Most Indian women in urban cities wear kurta pyjamas and salwar kameez. It is preferred because it is comfortable,stylish and modest. Also, lots of variety of styles and designs can be explored and worn as well.
Recently, I had gone to a tailor to get a couple of dresses stiched. I am pregnant now and need to get dresses stictched every couple of months.I have stitched two pyjamas white and black as they go with most of the colours. And when ever my tummy grows beyond the size of my kurta, I go knocking the door of the tailor.
So, this time again before Christmas I went to the shop to buy some cloth. I chose a pink and light green cotton cloth to get it stitched. I told the tailor I needed them to be stitched into salwars. He took out his note book, pen and tape and started to take the measurements. He pulled open the tape to measure from my waist to my ankle. I said’ Stop, I want you to stitch the top portion of the dress. He said ” Madam, you only asked to get a salwar stitched). I replied, ‘Yeah, I asked you to stitch a salwar. Is’nt the top portion of the dress called as salwar?” Tailor smiles giving the expression – You dont even know what you are wearing and assuming that it is something that you have been wearing for years!!
I told him, I was of the understanding, the bottom portion is called pyjama..and then i shot a question – what is the top portion called – He said ‘Kurti’. I was like Oh Yeah – It is called as salwar kameez, kurta pyjama.Oh my god! I have been wearing them for the past 10 years and it is only now that I know what a salwar actually means!
I did share this incident with some of my friends. One of them responded saying that even she was enlightened by her tailor. And her tailor had given a logic of Salwar- Talwar. A talwar( sword) is hung from the waist. Salwar rhymes with Talwar.And a salwar is worn from the waist. Interesting logic!
with salwar,
vivina
Recent Comments