Sari Blouse

1872 photo of an Indian woman in choli

A choli (Hindi: चोली, Marathi: चोळी, ravike in South India Telugu: రవికె, Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ) is a midriff-baring blouse shell garment in the Indian sari costume worn in India, southern Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other countries where the sari is worn.^[1] It is also part of the ghagra choli costume of India. The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the midriff and the navel; the cropped design is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers.^[2]

Evolution

Choli from Gujarat at the Peabody Essex Museum

Choli evolved as a form of clothing in 10th century AD and the first cholis were only front covering, the back was always bare but covered with end of saris pallu or veil. Bodices of this type are still common in state of Rajasthan.^[3] Pre-Mughal paintings of Gujarat are considered the first recorded examples of choli.It indicates that the choli had evolved on the wake of the Mughal invasions in India but still is not altogether a foreign garment since no Iranian women ever wore a choli.^[4] Poetic references from works like Silapadikkaram indicate that during the Sangam period 3rd century BC - 4th century CE in ancient South India, a single piece of clothing served as both lower garment and upper shawl. In Kerala, paintings by Raja Ravi Varma indicate women being topless. On the contrary,other historians point to much textual and artistic evidence for various forms of breastband and upper-body-shawl.^[2]

Indian paintings

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  A Rajasthani painting of a woman in Ghagra choli.

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  Detail of Vasant Ragini, Rajastani painting 1500s - Showing early form of choli tied with two strings at the back.

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  Women in Choli and Antariya CE 320 Gupta Empire

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  Women in Choli CE 320 Gupta Empire

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  Dancing girl in Kurta/Salwar-like Choli

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  Bhagavata Purana manuscript ca.1525-40

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  Bhairavi Ragini, Manley Ragamala manuscript ca.1610.

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  Female musicians at Aurangzeb's wedding - Mughal ca.1636.

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  Krishna flirting with the Gopis, to Radhas sorrow - Kangra Painting ca.1760. Full sleeve choli and bodics worn in Himalayan states of India.

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  Women in Mundum Neriyathum a style of clothing worn by women in Kerala without choli.

Historic photographs

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  Tamil girl in choli (1912)

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  Tamil women in choli

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  Bengali girl in full sleeve choli (1880)

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  Srilankan woman in choli (1880)

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  Marathi woman in choli

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  Maharastrian woman in choli

Changing times

Bollywood actress Yuvika Chaudhary in a modern sleeveless choli that resembles a sports bra.

During the 1960s, a woman was not considered quite a 'lady' if she bared her neckline way too daringly and shoved the sari pallu on to one side, only to give a glimpse of her bosom.A lady of honour ideally covered her back and upper arms, and her blouse was made of a thick fabric. Of course, every woman followed the norm. In the 1970s and 80s,the blouses went knotty, criss-crossed with a deep cut and shone through the sheer saree.^[5] Anupama Raj, a boutique owner commented,"There is a very real need to re-invent the choli so that it can be worn with a variety of outfits. Just as we see the choli to be a deconstructed form of the blouse, we need to deconstruct the choli. Only then, will it be acceptable internationally." Bobby Malik, an exporter-turned-designer commented,"The choli is the most sensuous of all garments created for women.It not only flatters the feminine form, but also brings out the romanticism in a woman. But where Indian designers have failed is at giving it an international look and making it still more beautiful."^[6]

Today the entire approach towards the choli is adventurous.The metamorphosis of cholis from being demure and sedate in the past decades to daring in terms of adventurous tailoring with innovative necklines such as halter, tubes, backless or stringed, is worth a mention.^[7] Designer Manish Malhotra told, "Since most young people follow a healthy gym routine and are at ease with their bodies, they want to look different and still be effortlessly comfortable. They like to travel and carry a sense of Indianness around them."^[5] Designer Vikram Phadnis told,"It's also to do with the fact that the new age woman is well-travelled, well-read and open to experimentation."^[8] Sonora Kabir, another Delhi-based designer commented,"Normally, the choli is supposed to hover around the navel area. But if you crop the lower edges and combine it with a funky design — beads, embroidery etc.,— it would be chic enough to be worn over jeans or a pair of trousers."^[6]

Fabrics

Satin is one of the common fabrics used for stitching a choli.

Actress Eesha Koppikhar in an embroidered choli.

Traditionally, the choli has been made from the same fabric as the sari, with many sari producers adding extra length to their products so that women can cut the end of the sari off and sew it into a matching choli.Cholis are made out of many fabrics.^[1] For everyday wear, cotton-based materials such as terry-cot and silk cotton are comfortable. Chiffon, silk, crepe and satin fabrics are best suited for occasions.^[8] The ideal fabric for cholis in summer is chiffon and georgette.^[9] Sheer and other transparent fabrics are considered to add glamour provided they come with a lining in the right places.But cholis made out of velvet and suede are considered the deadliest faux pas for the Indian culture.^[8]

Colours

The colour of the choli is usually matched with the colour of the sari.Currently,the cholis are worn in contrast colours to that of the colour of the sari.^[1][10] Colours like black, white, navy blue, deep purple, crimson red, lemony yellow, hot pink and sea green are mostly preferred.^[8] The colour of the moment is shades of blue and aqua.Designers also recommend that the skin tone should be taken into consideration before choosing what colour the blouse should be.Fairer skins are at an advantage as they can carry any colour. Darker hues such as navy and black can make one appear slimmer.Fluorescent colours are mostly avoided.^[11]

Other than the colour,prints are also given significance. Embroidery on blouses that use threads of contrasting shades is considered trendy.^[12] For formal occasions, embroidered blouses are still very popular.^[11] When wearing a crepe sari, richly embroidered, sheer cholis are preferred.^[13] Other embellishments that could make an appearance on your blouse include sequins, kundan work and crystals.^[8]

Types

Contemporary

Picture	Type	Description
	Traditional choli	These are longer, corset-type blouses[10] which have higher necks and longer bottom hems which cover more of the midriff.[1] This is the ideal length of cholis for plus-size women which is three to four inches below the waist to take away the attention from the bust area.[14] The 15th century cholis of Gujarat clothed the torso up to the waist.[15]
	Short-sleeved choli	The classical choli design is short sleeved, with a deeply scooped neck and a bare midriff.[1] Sleeves ending just above the elbows are most flattering for women with plump arms.Little sleeves ending an inch or two below the shoulder are suitable for young girls and women with slender arms.[16]
	Long-sleeved choli	The normal choli design with longer sleeves.[1] "A long-sleeved blouse instead of a short-sleeved blouse can radically alter the look of the sari" - Designer Arjun Khanna.[11] Women with broad arms and shoulders should avoid wearing long sleeves.[8]

Modern

Picture	Type	Description
	Sleeveless choli	Sleeveless blouses are best if one is slim with well-shaped arms.Also they are considered good for short girls since it gives the impression of added height.[16]"These create an illusion of slimness" - Designer Arjun Khanna[11]
	Low-neck choli	Low cut cholis that expose the cleavage.V-necks are hugely popular and the round-neck is more like a norm.[8] During summer,the deep necklines give an added benefit.[9]
	Low-back choli / Backless choli	The back is either "partially exposed" with a low cut or "fully exposed" by use of strings.[17] It was created mainly due to the influence of Western fashion.[13][18] It takes a sophisticated woman to carry off this without feeling self-conscious.[19] It was made popular by Madhuri Dixit when she wore it and appeared in the Dhak Dhak song.[20] "The drape and the blouse make the saree a sexy ensemble, and my blouses are always low back because I love the peep of the skin against so much fabric." - Actress Vidya Balan[5]
	Bikini-styled choli	This choli almost resembles a bikini top and best suited for parties.[8] But one must have a well-toned body, the back needs to be superbly exfoliated and bikini line needs to be aptly waxed to carry one this look.[5] "Sari cholis look like beachwear today — this is a terrific breakthrough!" - Shobhaa De, Indian columnist[21] It was made popular by Priyanka Chopra when she wore it for the song Desi Girl.[8][22]
	Halterneck choli / Spaghetti strap choli	Cholis with strappy strings strung together to keep the blouse in the place it should be.[5] They became popular when Mandira Bedi wore it on the first edition of cricket commentary show 'Extraa Innings' in 2003.[21]
	Sheer/Transparent choli	These cholis are made up of sheer fabrics but are partially transparent.Mostly suitable to be worn along with transparent saris[13] and give a glamourous diva look.[9]

See also

• Blouse
• Sari
• Salwar kameez

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Choli

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