punjabi salwaar kurtaMain article: Salwar kameez

Salwar is a generic description of the lower garment incorporating the Sindhi suthan, Dogri pajamma and the Kashmiri suthan.

The Salwar kameez is the traditional wear of women in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. The suthan, similar to the salwar is common in Sindh andKashmir.^[29] The salwar kameez has become the most popular dress for females. It consists of loose trousers (the salwar) narrow at the ankles, topped by a tunictop (the kameez).^[29] It is named as "Punjabi suit" or simply "shalwar" in the north and "churidaar" in Southern India.^[30] Women generally wear a dupatta or odani(Veil) with salwar kameez to cover their head and shoulders.^[29] It is always worn with a scarf called a dupatta, which is used to cover the head and drawn over the bosom. The material for the dupatta usually depends upon that of the suit, and is generally of cotton, georgette, silk, chiffon among others.^{[citation needed]} This dress is worn by almost every teenage girl in lieu of western clothes. The salwar kameez is most common in the northwestern part of India. Many actresses wear the salwar kameez in Bollywood movies.^{[citation needed]}

Churidaar Kurta[edit]

Plain Churidaar kurta (left) Anarkali style churidaar kurta (right)

Main article: Churidaar

Churidaar is a version of salwar, which is loose up to knees and then fits the calf below. A salwar is a baggy pyjama with pleats which gets narrow at the ankles whereas churidaar fits below the knees with horizontal gathers near the ankles.^[31] Usually a long kurta, which goes below the knees, is worn with the churidaar.