Indo-western clothing

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Indo-Western clothing is the fusion of Western and Subcontinental fashion. With increasing Indo-Pak exposure to the Western world, the merging of women's clothing styles was inevitable. Many Indo-Pak women residing in the West still prefer to wear traditional salwar kameez and sarees; however, some women, particularly those of the younger generation, choose Indo-Western clothing.

The quintessential Indo-Western ensemble is the trouser suit, which is a short kurta with straight pants and a dupatta. Newer designs often feature sleeveless tops, short dupattas, and pants with slits. New fusion fashions are emerging rapidly, as designers compete to produce designs in tune with current trends.

Additional examples of the fusion that Indo-Western clothing represents include wearing jeans with a choli, salwar or kurta, adding a dupatta to a Western-style outfit, and wearing a lehnga (long skirt) with a tank top or halter top.

[edit] Distinctive elements in Indo-Western fashions

• Sleeve length - The traditional salwar has long or short sleeves. An Indo-Western design might forego sleeves altogether, or replace the sleeves with spaghetti straps, resembling the style of a tank top or halter. There are also poncho-styled tops and one-sleeve designs that follow contemporary Western trends.
• Shirt length - Indo-Western kurtas and salwars tend to be much shorter than those traditionally worn, so that they resemble Western-style blouses.
• Necklines - Some Indo-Western tops are available with plunging necklines, in contrast to the traditional styling of salwars and kurtas.