![\"\"](\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Pakistani_Punjabis_at_a_wedding.jpg\")
<\/a>Examples of traditional Pakistani dress at a wedding; image by Alvi Haroon on Wikimedia Commons, public domain.<\/p><\/div>\n
Now, let’s discuss one of the words I just mentioned above: pajama! Sound familiar? The word pajama was borrowed into English from Hindustani (\u067e\u0627\u062c\u0627\u0645\u06c1) in around 1800; yet the Hindustani word itself was originally borrowed from the Persian “paay-jaameh” (\u067e\u0627\u064a\u062c\u0627\u0645\u0647<\/span>\u200e)\u00a0 or “leg garment<\/span>; this term merely indicates loose-fitting, lightweight pants with a drawstring (izaarband\/\u0627\u0632\u0627\u0631\u0628\u0646\u062f) around the waist, not the clothes you sleep in \ud83d\ude09 This lower garment is worn by both men and women today. As for another lower garment mentioned above, the \u062f\u06be\u0648\u062a\u06cc\/dhoti is worn by men throughout South Asia and usually consists of around 15 feet of (generally cotton but can be silk for a special occasion) rectangular, unstitched cloth that is draped around the legs and waist and tied at the waist to create a comfortable, airy garment that is perfect for lounging, doing work or, in some cases, getting married!<\/p>\n Image by Matteo on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0.<\/p><\/div>\n As for all-important headgear, Muslim men, especially, wear a taqiyah\u00a0(Arabic: \u0637\u0627\u0642\u064a\u0629), or, as it more colloquially known, a \u0679\u0648\u067e\u06cc\/topi (cap), which is a squat, round skullcap worn oftentimes for religious purposes. It is considered proper to cover your head while entering a mosque to partake in prayer as the Prophet Muhammed was said to have kept his head covered while engaging in religious activities. This kind of head covering is particularly prevalent while Muslims engage in \u0646\u0645\u0627\u0632\/namaaz, or the five daily prayers that form one of the five pillars or commendable practices of Islam.<\/p>\n A dupatta (\u062f\u0648\u067e\u0679\u0627 or \u0686\u0646\u0651\u06cc\/chunni) is a common accessory or feature of a woman’s outfit, although many women living in large cities may not wear them, or may wear them as a fashion accessory rather than a “symbol of modesty,” which they were originally intended to be. A dupatta or chunni is just a long scarf that, when worn for modesty’s sake, is draped across the chest or across the chest and over the hair, especially when entering a mosque for prayer.<\/p>\n An image of two children taken in the modern-day state of Jammu & Kashmir in 1890; both of the children are wearing churidaar. Image by Fowler&Fowler on Wikimedia Commons, public domain.<\/p><\/div>\n \u06af\u06be\u0627\u06af\u06be\u0631\u0627 \u0686\u0648\u0644\u06cc\/Ghaghra choli is an outfit women may wear to a special occasion, such as a party or wedding. It consists of a long, flowing skirt, usually heavily embroidered or otherwise decorated, and a form-fitting, midriff-bearing blouse (the choli). A variant of this is the \u0644\u06c1\u0646\u06af\u0627\/lehenga, which is also comprised of a long, flowing skirt and short upper garment. The variations in style with these two outfits are almost endless. And then, of course, is the \u0633\u0627\u0691\u06cc\/sari, a popular garment in both Indian and Pakistan that is perfect for daily wear or a festive occasion. It consists of yards of fabric that are wrapped around the body and over the shoulder. Underneath is a long petticoat and a choli blouse.<\/p>\n Another, less common outfit seen today is a “gharara,” (\u063a\u0631\u0627\u0631\u06c1), which originally hails from Lucknow. It consists of a \u06a9\u0631\u062a\u06cc\/kurti (or short, waist to mid-thigh length tunic), a dupatta or scarf and a pair of wide-legged pants that are ruched at the knee so that they may flare out conspicuously. The knee area of the garment (called “\u06af\u0648\u062a\u0627\/gota”) is usually intricately decorated with zari\/\u0632\u0631\u06cc (thread work of fine gold or silver) or zardozi\/\u0632\u0631\u062f\u0648\u0632\u06cc (another type of embroidery using gold and silver thread as well as sometimes metal, pearls and precious stones) embroidery.<\/p>\n A bridal gharara with zardozi embroidery; image by Farmina Khan on Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.<\/p><\/div>\n As for garments that demonstrate a person’s religious devotion, women may wear a burqa (\u0628\u0631\u0642\u0639), which is usually a long, black garment that reaches to the feet and covers the head and sometimes face, excluding the eyes. In other words, it is a full-body garment. Another option is the hijab\/\u062d\u062c\u0627\u0628, which is usually a piece of cloth that covers the hair and chest, leaving the face exposed. The hijab is typically paired with a loose, long-sleeve or 3\/4-inch-sleeve shirt. The purpose of these garments is to suggest modesty, demonstrate religious devotion and emulate the Prophet Muhammed, who was said to cover his head during religious activity. Religious men usually wear long tunics (\u06a9\u0631\u062a\u0627\/kurtaa) and a head covering, such as a topi (\u0679\u0648\u067e\u06cc\/topi), to similarly suggest modesty and devotion.<\/p>\n The national dress of Pakistan, as you may already know, is the shalwar-kameez\/\u0634\u0644\u0648\u0627\u0631 \u06a9\u0645\u06cc\u0632, which consists of shalwar or loose-fitting trousers that typically have a drawstring at the waist and kameez, which refers to the upper garment, usually a kurta (a long tunic that varies in its precise length) or a kurti for women (a short tunic that can be waist to mid-thigh length). Every region in Pakistan has its own particular style of shalwar-kameez, from the Sindhi people, to the Punjabis, Balochis and Pathans. Shalwar-kameez can be made out of many different fabrics, but the most common are silk, chiffon and cotton.<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nGarments for Women\/\u0639\u0648\u0631\u062a\u0648\u06ba \u06a9\u06d2 \u0644\u06cc\u06d2\u0674 \u06a9\u067e\u0691\u06d2<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a>
\nGarments for Both Men and Women\/\u0645\u0631\u062f\u0648\u06ba \u0627\u0648\u0631 \u0639\u0648\u0631\u062a\u0648\u06ba \u06a9\u06d2 \u0644\u06cc\u06d2\u0674 \u06a9\u067e\u0691\u06d2<\/h3>\n