Chapter – 3 Scenario of Ethnic Apparel in Indian Online Market

Chapter – 3

Scenario of Ethnic Apparel in Indian

Online Market

Introduction

Living in 21st century where world developing and adopting corporate and
western culture, the scenario of ethnic apparel market started to make an
appearance everywhere and it is now preferred choice of Indian Women as
it‟s a reflection of our rich culture and heritage. The booming ethnic-wear
market is reshaping the apparel industry in the country. According to the India
Retailing website, India‟s ethnic wear market stood at $13,100 million in 2013.
This is expected to have grown, and continue to grow, at a CAGR of eight
percent to reach $19,600 million in 2018 (Alam, 2015: https://yourstory.
com/2015/07/indianroots-e-commerce). Internet made our life easier by
providing everything at one click. Due to the online marketing ethnic apparels
like Saree, Salwar Kameez, Kurtis, Lehenga Choli, Suits are is available in a
variety of designs, weaves, fibres, colors, patterns, finishes, embroidery work
and material in clothing. This has been the stepping stone for expanse of
online shopping in our lives. The entry of brands infused a fresh approach into
ethnic apparel and there is a lot of dynamism in this segment. Brands like
Biba, Craftsvilla, Voonik, Mirraw has made their mark in online ethnic wear
stores for offering wide variety of options of designers across all over India.

Therefore, this chapter is going to discuss a brief outline about the scenario of
ethnic apparels in online market of India also this chapter defined the meaning
of ethnic apparel and ethnicity, also discuss about the historical development

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of ethnic apparel in India from Indus civilization to contemporary scene of

Indian Ethnic apparels. Along with this types of ethnic apparel in India and
Indian textile and its traditional designs are have been discussed. Before this
it has been necessary to know the meaning of ethnic and ethnicity, which are
discussed below.

3.1 Meaning of ethnic and ethnicity

Ethnic means a member of minority or nationality group that is the part of a

large community, relating to community of physical and mental traits
possessed by the members of a group as a part of their common hereditary
and cultural tradition” (Gove,1966:781). Ethnicity is a term that describes
shared culture which includes the practices, values, and beliefs of a group.
This might include shared language, religion, and traditions, among other
commonalities (William little, 2012: https://opentextbc.ca/introductionto-
sociology/chapter/chapter11-race-and-ethnicity/). In the other word “an ethnic
group refers to people who share a cultural heritage or historical traditions
usually connected to a geographical location or a language background,
whereas ethnicity generally refers to a person‟s affiliation with a particular
ethnic group, or to their sharing qualities, characteristics or customs of that
ethnic group”(2005: https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/encyclopedias-
almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/ethnic-dress). The article Conceptual Study
on Ethnic Marketing Essay defines Ethnicity means common customs,
civilization, values and attitudes within a group of people who are bound by a
common cultural identification. Because values reflect a criterion or standard
that people use in the guidance of behavior, they act as a norm for ethnic
consumer behavior and an influence on many consumption motives. The
words “ethnic” and “ethnicity” comes from the Greek word ethnos which

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means People (2015:www.ukessays.com/essays/marketing/conceptual-study-

on-ethnic-marketing-marketing-essay.php).

3.2 Meaning of apparel and ethnic apparel

Apparel is a word for what people could wear. It has used as both a verb
meaning “to attire” and as a noun meaning garments, dress or clothing. The
noun apparel has started from the Latin word apparare which means to
“prepare, make ready,” or “to put things together.” In the mid 13th century it
evolved into a verb meaning “to equip” (www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/
apparel). When it comes about the definition of ethnic apparel then kavya
trivedi defines “ethnic apparel or wear is traditional wear which its heritage
and culture have given by our ancestors” (Trivedi, 2015: https://www.
ukessays.com/essays/marketing/conceptual-study-on-ethnic-marketing-
marketing-essay.php). Ethnic dress or apparel ranges from a single piece to a
whole ensemble of items that identify an individual with a specific ethnic group
and also it is known as costumes. It is a cultural visual, a mirror of the time
and the people. The dress of a people present a vital clue to their mood and
taste, their aesthetic temper, their art and skill to adjust to their social and
geographical environment, their resilience to various influences, or to their
way of living (Biswas,2017:5 ). In addition, Joanne B. Eicher mention in his
article that the words "costume" and "custom" are closely related, and the
word "costume" can also refer to ensembles of clothing (folk costume) worn
by members of an ethnic group for special occasions that serve as an
affirmation of the group's traditions and solidarity(fashion-history.lovetoknow.
com/fashion-clothing-industry/clothing-costume-dress).

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3.3 Historical development of ethnic apparel in India

According to the article on ethnic dress in encyclopedia.com it has been

believe by many people that ethnic dress does not change but the fact is that
the changes do occur, because as human beings come into contact with other
human beings they would borrow exchange and modify item of apparel. By
influence from other culture people being created a form of new ways of
making or decorating garments or accessories and adjust their bodies
(https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-
and-maps/ethnic-dress). The historical development of Indian apparel or
costume had come down to us from very past. The main purpose of apparel is
covering one's body and costume with the choice of a particular form of
garment for a particular use. Costume reflects social factor such as religious
beliefs, rituals, personals status and esthetic. The feeling of self beautification
and protection from the natural calamities were the main reason for the
evolution of costumes. In the past when man covered their bodies to protect
themselves against the environment, they may connect their primitive
garments with the idea of some magical identification, in the same manner
that their belief in sympathetic magic encourages them to paint the walls of
their caves with representation of successful hunting (Brouches:1997). It was
proved that the evolution of textile and clothing begins with man's great
transition from a nomadic, food seeking hunting culture to a communal food-
storing, surplus-using culture. This transition was centered on the four great
civilizations the Nile Valley, the Tigris Eupharaes Plain, the Yang-tse Valley
and the Indus Valley of north -western India. The primitive clothing styles were
determined by the climate and nature of raw materials which naturally differed
from region to region. The earliest clothes were made of vegetable bark and
animal skins and subsequently of felted fibers and woven yarns (Mohapatra:

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1992). However, in Indian art the beginning of apparel or costume was started
with the age of Indus civilization. This civilization flourished in the North
western part of undivided India including Pakistan and Bangladesh in the third
and perhaps fourth millennia B.C. during the excavation the of numerous
spindle whorls from the houses of Mohenjo-Daro were found which
conclusively proved that spinning was practiced by the rich and poor alike and
also warmer textiles wool and cotton was found (Motichand, 1972:3). With the
manufacture of cotton cloth at Mohenjo-Daro it has been assumed that the
costumes of the people must have been varied but they were not sufficient to
form a clean picture of the normal attire of the people because most of the
sculpture found from this civilization were nude and semi nude form.
However, from excavation the two statues for example, (plate 3.3.1) depicting
a male figure which is also known as “ the bust of the priest” were represented
to be wearing a long shawl which was drawn over the left shoulder and under
the right so as to leave the right arm (ibid). Costume of women in this period
had elegant coiffures and worn an elaborated fan shaped head dress and
stylization of body with ornaments was popular during these early years of
civilization, for example (plate 3.3.2) the clay figurine of the mother goddess
are bare above the waist and have jewelry and scanty knee length loin cloth
held by a griddles or string. According to Motichand it is not known what kind
of material was employed in making fan shaped head-dressed worn both by
men and women though he considered the Mackey‟s suggestion that it might
have been stiffened cotton cloth supported on a framework (Motichand,
1973:4) But the concept of stylization has changed gradually in period of the
Vedic age. From the middle of the second millennium B.C Indo-European
tribes migrated into north-western India, resulting in a fusion of cultures. In
this age textile technique and designs were given a vocabulary. These textiles
were referred as Out, (wool), tantu, (yarn), tantra, (warp or loom), veman,

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(loom), pracinatana (forward stretched web), vaya, (weaver), mayukha, (peg

lead weight or shuttle) (Motichand, 1973:7). A.Biswas mentions according to
Rig-Veda, a person‟s dress (Vasana or Vastra) consisted of only two
garments, namely the vasa the lower garment and the adhivasa the upper
garment. Skins and grass which is known as ‘kusa’ formed one class of Vedic
dress traditionally associated with munis, rishish, hermits, and forest tribes.
The word atka appears to mean a lose fitting garments and drapi may have
been a gold embroidered mantle. The word pesas could have been used for a
kind of embroidered garments of female dancer and a special costumes used
by a bride at the marriage ceremony was called vadhaya. Dress in the age of
the late Samhitas and Brahmanas consisted of three garments; nivi (lower
garment), vase (a garment proper), and adhivasa (an upper garment). In the
last period of Vedic age which is also known as the age of Upanishads and
sutras, two pieces of clothing are mentioned which are the antariya ( lower
garments) and uttariya ( upper garment) both of this garments were worn by
men and women. The Vedic and Epic ages have given great literature but not
a single piece of sculpture. There are plenty of words used for dresses but
there is not a single description regarding the nature and mode of wear
(2017:6). For the first time in Indian history at the beginning of the 2 nd century
in the Mauryan period it could be seen the large sized human sculpture
displaying the costumes of the day with realistic concern. In this period the
costume were depicted in realistic manner. In 2nd century B.C. the terracotta
figurine of lady from Patliputra has been found (plate.3.3.3) from which it
could be infer that this figurine depicts the emergence of an urban style of
clothing in Mauryan court. Her dress was stitched antariya, (a divided skirt
/pajama), the elaborate headgear attracts the attention of the viewer easily.
Second example of this period is the yaksha figure from parkham (plate.3.3.4)
housed in Mathura museum. In this figure the yaksha is depicted wearing long

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antariya, held at the waist along with a kayabandh. The dhotis like lower
garments were warped round just below the waist. The lower garments are
decorated with pataka, which is a narrow band of embroidered cloth. The
wearing style of dhoti gave a vital idea about the kuchha style, where the ends
of the cloth is passed through the legs and tucked in at the back. There is a
representation of an ornamental scarf on the upper part of the body which is
displayed like a garland on the chest. The female costume during the
Mauryan period found from the sculpture of Yakshi from Didarganj near Patna
(plate.3.3.5). This figure is meant as one of the best example of ancient Indian
art and treated as a landmark in the field of female costumes. The stylistic
depiction of Didarganj Yakshi has become an idol of Indian feminine beauty
for its sensuous representation. It is highly polished female figure bearing
flywhisk carved in chunar sand stone. She wraps the cloth around the waist
below down the navel, and skillfully creates the two frontal ends to produce
folds. The delightful folding of the drapery, the uses of pataka, one half of the
pataka is allowed to hang straight and other half seems to lifted up and tucked
in again to from a knee length loop. Besides the pearl string, the rich forehead
ornaments and highly attractive coiffure were noticed. The five stranded girdle
zone at the two sides of pleats draw the attention on the width of waist. She
wear bangle on each of her armlets, besides this one beaded necklace
surrounds the neck and a two strings of necklace passed through the
cleavage and form a loop bellow (Alkazi,1983:21). In the period of Sunga, a
large number of costumes wearing style were noticed from the study of
sculptures, found on the railings of Bharhut, Bodh-Gaya and on the gateways
of Sanchi. Earliest references of the costumes of this period are also found in
the mural of Ajanta. In this period two types of costumes are worn by male to
cover the upper and lower part. For example, the style of wearing the uttariya
like (upper garment) by Indra from Bodhgaya is quite different than other relief

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sculpture of that period. Here the upper garment, uttariya covers the chest
from right to left and the two ends are managed in a way that pass through
the back and finally fall gracefully over the left forearm. The mode of wearing
the lower garments is noticed in the dvarapala figure in the eastern gate of
Sanchi stupa (plate 3.3.6). But a different variety of wearing the lower garment
is noticed in the dvarapala figure in western gateway (plate 3.3.7), where
emphasis is given in the transparency of the cloth (Shrivastava, 1983:14).
From the figure of warrior combating with lion (plate 3.3.8) depict a frock like
garment which shows the evidence of stitched garments in the Sunga period.
Sunga, shakas, and Kushan dominated the northern India whereas; the
southern and central part of India was controlled by the Satavahana. The
Satavahana was the next great empire after the Mauryan and established in
the Deccan. Under the patronage of Satavahana rulers the greatest Buddhist
monuments were built as a stupa of Amravati, Nagarjunakonda and
Jaggayapapeta represented the king in formal dress. Sculpture found from
these monuments depict the figures in stitched cloths tend to show men
employed in the service of the Andhra king as the Chattra ( Parole) bearers,
door keepers, attendants, all depicted wearing tunics and coats. The
production of cloths and trade of textile seem to have been flourished during
the Satavahana period. As evidence with the sculpture of this period there
were variety of dyes available which was dyeing the costumes in beautiful
colors like indigo, yellow, crimson, magenta, black and turmeric (Bhatnagar,
2009:15). In this period the style of drape of the antariya and uttariya worn by
the figure carved around the stupa were completely different. For example the
marble relief of Chakravarthi, the universal king from the stupa of
Jaggayapeta (plate 3.3.9) depicts that the king wearing a long antariya draped
around his upper thighs. It is thin and finely pleated along with kayabandh. He
is shown wearing abundance of jewelry and a turban (kumar: 2006). Further

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when we move to the age of Kushan period first and second centuries A.D.
the costumes are as seen an amalgamation of indigenous and Greco Roman
garments were taken place. There were prevalent two completely distinct
styles in Kushan art i.e. Gandhara style and another is Mathura style. J.N
Banarjee (1956:98-101) mentioned that Gandhara School of art is influenced
by Greeks and Romans, whereas, the Mathura school of art is direct
continuation of the native Indian schools of Bharhut and Sanchi. The influence
of Greco roman style can be seen in the various sculpture of this period. This
is because in the northern part of the Kushan Empire mainly Gandhara region
sculptures were carves by the craftsmen from eastern Rome, who were
employed by the patron of Buddhism, these craftsmen brought with them the
Greco Roman style which is executed through the representation of drapery
of the sculpture. In this period most of the Buddhist sculpture depicted in
classical Greek and roman garments like chiton, remation, stola, and tunic.
For example in Buddha is depicted in cheqered cloth. Second style of Kushan
art prevailed in Mathura, known as southern capital of the empire flourished
with style of the native Indian schools of Bharhut and Sanchi. In Kushan art
ordinary dress of the people formed usually of an antariya, an uttariya and a
kayabandh with a turban for men. The most magnificent contribution of
Kushan dynasty in the field of costume history was the development of cut
and tailored garments. After that Sakas, Seynthians and Parthians
intermingled and lived together for almost three centuries, due to this foreign
influence, the style of clothing changed in north India. The statue of Kanishka
(plate 3.3.10) from Mathura is an example which depicts the Kanishka
wearing a calf-length, heavily quilted tunic with a chogha on top. Both are
edge with decorative braiding. His boots are shaped and held in place with an
ornamental clasp and he wears a pair of trouser tucked into them (Kumar:
2006). In the Gandhara School women have been shown in sari type attire

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consisting mainly of the kamarband and chaddari dupatta. The Mathura

school was typified by the sari or skirt and the kamarband with or without the
dupatta. In the Gupta period it can be seen the foreign influence in costume
was continued. With the Kushan period the stitched garments gained the
status, but it became a symbol of royalty. It was noticed in the representation
of Gupta coins that the Gupta kings realized the value of adopting a dress that
are traditionally identified with royalty. The full Kushan dress with coat, trouser
and boot etc were present in Gupta coins. Although the indigenous garments
like antariya, uttariya and kayabandh were still used in various informal
occasions. But some of the coins reveal the fact that the queens wearing
tunic, which indicated the stitched garments were used by the royal ladies.
The short and long antariya was worn with kachcha style. But this style was
gradually become less popular with women of this period and was replaced by
the more famine Lehenga (Alkazi, 1983: 101-102). This conservative kachcha
style is still adopted by the women of the Maharashtra and south India
(Bhatnagar, 2009: 22). The Gupta were Hindus but they patronage and
support the other religion also like Buddhism and Jainism. The garment of the
standing Buddha from Mathura of gupta period depicted the uttariya with
multiple folds, made of very fine fabric and pleaded in frontal fashion (plate
3.3.11). This period was also known for the transparent and higher texture or
materials. The clothing style of Gupta period also found from the painting of
Ajanta. For example painting from Mahajanaka jataka (plate 3.3.12) depicted
a dancing figure dressed in a tight fitting tunic, the back is cut high and breast
are covered. The sleeves are made of a dotted fabric. The dancer wears a
profusion of jewelry, hair is styled in a large bun and decorated with garlands
and pearls (kumar: 2006). After fall of the Gupta Empire (240 CE – 590 CE)
the medieval period of India has began. Medieval India is the period of Indian
history that lies between the ancient India and the modern India. It is divided

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into two phases namely, early medieval period (6th-13th century) and late
medieval period (13th- 16th century). Dynasties during the early medieval
period in India included the Chalukya dynasty which was an Indian dynasty
that ruled large parts of southern and central India between the 6th and the
12th century; Pallava dynasty which became a major power during the reign
of Mahendravarman I (571 CE – 630 CE) and Narasimhavarman I (630 CE –
668 CE) and dominated the Telugu and northern parts of the Tamil region for
about 600 years until the end of the 9th century; The Pala Empire was an
imperial power which originated in the region of Bengal during the late
classical period in the Indian subcontinent; The Chola dynasty was one of the
longest ruling dynasty in southern India. Other dynasties included in the early
medieval period were Empire of Harsha (601 CE-647 CE), Western Chalukya
Empire (10th- 12th century) ruled most of the western Deccan and some of
southern India; Kalachuri dynasty ruled in central India during 10th-12th
century; Western Ganga dynasty was an important ruling dynasty of ancient
Karnataka about 350 CE to 1000 CE; Eastern Ganga dynasty ruled Odisha
region and were descendants of Kannada Western Ganga Dynasty and Tamil
Chola Empire; Hoysala Empire (10th – 14th century) and Sena dynasty was a
Hindu dynasty in Bengal (11th -12th century).

In 8th century the Arabs occupied Sind which signifies the second phase of
medieval period. By the beginning of 10th century the Turks have become the
most powerful rulers in Central and West Asia. The Turks first invaded the
state of Punjab in Indian subcontinent during the late 10th and early 11th
century. Later, by the end of 12th and early 13th century the Turkish invaders
took control over Delhi. There they established the Sultanate of Delhi. The
establishment of the Delhi Sultanate was the initiation of a new phase in the
history of medieval India. This led to the unification of almost entire northern

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India and parts of the Deccan. By the end of the 14th century, the Delhi
Sultanate has begun to collapse. This caused the emergence of a number of
kingdoms in different parts of the country. Some of them like Bahmani and
Vijayanagara empires emerged as the powerful ones. By this time India had
the presence of Mughals and the original inhabitants were spread across
different kingdoms in India. This led to the formation of a new mixed kind of
society which had new groups that included the Turks, the Persians, the
Mughals and the Afghans besides the Arabs who had settled in India. It has
been discussed by A.Biswas that the throne of Delhi was tossed from one
dynasty to another that is Ghaznavis, Ghoris, Khiljis, Tugahluqs and Lodhis in
succession. In this period it became necessary to protect women, so for this
new protective garments had to be designed. In this era tight fitting trouser, a
tight sleeved long coat fitting up to the waist before flaring out in a full skirt
and a closely tied turban was worn by the conquerors. But this foreign style
was not suited to the hot climate of India and was not accepted by the people.
However the Hindus worked out a solution to cover the bosom of their women
so they created choli, a tight fitting and half sleeved dress which was quite
different than the Persian garments. It only covers the breast. The two side
edges of the choli were tied with strings at the back which remained, as ever
bare. See the (fig3.3.1) which showed the many stylized drawings appearing
in an old manuscript date A.D 1127 from Gujarat. It was the first time that we
come across a choli. It was also a first time in the history of Indian costumes
that sewn garments appeared on the scene. The use of needle was known in
India since the period of Vedas but sanctified convention and indigenous
aesthetic taste did not allowed stitching of clothes. But, in this period
compelling circumstances brought the needle to rule the apparel. It has been
seen that in the earliest centuries women were accustomed to the use of a
gathered shoulder- scarf but now it began to be used like a real covering for

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breast, back, shoulders and head. It was called the orhni which means a
covering. Now the translucent texture of the lower garment was replaced by a
thick opaque material (Biswas, 2017:18-19). Further in the age of Mughals
the six greatest emperors Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan and
Aurangzeb had a profound influence on the art of India. The mughals merged
their own Persian culture with Hindus aesthetic and created a fusion in art.
Emerging miniature painting in that time showed costumes especially woven
for the courts of the Mughals, who adapted their tailored garments-fitted tunics
over loose trousers to include more voluminous, richly ornamented costumes
and fanciful turban (Bhatnagar, 2009:24). In the time of Akbar in the men‟s
apparel Akbar encouraged the chokidar kurta with six pointed lapel ends
below the gown like cloak in various colors like yellow, orange, purple which
was influenced from Rajasthan. Also he adopted the readymade turban of the
Rajput, which looks like a crown. The pataka belt which secured the waist
made in brocade. The pyjama was nearly churidar and the shoes were horn
shaped at the back and embroidered with zari work (fig3.3.2) (Bhatnagar,
2009:25). In place of Persian names of various articles of costumes Akbar
had given new and pleasing terms. For example: Jama (coat) became
sarabgati; which covers the whole body, izar (trousers) was yar pairahan;
which means companion of the coat, nim tanacha (jacket), tanzeb; which
means adornment of the head, burqua (veil), chilragupita (face concealer),
kulah (cap), sis shobha; which means very soft and paifzar ( shoes), charan
dharan that means which covers the feet. Akbar also introduced the fashion of
wearing shawl doubled i.e. doshalla (Biswas, 1985:22). According to Parul
Bhatanagar costume of the female of Mughal period were gowns, capes and
trousers (fig3.3.3). The peshwaz was generally a women‟s robe and was
similar to style of jama. Hindu women of this period wear the ghagara, choli
and the orhni. The ghagra was made up of great variety of textile pattern. The

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choli sleeves were bodily embroidered with gold and pearl and sometimes the
whole bodice too. The silk net orhni was crimson or purple colors either to
cover the face or to throw back over shoulder as an ornament often end in
elaborate tassel work with many pompoms they were never tucked into the
skirt (fig.3.3.4). By the end of the 18th century, a number of variations in style
had appeared in costumes. The more common pajama, the sutthanna, was
wide at the top and roomy around the legs, and the sharara was a loose
trailing pajama. From all the different style of pajama evolved, the most
extravagant ones for women were farshi and garara. The sidha, churidars and
dogri pajama, the salwar all are regional styles which evolved through the
ages which are still in use today (Bhatnagar, 2009:28). In the beginning of
17th century the British came to India where Jahangir in 1613 permitting them
to establish a factory at Surat gave them foothold in their country and within
two centuries they became ruler of most of India. During this period men used
to wear heavy coats richly laced with gold braiding on the shoulders, arms
and sleeves. In this figure the coat had a V-shaped frock opening showing a
plastron underneath. The lower garment was a pair of loose but straight
pyjamas and the headgear had a thickly rolled brim with a protuberance at the
centre. In this period the dresses in south were different than in north. The
men wore two pieces of cotton cloth without hem and stitch, length of the cloth
was 10 or12 feet long the other 14 or 16 feet long and 3 or 4 feet wide, were
their only garments. With the first piece, they cover their shoulders, with the
second they grid their loins. Whereas, the women costume consisted of
simple piece of cotton cloth 9 to 12 meters long and more than one meter
wide. The women wind part of this cloth two or three times round their waist,
and it forms a sort of narrow petticoat which falls to the feet in front. Among
the traditional dress dhoti and sari were in vogue in most parts of India, the
petticoat became an integral part of a women‟s dress. By the middle of the

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nineteenth century some forward looking young men of Bengal adopting the
English frock-coat embroidered with gold, trouser and a high velvet cap. In the
time of Swadeshi movement all Indians boycott the English cloth under the
leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, he himself wore only a loin-cloth. All Indians
took to simple khadi clothes. The Gandhi cap became a badge for the
freedom fighters. Pandit Motilal Nehru gave up his wardrobe of well-tailored
suits and started wearing dhoti, kurta, Sherwani and a pyjama, which is later,
became very popular as „Jawahar Jacket‟. After some time Nehru changed
from dhoti to churidars pyjama. In his formal dress he wore Sherwani over
churidars pyjama with a red rose tucked in the buttonhole. The Indian women
could not tempted by the European dress except small girls in upper class
families who used to wear English frocks, and ladies of Anglo-Indian families
who preferred English blouses and skirt, women in general refused to allow
any European contribution to reach their wardrobe. The salwar-kameez, the
ghagra choli and the sari appeared to them more graceful than any foreign
garment (Biswas, 1906: 29-31).

3.4 Contemporary scene of Indian Ethnic Apparels

In the previous section it has been discussed about the evolution of Indian
apparels through the different period of India. Whereas, in this section the
discussion is on the contemporary scene of Indian apparel where it will be
seen the various different dresses from India‟s different region which are
closely related to the geographical, linguistic and cultural background in which
they have developed. As time has changed the style of dresses or apparels
have also changes but regional dresses still have a tremendous hold on the
people. Since the topic of this research is on banner advertising and its design
elements for ethnic apparel therefore, it intends to project the contemporary
scene of the ethnic apparel with the help of figures and plates so that the

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concept of Indian ethnic apparels in contemporary time will be clear. Below

with given figures and plates it would be describe the images of particular
state or region of India from north to western region, eastern to southern
region and also the costumes of rural and tribal from north to south.

Image 3.4, Source of Image: Internet

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a. Apparels of Northern region of India

Under this region, Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have come and
the following dresses are worn by the people of these regions:-

Figure 3.4.a(i) Peharan from Figure3.4.a(ii) Salwar, Kameez &

Kashmir Orhni from Punjab

Figure 3.4.a(iii) Kurta, Pyjama or Tahmad from Punjab

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b. Apparel from Western region of India

Under this region Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have the
following dresses are worn by the people of these regions:-

Figure3.4.b(i) Ghagra, Figure3.4.b(ii) Figure3.4.b(iii) Costume

choli and orhni Costume of Gujarat of U.P from Rajasthan

c. Apparel from Eastern region of India

Under this region Bengal, Orissa, Sikkim, and Assam, have come in which
Assam are fringed by densely forested mountainous regions consisting of the
Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh on the north, the states bordering the
southern elongated portion, namely Meghalaya and Tripura to the west and
Nagaland and Manipur to the east, and the Union Territory of Mizoram at the
southern tip. All the dresses of these regions are shown under each region
which is as follows:-

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Figure3.4.c(i) Male costume of Figure3.4.c(ii) Traditional costume

Bengal Dhoti and Punjabi (kurta) of Assamese female, Mekhala,
Blouse and chadar

Figure3.4.c(iii) Traditional costumes of Nagaland

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Figure3.4.c(iv) Traditional costume Figure3.4.c(v) Traditional

of Sikkim costume of Arunachal Pradesh

d. Apparel from Eastern region of India

Under this region Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar island have came in which
the following dresses are worn by the people of these regions:-

Figure 3.4.d(i) Male and Female costume of Tamil Nadu

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Figure 3.4.d(ii) Female costume of Figure 3.4.d(iii) Female costume

of Maharashtra Karnataka (Coorge)

e. Apparel from Rural and Tribal’s of India

i. Kashmir ii. Himachal Pradesh

Figure3.4.e(i) Costume of Kharboo Figure3.4.e(ii) Costume of

village in Ladakh district (North) Chergaon village in Mahasu
district (South)

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iii. Uttar Pradesh

Figure3.4.e(iii) Costume of Lohta village in Varanasi district (East)

iv. Madhya Pradesh

Figure3.4.e(iv-a) Costume of Figure3.4.e(iv-b) Costume of Jiapur

Naharkheda village in Indore village in Jabalpur district (Central
district (west)

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v. Maharashtra vi. Andhra Pradesh

Figure3.4.e(v) Costume of Shirvali Figure3.4.e (vi) Costume of

village in Thana district (west) Byrlutigudem village in
Kurnool district (west)
vii. Tamil Nadu

Figure3.4.e (vii) Costume of Nanjanad

village in Nilgiris district (west)

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3.5 Types of Ethnic Apparel in India

Apparel in India varies depending on the different ethnicity, geography,

climate and culture traditions of the people of each region of India. As India is

known for its diversity in all over the world due to this ethnic apparel of India is

just one of the things that differentiate one part of India from other and also

this traditional Indian attire has earned admires from people from all over to

world. Due to the vast diversity the traditional style of apparel in India varies

with male or female distinctions which are as follows:

a. The ethnic apparel of Indian Male:

i) Dhoti: This traditional apparel is mainly worn by men in villages, which

are from four to six feet long white or color strip of cotton, plate

No.3.5.a(i). It is held in place by a style of wrapping and sometimes

with the help of a belt, ornamental and embroidered, or a flat and

simple one, around the waist (singh, 2009: https://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/Clothing_in_India).

ii) Lungi: It is a traditional garment of India, also known as sarong, and

Mundu except that it is always white. It is either tucked in, over the

waist, up to knee-length or is allowed to lie over and reach up to the

ankle (ibid). See plate No. 3.5.a. (ii).

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iii) Sherwani: A Sherwani is a long coat or jacket that usually sports

exposed buttons through the length of the jacket, also called Achkan,

Plate 3.5.a (iii). The length is usually just below the knees and the

jacket ends just below the knee. The jacket has a Nehru collar

(Armilla, and Jose, 2001: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothing_in_

India). The Achkan is worn with tight fitting pants or trousers called

churidars.

iv) Bandgala: A Bandgala is a formal evening suit from India. It comes

from the Jodhpur State, and was popularized during the British Raj in
India. Also known as Jodhpuri Suit (2015: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Clothing_in_India). It is western style attire, with a coat and a trouser,
at times accompanied by a vest. It get together the western cut with
Indian hand-embroidery accompany by the Waist coat. It is worn in
special occasions such as weddings and formal gatherings.

v) Angarkha: According to Ritu kumar Angarkha is a traditional upper

garment worn in the Indian Subcontinent which overlap and are tied to
the left or right shoulder. Historically it has been seen that the
Angrakha was a court outfit that a person could wrap around himself,
offering flexible ease with the knots and ties appropriate for wearing in
the various principalities of ancient India(2006: https://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Clothing_in_India).

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b. The ethnic apparel of Indian Female:

i) Sari- it is a length of material ranging from four to nine meters in length

worn with a loose bodice called a blouse (shah, 2002:5). These saris
included different style and pattern according to regional and its
tradition, like Assam silk sarees: the traditional apparel of the
Assamese women is called mekhala and chadar, usually worn by the
tribe of the Assam. See the plate no.3.5.b (i). The mekhala and chadar
consist of two pieces. Mekhala is a straight skirt reaching to anklet
worn by women of Assam and chard is wrapped around the upper half
of the body like a shawl. The silk sarees of Assam are made up of
moga silk, weaved with delicate gold colored and have their own style
of thread. Banarasi sari: This type of sarees in India is famous for their
gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. It has
been said that the art of weaving has reached its zenith in Banaras so
Banaras being the center of a highly develop of weaving specially gold
and silver brocade so this is the reasons Banaras is famous for
Banarasi sarees. (g3fashion.com/blog/fashion/15-regional-sarees-from-
india/.refernce of overview). See the plate no. 3.5.b(ii). Bandhej or
Bandhani saree: These are well famous in Rajasthan and Gujarat
states. The pink city Jaipur is famous for its Bandhej Sarees, Lehariya
Sarees and Garchola Sarees http://www.walkthroughindia.com/
lifestyle/eleven-most-beautiful-types-of-sarees-in-india/). See the plate
no. 3.5.b (iii). Bhagalpur sarees: this type of sarees is made up of
tussor silk as Bhagalpur is situated in Bihar which is famous for tussor
silk. See the plate no. 3.5.b (iv). Chanderi sarees: this type of sarees
is famous in Madhya Pradesh which is made up of tissue silk. See the
plate no. 3.5.b(v). Kalmakari sarees: This type of sarees is made in

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south India of Andhra Pradesh. As kalmakari means an artistic creation

made by pen. See the plate no. 3.5.b (vi). This sarees made by hand
painted designed. Katha Sarees: this type of sarees is a type of
embroidery made in Bangladesh and parts of west Bengal. See the
plate no. 3.5.b (vii). Kanchipuram silk sarees: this type of sarees is
basically comes from a place called Kanchipuram in Tamilnadu. This
sarees is famous for its vibrant colors and excellent temple pattern
borders. See the plate no. 3.5.b (viii). Kota Sarees: this sarees are
made from the city Kota in Rajasthan usually made of cotton. See the
plate no. 3.5.b (ix). Paithani sarees: Paithani is the costly high quality
silk gold embroidered sari named after the Paithan town in
Aurangabad. It is also known as „Mahavastra‟ & is one of the most
popular saris of Maharashtra. The art of weaving Paithani flourished in
200B.C. during Satvahana era. Production of Paithani soon spread in
other places like Yeola, Pune, Nasik and Malegaon apart from Paithan.
The traditional designs of paithani are mostly derived from old Mughal
miniatures, Ajanta caves and Buddhist paintings, etc. (shah,2002;5).
See the plate no. 3.5.b(x). Patola sarees: this type of sarees is from
Parten District of the state of Gujarat. This is rich handloom sarees
made of real art of weaving. Patola sarees is closely grounded family
tradition of weavers in patan Rajkot area. See the plate no. 3.5.b (xi).
Tant Sari: this type of sarees are famous attire from west Bengal,
comes in vibrant colors and also famous for its lightness, transparency
and comfort. See the plate no. 3.5.b (xii). Sambalpuri sari: These
saris are the most beautiful sari held in Orissa. The pure handloom
sarees made from tussor, silk and soft cotton also known as Ikat sari.
See the plate no. 3.5.b (xiii). (https://g3fashion.com/blog/fashion/15-
regional-sarees-from-india/)

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ii) Salwar kameez: The second ethnic female apparel is salwar kameez.
The salwar is a tight fitting trouser made of soft material worn with
kameez which is a long tunic and having long tapering sleeves. It is
always worn with a scarf called a dupatta, which is used to cover the
head and drawn over the bosom. Salwar is also known as „suthan‟ in
sindhi. Patiala salwar worn in Punjab which has loose pleats stitched
together at the bottom. Churidars is a variation on the salwar loose
above the knee and tightly fitted to the calf below (Shah, 2002:5). See
the plate no. 3.5.b(xvi).

iii) Lehenga choli: it is also known as skirt and blouse. This is the
traditional clothing or apparel of women in Rajasthan and Gujarat. A
Lehenga is a form of a long skirt which is pleated, it is also called
Ghaghara. This Ghaghara is worn with tight bodies known as the choli
and veil like scarf (ibid). See the plate no. 3.5.b (xv).

3.6. Indian textile and its traditional designs

India has a diverse and rich textile tradition, each state in India speak volumes

about their cultural heritage. It has a wide range of textiles of varied designs,

manufactured by different techniques as compared to other countries of the

world. (Rana: http://www.textilevaluechain.com/index.php/article/industry-

general/item/203-traditional-indian-textiles). Papul jayakar introduced the

textile traditions of India have been molded by cotton. It is in the growing,

spring, weaving, dying, printing and embroidering of cotton that the textile

craftsman found richest expression. The discovery of a fragment of madder

dyed cotton cloth at an Indus valley site established knowledge of weaving

and the intricate process of madder dying five thousand year ago. There are

also indications that silk and woven cloth weaving was known from earliest

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times. The wild non- mulbary silks produced from the tussor, eri, and muga

cocoons were indigenous this country. Further, P.Jayakar mentioned that in

the east stretching from Assam through the lush vegetation of Bengal, U.P,

Orissa and Andhra Pradesh lies the great weaving belt. Indian hand-woven

and dyed cottons were famous in the places of the Roman Emperors, where

these fabulous cloths were known as “woven winds” and in ancient India they

were known as kings Muslin and were called by names like “chitra virali,

picture muslins and “puspa pattas” or flower cloths. According to P.Jayakar

the Artha shastra refers to textile design workshops being established under

the patronage of Mauryan kings where these workshops employed proficient

of spinners, weavers and embroiderers. Under the patronage of Mughal

Emperor royal karkhanas or workshop flourished were textile of rare elegance

and sophistication were woven, painted and embroidered by the finest

craftsman. The “Ain-i-Akbari” gives a detailed account of the textiles of the

Emperor Akabar which included the finest of Kashmir shawls, silk, velvets and

brocades as well as the rare number of Dacca and Benares said by P.Jayakar

(1956:22).

As it has known that India has the rich and diverse culture and tradition so the

textile of India is also has a wide range, each state in the country is unique by

itself as far as textiles and its vivid designs are concerned. The traditional

textiles of each state has influenced of not only the foreign countries like

Persia, china, Iran etc but also the neighboring state too. According to

technique, process and design Indian textiles are classified into three

categories which are as follows:

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1. Traditional Embroideries textiles design of India

2. Traditional weaving textiles design of India
3. Traditional Tie-Dying and Hand printed textiles design of India

1. Traditional embroideries textile design of India:

Shailja D.Naik has describes embroidery is a beautiful thread work on a

variety of fabrics, which makes the fabric more attractive. In India it has
been practiced since sixteenth century which is being traced from the wall
paintings, figurines found in Indus valley civilization and sculptures. Wide
variety of embroidery decorating found in cotton, silk, wool and velvet cloth
with various types of stitches and customary colors making the garments
look beautiful and attractive. The traditional embroideries of some state of
India are mentioned below:

a. Katha of Bengal: the traditional folk art of Bengal is famous as katha

which means patched cloth and the special significance of katha is
quilting. It is a domestic art made up of waste material. Katha were
produced in Hugli, patina, Satagon, Jessore and Faridpur and other part
of each and west Bengal.

b. Kashida of Bihar and kashida of Kashmir: Kashida of Bihar is more

frequently done on garments of day to day use like sari, blouses, caps,
wraps, odhini, baby blanket and households textiles like table linen
covers, cushion cover, quilt, bed spreads etc. in this type of embroidery
appliqué art is very common.(Naik:13). While, kashida Kashmir is famous
for shawls. The best embroidery is raveled in the shawls (Naik:1.)
according to Shailja D. Naik kashida on Kashmir shawls are recognize for
their beauty, cotton, motifs, artistic appearance and texture (Naik
2006:75).

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c. Embroidery of Gujarat: Gujarat the state in the western part of India is

famous for the embroidery of Kutch and Kathiawar. The peasant, tribal
and ladies of other community residing in the village have maintained
their tradition, culture and rich heritage through various styles of
embroideries. Embroider of Gujarat are two types Kutch embroidery and
Kathiawar embroidery which have their own beauty lies in the rich design,
verity of motifs and stitches.

d. Appliqué work of Gujarat: it is an integral part of the decorative needle

work of Gujarat, but it has however, a distinctive style of its own. Left over
pieces of any type of fabric patterned, printed or plains are cutout and
stitched together to create an effect. Appliqué work is never done on
garments but only on toran, chakla, chadarwa or the saddle of house.
Along with all this above embroideries another type of embroideries are
Phulkari of Punjab or chamba rumal of Himachal, Chikankari of Uttar
Pradesh, Mirror work of Rajasthan or Ari work of Gujrat, Kasuti of
Karnataka .Each embroidery in India is based on a unique set of motifs
which are used with a special set of colored threads on specific fabrics
like khaddar is used for phulkari, voile is popular for chikankari and kasuti
embroidery is done on coarse fabrics.

2. Traditional weaving textiles design of India

In India, a large range of cotton, silk and woolen woven textiles are produce
on handloom. Each part of India is known for particular type of textile. Two
main types of woven textiles are Brocades and Ikat. Brocades produce in
Uttar Pradesh and in Tamilnadu and Ikat produce in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat
and Orissa which are as follows (Desai: www.textilevaluechain.com/index.
php/article/industry-general/item/202-woven-textiles-of-india):-

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a. Brocade weaving: There are Banaras brocade and Kanjivaram brocades

which are woven with silk and metallic yarn. Colors are bright and design
are used for these brocades are floral, mango, animal. Paithnai is another
type of brocades which is manufactured in Paithan, 40km away from
Aurangabad in Maharashtra. In this silk and cotton yarns are used for
weaving. These are woven with silk and gold yarns. The specialty of this
sari is Palloo which is woven with real gold wrap and weft. Designs are
peacock, parrot, lotus, mango or geometrical design known as Akruti.

b. Ikat weaving:

 Patola: Double Ikat technique is used for weaving patola. This work
is done in Patton (Gujarat). Silk yarns are used for weaving. Warp
and weft threads are tied and dyed according to design and then
weaving is done.

 Pochampally: single Ikat technique is used for weaving

pochampally ikat. Silk and cotton yarns are used for weaving.
These are woven in pochampally Andhra Pradesh. In this type of
weaving only one set of the yarns are tied and dyed.

 Bandhana: In this weave double Ikat or single Ikat for weaving are
used in design Shells and geometrical pattern are used.

3. Traditional Tie-Dying and Hand printed textiles design of India

In west and North India, tie-dye cloths are called badhani. While the term
chunari derived from spotted patterns made by tie-dying is also used. Tye-
dyed cloth known as Gharcholu is traditionally used as bride‟s veil in Hindu
wedding in Gujarat. The production center of tie-dyed cloths in Gujarat is
Jamnagar, Porbandar and Rajkot, in Sauratstra and Bhuj, Arjar and Mandavi

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in Kutch (Gillow and Barnard, 1991:367). Batik is another resist dyeing

technique in which wax is used as a resist and cold dyeing is done to apply
dyes. Wonderful patterns are produced by the natural cracking of wax and
different products like bed sheets, kurtis, sarees, etc. are produced from them
(Rana:www.textilevaluechain.com/index.php/article/industry-general/item/
203-traditional-indian-textiles). On the other hand in hand printed textile hand
block printing is used to produce patterns using wooden blocks on fabrics that
can be used in both apparel as well as furnishings in Rajasthan as well as
Gujarat. There are two styles of block printing - Sanganeri and Bagru. Gujarat
and its adjacent western regions were particularly famous for their block-
printed and regist tie-dyed textile, while the Coromandel Coast areas of
Machilipatnam and the more southerly Madras- Pulicat region were noted for
finaly hand printed Kalamkari and dyed pieces. Ajrakh cloth is block-printed
on one or both sides. The name is most probably derived from „Azrak‟, which
is s Arabic word for blue certainly indigo blue. These cloths are used as
marriage wear by Muslim males produce in Gujarat (Kutch) and Barmer in
Rajasthan. Pigment painted textiles Pichvai temple hanging in Rajasthan
Nathdawara are used by the vallabhacharya sect and depict lord Krishna
manifested as shri Nathji. (Jhon Gillow and Nicholas Branard, 1991).

3.7. Scenario of ethnic apparel in Indian market

Indian ethnic wear industry is one of the industries which have taken great
strides over past few years. It is booming like anything even today. Lifestyle of
people living in India has changed and due to this the Indian ethnic wear
industry is also carried lots and lots of changes like in the design patterns and
the style of different ethnic apparels. Also urbanization and globalization has
brought a lot of changes in dressing style but still ethnic apparels are in a
huge demand even today (2014: samyakk.com/blog/booming-indian-ethnic-

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wear-market-growth-history/). The reason behind this is that in India most

women stick to their traditional values and that is why they prefer mostly
ethnic wears and also the increasing number of women within the working
force, coupled with the keen desire to experiment, leads to an increase in the
acceptance of contemporary ethnic apparels with trendy and comfort
elements. According to the ethnic wear market in India by India retailing
Bureau the other reasons for booming Indian ethnic apparels in Indian market
are as follows (Gugani, Amit, and Kannti Prakash Bramha:https://www.
indiaretailing.com/2014/11/18/fashion/the-ethnicwear-market-in-india/ ):-

a. Due to unorganized market the ethnic wear market space is largely

occupied by unorganized players. It has observed that each region of the
country has strong players but at the same time a small number of
brands have presence across India. Almost a decade ago it seems that
there was completely unorganized category with no brand presence and
the markets mostly driven by local retailers and tailors. Due to which the
maximum design innovation used to come from local „colony tailors‟ only,
who offered very limited options in terms of design variation. Even fabric
design innovation had become underdeveloped due to lack of
competition and complacency in the market. However, the entry of
brands infused a new life into ethnic wear and it could be seen a lot of
activity happening in this segment (ibid)

b. Due to disposable income on the rise the economic empowerment of

women has been one of the most remarkable achievements of India‟s
growth story and consequently growth of women in workforce has led to
a good rise in their disposable incomes. It is notable that millions of
women who were once dependent have now taken control of their own
economic affairs and also contributing to the household, they have much

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more discretion over where to spend their own money. Therefore, it has
been observed that consumers are now spending moderate amounts on
ready-to-wear (RTW) salwar-kameez with a higher frequency of buying
(ibid).

c. It has been notice that in garment sector large format stores offer
private label, such as retailers like Westside, Shoppers Stop,
Lifestyle, Reliance Trends, Max and Big Bazaar has seen partial success
in filling the market gap of value segment. Simultaneously, presence of
several national and regional brands has presenting the choice across
various fashionable product offerings. Brands like Brands like Biba, W,
Fab India and many more have helping women in choosing fashionable
ethnic options. Because of the arrival of organized players the ethnic
wear market has been transformed from tailor stitched to a ready-to-wear
category (ibid).

d. In branded ethnic wear it has been observed that despite being a

very promising segment, women‟s ethnic wear still has limited number of
big brands playing at a pan India level, such as Desi Belle, Nikhaar,
Soch, and W are some brands that are on the rise, but in the view of
experts it is difficult to build on a brand in women‟s ethnic wear segment
this is because in nature they are very fast moving fashion. Customers in
this category are mostly impulsive buyers and they make decisions
based on design rather than a brand. Therefore, one has to be
exceptionally good in terms of recognizing and catering to their changing
tastes (ibid).

e. When it comes about fashion trends then it has been seen that
tradition has never been out of fashion. According to the India

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retailing Bureau ‘Several traditional dresses are always in trend but the
ones that are enjoying the most popularity include patiala suits, tights,
tunics and kurta inspired by western styles like upturns.‟ Now a day‟s
Women are also widely seen sporting sharara and gharara for festive
seasons. Traditionally available ikat, block prints and colours have
always been intricately used by designers and are still attractive to all
age groups of shoppers. For occasion like part or wedding, salwar-
kameez in heavy embroidery, bead work and innovative prints are in
famous today also Anarkali suits are much in fashion and majority of
women love to wear them for wedding and reception ceremonies. There
is no doubt that ethnic apparel designs always shows elegance, beauty,
ethnicity and personal style also honor our historically appreciated taste
and also embrace the present heritage and culture of our nation (ibid).

f. The influence of new styles of film industry and the soap opera attract
the viewers towards ethnic apparels. Indian films have always
encouraged ethnic wear. It has been observed that Bollywood is known
as the biggest trendsetter because whatever is happening in movies is
very well received by most of viewers so the costume designers make it
a point and add glamour to ethnic dresses. For example, the traditional
Anarkali salwar-kameez is patterned into long length flared Anarkali
commonly known as Indian one-piece dress, an Indian answer to the
Western one piece. Simultaneously, one cannot ignore the role played
by soap operas in strengthening the essence of ethnic wear clothing. It is
predictable to find any household that does not indulge in these slow
moving, high-pitched television series every evening. The heavy dosage
of household drama served invariably on all channels, has boosted the
psychological need to identify with the show‟s characters. This trend has

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undoubtedly played the role of a catalyst in bolstering the sale of trendy

salwaar-kameez and sari. Due to the religious and cultural diversity of
India, a wide range of festivals are celebrated. Such festivals are
typically start early in the year in January, when Northern India
celebrates Lohri, and end around October November with Dussehra and
Diwali. In these festive occasions, consumers tend to purchase ethnic
wear for both personal use and for gifting, as brands typically bring out
new trends and designs to coincide with a festive occasion. These
occasions typically drive the growth for ethnic wear (ibid).

g. The last reasons of booming the ethnic apparels in Indian market are the
growing demands of youngsters in the age group of 18 to 25. They are
choosing ethnic wear as a preferred college and office dress. It has been
observed in several places that girls experience the Indo-Western look
with trendy kurti. Due to combined benefits of comfort, fashion quotient
and traditionalism ethnic wear becomes a top choice among women.
Anyone can go ethnic wearing designer kurti or salwar kameez. They are
increasingly becoming the latest fashion attire among the conservative
as well as contemporary women (ibid).

3.8. The rise of ethnic apparel in online market

According to Hemant jain the concept of e-commerce and e-marketing have

revolutionized the fashion industry in so many ways. Now a day‟s people not
only can shop from the convenience of the home, but also can ensure that
favored brands will still find a way into ones wardrobe. Further, he states that
as per B2C growth analysis reports from the world, especially India, have
shown that due to impact of the internet the purchases and shopping sales
pattern has increased significantly. Due to the presence of online portals

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apparel fashion industry in India is seeing a boom. It also is popularizing

regional and traditional garments. Right from special variants of ethnic
wedding dresses to traditional costumes, the beginning of shopping in digital
age has brought Indian handicraft heritage into the limelight (Jain: https://
www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/7511/role-of-e-commerce-in-apparel-
fashion. It has been seen that in India there are many traditional apparel
whose sales were originally limited to the geographical area where the
weaving community was located. However, due to availability of online
portals now small and medium enterprises can built and offer their products
to a larger audience. For example iTokri.com, Jaypore.com, Ajio.com,
indianroot.co etc. are the online portals where the marketers and the sellers
sell ethnic apparels. So this is the reasons why today the traditional and
regional apparel becoming famous just because of the rise of online market.
Marketers have also realized the power of content marketing in online
medium. They create banner ads with attractive and catchy call to action for
viewers to engage the viewer by creating curiosity to know more about the
product. For example see the below image 3.8.(i), in this banner ad the art of
kalmakari has been portrayed by a seller asking the viewer to learn the story
behind kalmakari. Through online marketing communication, marketer
highlight the important design featuring of less known textile art like, weaves
of Banaras, Ikat from Odisha, bagh print from M.P, Jamdani from West
Bengal, Ajrakh textile art from Gujarat, Kalamkari art from Andhra Pradesh
and Bagru print of art from Rajasthan. See the banner ads in below images
3.8. (i),, 3.8.(ii), 3.8.(iii), 3.8.(iv), 3.8.(v), 3.8.(vi), and 3.8.(vii), consequently.

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Image 3.8. (i),Weaves of Banaras

Image 3.8. (ii),Ikat print art from Odisha

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Image 3.8. (iii),Bagh Print art from Madhya Pradesh

Image 3.8. (iv), Jamdani print art from West Bengal

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Image 3.8. (v),Ajrakh textile art from Gujarat

Image 3.8. (vi),Kalmakari textile art from Andhra Pradesh

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Image 3.8. (vii),Bagru textile art from Rajasthan

Part of internet revolution social media has changed or redefine the people
networking environment and has helped, act as a connection between the
marketers and consumer. Veena R. Humbe said in her article about the role
of social media in marketing of handloom products that “The Indian handloom
products have a distinct place in the world of fabrics. It provides employment
for 12 million people and it is the second largest sector in the employment
generation stands only next to agriculture. It provides direct employment to
6.5 million people in the country. Marketing is essential to boost the sale of
handloom products. Marketing has been recognized as being central to the
growth and development of the handloom industry. In last few years the idea
of buying and selling has tremendously changed. The Internet has overtaken
television as the largest advertising market, as banner and pop-up
advertisements showcase a vast array of products and services. The total

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population of India is 1,283,810,000. Out of which 13% use social media and
spend approximately 2 hours 26 minutes daily. The use of social media by
mobile users is 57% of total population and time spend is 2 hours 36 minutes
per day. Social media marketing is one of the most important types of online
marketing where small businesses are marketing their products/services and
brands on social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+,
and instagram etc. It enables individuals and communities to co-create, share,
and modify content in an interactive, Internet-based environment. The use of
social media in marketing can benefit the handloom industries by developing
the awareness and benefits of the handloom products, reducing marketing
expenses, increasing the sales, providing the details regarding the
marketplace to purchase the handloom products and exposure towards
handloom products (Humbe, 2014:136).”

Therefore from the above discussion it can be seen that social media tools
alike provides lot of opportunities for marketers to advertise their products
through dedicated product page, sponsored posts, banner ads and electronic
mailers. For example see the below banner ads. 3.8. (Viii), and 3.8. (ix),
consequently. All these banner ads are advertised in Facebook social media
which is not only give the information about Indian ethnic apparels or textile
but also promote them to purchase. Therefore, from the above discussion it is
concluded that the development of online commerce in India has assured a
new age of renaissance for Indian art and craft. Owing to the popularity of
online market the Indian ethnic handloom and art have started crossing the
geographical boundaries and gain the popularity on a larger diaspora
spanning entire length and breadth of the nation and overseas. These art
forms which are almost extinct have got new a lease of life by getting
mainstream usability. Online is helping cutting the middleman out and bridging

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directly the seller and consumer. This is helping the artist to make better living
and consumer getting better value for money, fueling social upliftment.

Image 3.8. (viii), Facebook Banner ads

Image 3.8. (ix), Facebook Banner ads

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