People ask me: Which dress is your most favourite? I say jeans and T shirt. Then they ask: Which is the dress which is the most comfortable? I say Salwaar Kameez. Many women though they love jeans or saree cannot deny that salwaar is the most comfortable, decent Indian wear. It is the loose fitting dress which covers the entire body. The typical salwaar is a long top which comes just beyond the knees with slits on both sides and the Kameez is a loose pyjama like shaped uniquely with a ribbon or nada to adjust tightness around the hips. The dress comes with a dupatta which is a piece of cloth that hangs like a chain around the neck.
There are many variations. Some like their SK to be tight and figure hugging with a deep neck and back. But the loose fitting cotton with closed back, average neck is my personal favorite and ideal for summer heat. The dupatta works two ways. First it protects and covers the front portion and second the back too is well covered in case the salwaar material is too transparent.
I didn't much bother to trace back the origin of the dress. They say its Punjabi. Whatever it may be, it has become the most sought after dress by all Indian women. No India Fashion show is complete without the usual display of collection of SK. Colleges have made it a compulsory wear. Even the western wear jeans has been made Indian- jeans and kurta- very much like SK. SK materials as well as ready made dresses are available in plenty in all clothes showrooms. Because of the high demand they are turning out to be quite expensive. A good quality cotton salwaar material costs minimum Rs. 300/-.
SK offers a lot of free movement and space which is not found in the saree or sometimes even jeans. I personally don't like anything to be tight. It restricts my breathing. One can run, jump, fight, climb with the SK without being too self conscious. One can rightly say that the SK is one of the cleverest inventions of India which has brought about a sea change in women's attitude and also has contributed to women's empowerment. Now everyone even from those below poverty line and the remotest of villages has started embracing this dress. Long live SK! Long live womanhood!
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