I Didn’t Want My Mother To Be Modest. I Wanted Her To Be Free.

You see the lady in red?

She’s wearing traditional Indian clothes. Specifically, a ‘salwar’, short for ‘salwar kameez’.

A salwar is a three part ensemble, consisting of a long (or short!) tunic, light, loose (or tight!) trousers and a shawl.

It comes in all colours of the rainbow. It can be embroidered. Embellished. (The picture I’ve chosen makes it look drab, but just google a salwar in tandem with the words ‘Bollywood’ and ‘designer’-you’ll find some eye catching outfits!) The sky’s the limit, really.

Most people think of a sari when they hear ‘traditional Indian clothes’, but several metres of cloth is rather cumbersome outside of a party or a wedding. (Ever thought of the toilet situation?)

In everyday life, a salwar is much more comfortable-and usual.

You have probably seen this outfit in other countries (the UK?) as well.

That’s because a lot of Indian women like to wear their traditional clothes irrespective of whether or not they live and work in a Western country. After all, it’s a piece of home!