The sari (also called saree) is a very long strip of unstitched cloth, ranging from five to nine yards in length, which can be draped in various styles. The most common style is for the sari to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder. The sari is usually worn over a petticoat (called lehnga/ghagra in northern India and pavada/pavadai in the south), with a low-cut, short-sleeved, midriff-baring blouse known as a choli forming the upper garment. The cropped design of the choli is just as well, for the voluminous folds of the sari can be stifling in the sultry South Asian weather. Office dress codes, however, prohibit cropped, sleeveless cholis; similarly, women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist.

Salwar-kameez is the traditional dress used by people in South East Asia. Salwars are loose like trousers and the kameez looks like a long shirt.

It is the usual everyday dress for both men and women in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

In Salwars, the end towards the legs are wide at the top, and it is narrow at the bottom. Salwars are pleated at the waist and held up by a drawstring or an elastic belt. The pants can be wide and baggy, or they can be cut quite narrow, on the bias. In the latter case, they are known as churidar.

The kameez looks like a long shirt or tunic. The side seams (known as the chaak) are left open below the waist-line, which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement.

The kameez is usually cut straight and flat; modern kameez are more likely to have European-inspired set-in sleeves. The tailor's taste and skill are usually displayed not in the overall cut, but in the shape of the neckline and the decoration of the kameez.

When women wear the salwar-kameez, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. Click here to learn more about Lehenga and Kurti.