jewelry that are decorated with colorful beads, blue feathers of birds, green wings of beetles. The tribe called Wanchos creates earrings of glass beads, wild seeds, cane, bamboo and reed while the Karka Gallong tribal women wear heavy iron earrings that are coiled several times, metal coin necklaces and waistbands of leather embedded with stones.
Here special mention should be made about the silver bangles of the Gonda tribe. Some bangles are solid while others are hollow. The jeweler makes the bangle in such a way that once it is worn cannot be removed forever. Bangles for special occasion are removable with a hinge mechanism.

Though accepted as a universal jewel, the rings made in India have distinct features and fine qualities. Go inside a popular jewel show room and have a glance at the innumerable rings displayed in the glass cases. These rings are exceptionally beautiful and glamorous in fabulous designs and sizes, embellished with colorful stones or beads. In India even a new born baby’s fingers will be decorated with very tiny golden rings.
Rings are usually worn on finger or thumb, but this small ornamental hoop could be attached to the ear or the nose. All the leading retailer of fine jewelry offer a huge selection of engagement rings, anniversary rings, wedding rings, gemstone and diamond rings, rings in gold, silver and platinum etc.
Diamond rings with Gemstones will make any occasion a long lasting memorable day. Whether the bride loves three stone diamond ring or a platinum diamond ring with gemstones, you are shown a wide range of exquisitely designed rings from which you can select one to please “the would be diamond” in your life. The diamond gemstone rings, in vibrant attractive designs, exemplify splendor and charm. There is also a vast collection of fancy and colorful casual diamond rings to be worn on any occasion.
In India way back during 2500-1500 BC finger rings made of bronze, gold, and silver have been found in the Indus valley whereas in Egypt rings from 1600 B.C. were considered as a symbol of status and were exchanged as a pledge or seal of faith.
Wedding Bands: For Europeans wearing a ring is a symbol of commitment and love and this culture has spread all over the world. Now wedding bands have become a tradition for marrying couple every where. Diamond, gold and titanium rings have all their own meaning. Both traditional and new designs of plain wedding bands are available and the selection of bands includes ornate designs cast in yellow or white gold.
Today rings are available in numerous designs and in any material like plastic, brass, iron, aluminum, stainless steel etc. Young people prefer rings made out of such materials and they are decorated with bright motifs, stones and funky designs making the rings a bold fashion statement. You also get rings with inlaid stones that provide an extra sparkle to this small jewelry. You find rings with very small thin pendants hanging loosely. This tiny piece of jewelry, though simple, looks very elegant on the wearer.

Gone are the days of glittering elegant wedding saris. It is the lehenga that a city bride prefers today and the bolder it is the better. A lehenga is an integral part of a bride’s trousseau. While the traditional flowing ghaghras continue to hold sway with the blushing bride, the ever-adventurous city girl is favoring bold designs and slim fits teemed with corsets and even bikini tops. The modern designers have experimented with the slimmer fits, even the known retail shops are offering exquisite pieces of bridal lehenga to the bride get her dream look. These eye-catching lehengas are rich in every aspect, including the price. It is very interesting to have a look at some of the gorgeous latest wedding lehengas preferred by the city girl.

Bridal lehengas, with a traditional touch and mostly in conventional cut, could be customized in fish cuts too for a slimmer fit. The color range is diverse from the usual red and fuchsia to orange, green and lilac. Customization can also be done for a higher price range. Multi-colored lehengas having striped border and art work with sequins, stones and gota patti are also available. Prices start from $1250 and can go up to a $2500 and above.

A shimmering and shining bridal lehenga, available in net, georgette, silk and satin is embellished with stones of various colors, like pink, orange, white etc. The cost ranges between $250 and $5000.

A bit traditional lehenga with Swarovski, crystal embellishments, numerous layers of lush satin lining, Benarasi brocade borders and anarkalis with delicate lace arms can make just an ordinary bride elegant and attractive. A bride wearing a lehenga in gold lame with shades of red and white Swarovski with antique gold works will look exceptionally enchanting. The dupatta is in net and the red velvet choli/jacket has Swarovski pearls, beads and crystals. The price is very high starting at $7500.

The modern bride can get adventurous with lehengas in various appealing colors ranging from light pista green to interesting shades like champagne. A saffron-colored georgette lehenga with a halter-neck top in silk or georgette having cut stones in white and red is an ideal choice for a new-age bride. Price starts at $500 and goes up to $6250

Another latest bridal lehenga, a mixture of tradition and glamour, is available in a range of colors from warm hues to ice tones. The gold woven fabrics are textured by way of dobby and jacquard techniques in a unique fashion. Shimmering satins are distinctly embroidered with materials like gold zari and crystals. A bride looks exceptionally charming in a red or orange chiffon layered lehenga with embellished belt and border. The price is around $2125.

The modern designers are prepared to satisfy the ever-changing tastes and trends of today’s bride by bringing out new varieties of bridal lehengas to make the bride-s most special day, a memorable one.

As the tendency to wear more and more jewelry increases jewelry designers and producers take this opportunity to make numerous eye catching designs and models of wearable ornaments. Wearing jewelry does not end up with the word fashion, but today it has become an approach to enjoy life with style.
The recent steep rise in the jewelry materials like gold, diamond, platinum etc has forced the jewelry shoppers to find some alternatives to these expensive metals. In this situation silver could be the best option. The comparatively low cost of silver helps people to buy more numbers of silver trinkets with the same amount they will spend on gold, diamond or platinum jewelry. Moreover, the metal silver is so soft that the designers are able to craft various intricate designs that they cannot make with gold or platinum.
Silver ornaments, when polished brightly, get a pleasing shiny, cool look. People prefer to wear silver jewelry at parties since these jewelry articles look exceptionally bright and shining in the moonlight. Silver accessories, at times, are worn to express personal styles where as other times these pieces are loved as fashionable materials of art. The statement “silver is worn to express personal styles” means the look generated when silver trinkets are worn is just as the same looks generated by clothing, hair styles and other jewelry articles.
The ornaments made out of silver are suitable to wear for daylight as well as evening occasions. Jewelers take advantage of this special feature of silver and design and produce silver trinkets for all seasons. Today the production of silver metal ornaments has touched the level of creating silver jewelry to fit every occasion like casual wear, sport wear and stylish wear. If worn with dark clothing the silver will highlight your personal wearing style to the viewers. Silver gives a stunning and very comfortable look against exposed skin areas when light weight or summer clothes are worn.
Just imagine, an ordinary metal like silver possesses many extra ordinary hidden features. No wonder, this low-priced metal capable of producing a number of intricate jewelry has become a trend setter today.

Silver is found in nature as a crude ore. Can you imagine such crude silver could be refined and used to produce some of the most attractive and intricate ornaments that men and women wear on all occasions? In India, unique and exceptionally beautiful silver ornaments are made in almost all parts of the country. The states Gujarat and Rajasthan craft a special oxidized silver jewelry with a chunky appearance. This popular jewelry is usually studded with various colorful and attractive gemstones. Decorative materials like beads, shells, mirrors, colorful threads, feathers, jute ornamentation, crystals etc are often added to Indian silver jewelry to make it more attractive. Delicate and elegant silver jewelry has also a very significant place among Indian masses.
You can count several reasons for the worldwide popularity of silver jewelry. It has the power to capture the attention of everybody with its lustrous, pristine appearance. Its availability at an affordable price even to an ordinary person is an added attraction. Silver jewelry is much cheaper than gold and platinum jewelry. To sum up, you can see a healthy large customer base for silver with its wide range of gorgeous and intricate ornaments such as necklaces, earrings, pendants, rings, bangles, anklets, hair ornaments, brooches, bracelets etc…etc…
Pure silver is very soft and malleable, but gets damaged very easily. It is approximately 99.9 % silver and is suitable to create only intricate jewelry where its delicate nature is needed. Alloys of silver are used to make much sturdier and stronger jewelry
Important Alloys of Silver
Britannia Silver has 95.84 % silver and 4.16 % copper. Mexican Silver contains 95 % silver and 5 % copper. Sterling Silver consists of 92.5 % silver and 7.5 % copper. Coin Silver is a combination of 90 % silver and 10 % copper and German silver is 80 % silver.
Sterling silver, perhaps, is strong, durable and harder than pure silver and the most suitable silver alloy to make jewelry. It can reflect light very well and it does not wear like silver plating. Silver trinkets can be made either by machine or hand. Machine can make very fine silver jewelry having a better overall finish. It becomes cheaper, as it is produced easily at a very large scale. The advantage with handmade silver jewelry is that it is very unique, and could be customized. Only skilled craftsmen can create silver jewelry with hands and two pieces of jewelry can never be identical.
Keep silver jewelry in a separate pouch or a compartment of the jewelry box to save it from getting scratches and avoid any contact with chemicals like bleach, ammonia and chlorinated water. If got tarnished, silver jewelry could be polished to its original shining.