Churidars, also churidar pyjamas, are tightly-fitting trousers worn by both men and women on the Indian subcontinent.[1] Churidars are a variant of the common shalwar pants. However, while shalwars are cut wide at the top and narrow at the ankle, churidars narrow much higher on the leg, allowing the contours of the legs to be revealed. In addition, they are usually cut on the bias, imparting a natural stretchiness, an important quality for close-fitting garments.
They are also worn longer than the leg, sometimes being finished with a snug, buttoned cuff at the ankle. The excess length falls into folds and appears like a set of bangles resting on the ankle, from which they get their name ('churidar': "bangle like" in English, from 'churi': bangle, 'dar': like). When the wearer is sitting, the extra material is the "ease" that makes it possible to bend the legs and sit comfortably. The word churidar is from Hindi and made its way into English only in the 20th century.[2] Earlier, tight-fitting churidar-like pants worn in India were referred to by the British as Moghul breeches, long-drawers or mosquito drawers.[3]
Churidars are usually worn with a kameez (tunic) by women or a kurta (a loose overshirt) by men, or they can form part of a bodice and skirt ensemble.
Image gallery
-
Portrait of Kashmiri children wearing churidar pyjamas, c. 1890
-
19th century painting of Indian women wearing transparent skirts over churidar pants
-
Cotton churidar worn with silk side-opening kurta and mojari shoes
-
Woman visiting Bangladesh wearing a churidar
-
Jawaharlal Nehru, dressed in churidar, being received by U.S. president Truman in Washington D.C. (October 1949)
-
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (center) and Liaquat Ali Khan (far left), both in churidars at the All-India Muslim League Working Committee meeting (March 1940)
-
Portrait of the son of H.H. Chunnasee Rajoonath Pant, wearing churidars (1860)
-
Portrait of Sir Hira Singh in churidars, c. 1890
See also
References
- ^ "churidar". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. June 2018 [2015].
Tight trousers … traditionally worn by people from South Asia.
(Subscription or participating institution membership required.) - ^ Hawkins, R. E. (1984). Hawkins, R. E. (ed.). Common Indian words in English. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-561628-6.
- ^ Yule, Sir Henry; Burnell, Arthur Coke (1886). Hobson-Jobson: being a glossary of Anglo-India colloquial words and phrases, and of kindred terms, etymological, historical, geographical and discursive. London: John Murray. OCLC 1046528230.
