clothing

This is one of the three outfits you’ll see in almost all of my pictures. The style is called salwar kameez and it’s what most younger Indians wear these days. Mumbai and some parts of Pune are more ‘anything goes,’ but many still go this semi-traditional route. It’s comprised of the long top, or kameez, which reaches the knees and has a slit up each side, and the pants, or salwar. The later have a drawstring top and are so baggy I could probably smuggle small farm animals out of the country, if I was so inclined. The scarf over the top is called a dupatta and is not optional. [Remember that modesty, ladies.] I really like this part of the outfit, but it is a bother to keep in place. If all the Indian girls I see are constantly adjusting theirs, what chance do I have?

A Carleton student named Eberly is in India visiting her host family from last year and we should be going sari shopping in Pune sometime soon. Older women and some younger ones wear them all the time in Phaltan, so I’ll look for something I can wear on a regular day as well as a dressy one for special occasions. Salwar Kameez is much more comfortable than Western clothing for the heat and humidity, and it’s easier than a sari, but I can’t help but miss my waist. My current clothing skips directly from shoulders to hips, without referencing any variation in-between.