Sherwani

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An old-fashioned Hyderabadi gentleman wearing an everyday Sherwani and Fez hat

Sherwani (Urdu: شیروانی ) is a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia, very similar to an Achkan. It is worn over the Kurta and Churidar, Khara pajama, a salwar, or, in India, a dhoti. The Sherwani originated in Central Asia and was the court dress of nobles of Turkish and Persian origin in the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire, before being more generally adopted in the late eighteenth century. It was also associated with the court of the Nizam of Hyderabad State. It is the national dress of Pakistan for men, as it is not specifically associated with any of the provinces. In India, it is generally worn for formal occasions in winter by those of North Indian descent, especially those from Uttar Pradesh. Most government officials in South Asia wear the formal black Sherwani on state occasions, which in India is closely associated with the nation's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

This Sherwani coat fits close to the body, fastened in the front with buttons, and extends to slightly below knee-length. Sherwanis are usually embroidered or detailed in some way. Many South Asian grooms wear them at their weddings.

[edit] Trivia

In The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, the black coat that Neo wears inside the Matrix appears to be a combination of a Nehru jacket and a Sherwani, or a single brested cassock.