In the Punjab region, people wore cotton clothing. Both men and women wore knee-length tops. A scarf was worn over the tops which would be draped over the left shoulder and under the right. A large sheet would be further draped over one shoulder which would hang loose towards the knees. Both male and female wore a dhoti or lungi around the waist.Mohinder Singh Randhawa. (1960) Punjab: Itihas, Kala, Sahit, te Sabiachar aad.Bhasha Vibhag, Punjab, Patiala. Modern Indian Punjabi dress has retained the dhoti, but over its long history has added other forms of dress.

The Punjab region had a flourishing industry in cotton during the 19th and early 20th centuries, when various kinds of coarse cotton clothes.Parshad, Gopal (2007) Industrial development in Northern India: a study of Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, 1858-1918 This cotton industry added to the richness of Punjabi clothing which exhibits Punjab's rich and vibrant culture in its dresses. Various types of dresses are worn based on different Punjabi festivals, local events and ceremonies.

Along with different traditional dresses special types of ornaments are also very common.

Suthan

The use of the Suthan in the Punjab region also called Suthana in Punjabi is a survival of the ancient Svasthana.Catherine Ella Blanshard Asher, Thomas R. Metcalf (1994) Perceptions of South Asia's visual past A. V. Narasimha Murthy, K. V. Ramesh (1987) Giridharaśrī: essays on Indology : Dr. G.S. Dikshit felicitation volume Aniruddha Ray, Kuzhippalli Skaria Mathew (2002) Studies in history of the Deccan: medieval and modern : Professor A.R. Kulkarni felicitation volume J. J. Bhabha (1969) Mārg̲, Volume 23 Marg Publications (1969) Svasthana referred to a lower garment which can be described as a type of trousers. The Svasthana was in use amongst the rulers in the Mauryan era (322–185 BCE),Viishnu Asha (1993) Material Life of Northern India: Based on an Archaeological Study, 3rd Century B.C. to 1st Century B. amongst the ruling classes in North India during the Kushan Empire between the 1st and 3rd centuries C.E,Archaeological Congress and Seminar Papers: Papers Presented at the 4th Annual Congress of the Indian Archaeological Society and the Seminars Held at Nagpur on the 10th, 11th, and 12th Nov. 1970, Volume 4, Part 1970 during the Gupta Empire between 4th and 6th centuries C.E.Mohapatra, Ramesh Prasad (1992) Fashion Styles of Ancient India: A Study of Kalinga from Earliest Times to Sixteenth Century Ad and during Emperor Harsha's rule during the 7th century C.E.

The Punjabi suthan is a direct variation of the svasthana which can either be loose to above the ankles and tight around the ankles, or loose to the knees and tight to the ankles. The suthan is a male and female garment but its use is particularly important in the Punjabi suthan suit whereby it is worn by women with a kurti or kurta. It is also a part of the Punjabi ghagra outfit. Other variations include the choga (robe) and suthan combination.

Kurta

The kurta with its side slits in the Punjabi kurta can be traced to the 11th century C.E.Ghurye, Govind Sadashiv (1966) Indian Costume

The straight-cut traditional kurta is known as a panjabi in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Assam. The traditional Punjabi kurta of the Punjab region is wide and falls to the kneesPunjab District Gazetteers: Attock district, 1930. Printed 1932 and is cut straight.Asoke Kumar Bhattacharyya, Pradip Kumar Sengupta (1991), Foundations of Indian Musicology: Perspectives in the Philosophy of Art and Culture Yadava, Ganga Prasad (1982) Dhanapāla and His Times: A Socio-cultural Study Based Upon His Works Sharma, Brij Narain (1966) Social life in Northern India, A.D. 600-1000 The modern version of the regional kurta is the Mukatsari kurta which originates from Muktsar in Indian Punjab. This modern Punjabi kurta is famous for its slim-fitting cuts and smart fit designs. It is very popular among young politicians.Puneet Pal Singh Gill (04.01.2012) The Chandigarh Tribune. "Muktsari-style kurta pyjama a fad"

Multani kurta The Multani kurta is crocheted using Sajarak prints of Multan.Official Journal of the European Communities: Legislation, Volume 30, Issues 248-256 (1987)

Phulkari kurta A Phulkari kurta is embroidered using the Phulkari embroidery of the Punjab region.Naik, Shailaja D. (1996( Traditional Embroideries of India

Bandhani kurta Bandhani tye-dyeing is popular in the Cholistan desert area of Punjab, Pakistan.Nasreen Askari, Liz Arthur, Paisley Museum and Art Galleries Merrell Holberton, (1999) Uncut cloth Bandhani patterns are used on kurtas.

Shalwar Kameez

A Punjabi suit that features two items - a qameez (top), salwar (bottom) is the traditional attire of the Punjabi people. Shalwars are trousers which are atypically wide at the waist but which narrow to a cuffed bottom. They are held up by a drawstring or elastic belt, which causes them to become pleated around the waist. The trousers can be wide and baggy, or they can be cut quite narrow, on the bias. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams are left open below the waist-line (the opening known as the chaak), which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. The kameez is usually cut straight and flat; older kameez use traditional cuts; modern kameez are more likely to have European-inspired set-in sleeves. The combination garment is sometimes called salwar kurta, salwar suit, or Punjabi suit. The shalwar-kameez is a widely-worn, and national dress, of Pakistan. When women wear the shalwar-kameez in some regions, they usually wear a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta around the head or neck. The dupatta is also employed as a form of modesty—although it is made of delicate material, it obscures the upper body's contours by passing over the shoulders. For Muslim women, the dupatta is a less stringent alternative to the chador or burqa (see hijab and purdah); for Sikh and Hindu women, the dupatta is useful when the head must be covered, as in a temple or the presence of elders. Everywhere in South Asia, modern versions of the attire have evolved; the shalwars are worn lower down on the waist, the kameez have shorter length, with higher splits, lower necklines and backlines, and with cropped sleeves or without sleeves.

The Punjabi suit is popular in other regions of the subcontinent,Sorabji M. Rutnagur (1996) The Indian Textile Journal, Volume 106, Issues 9-12 McGilvray, Dennis B. (2008)Crucible of Conflict: Tamil and Muslim Society on the East Coast of Sri Lanka such as Mumbai and Sindh.Bakshi, SHri Ram (1992) Struggle for Independence: Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit It is also popular in Afghanistan,Culture and Customs of Afghanistan By Hafizullah Emadi where it is called the Punjabi.

Punjabi tamba and kurta

The Punjabi version of the Dhoti is known as or . Whereas the is of one colour and has no border, the has a border and is variegated so that it has more than one colour.Punjab District Gazetteers - Gujranwala District Year Published 1935

Kurti

In modern usage, a short kurta is referred as the kurti. However, traditionally, the kurti refers to upper garments which sit above the waist without side slits, and are believed to have descended from the tunic of the Shunga period (2nd century B.C.).Panjab University Research Bulletin: Arts, Volume 13, Issue 1 - Volume 14, Issue (1982)

In the Punjab region, the kurti is a short cotton coat.Punjab District Gazetteers: Rawalpindi District (v. 28A) (1909) Another style of Punjabi kurti is a short version of the anga (robe).Compiled and published under the authority of the Punjab government, (1939)Punjab District and State Gazetteers: Part A]. The kurti can be worn by men but women wear it along with the Punjabi ghagra or suthan.

Pothohari suit Another style of the Punjabi suit is the use of the shalwar which hails from the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan and is known as the Pothohari shalwar. The Pothohari shalwar retains the wideness of the older Punjabi suthan and also has some folds. The kameez is also wide. The head scarf is traditionally large,Culture and Traditions of Kashmir similar to the chador or Phulkari that was used throughout the plains of the Punjab region.

Chola The Sikh Chola is traditional dress worn by Sikhs. It is a martial attire which gives freedom of movement to a Sikh warrior.

There are preserved chola relics and artefacts that were worn by the Sikh Gurus. A particular Khilka-type Chola believed to have belonged to Guru Nanak has garnered considerable attention and study. A preserved chola of Guru Hargobind linked to the tale of his release from Gwalior Fort with fifty-two fellow prisoners is believed to be preserved at Ghudani Kalan village in Amritsar district of Punjab, India.

Punjabi ghagra

The Punjabi ghagra was the traditional apparel for women before the advent of the Punjabi suit. In modern times, the ghagra is worn by women in parts of Haryana, rural parts of southwestern part of Punjab, parts of Himachal Pradesh and during performances of Giddha in East Punjab.

The ghagra has its origin in the candataka, which had become a popular garment in the Gupta period.Subbarayappa, B. V. (1985) Indo-Soviet Seminar on Scientific and Technological Exchanges Between India and Soviet Central Asia in Medieval Period, Bombay, November 7–12, 1981: Proceedings The candataka was a men's half trousersBose, Mainak Kumar (1988) Late classical India which eventually developed into the ghagra. The intermediate formation has been described as a shirt like dress for men and women from the neck to the thighs.Gupta, Dharmendra Kumar (1972) Society and Culture in the Time of Daṇḍin Chandra, Moti (1973) Costumes, Textiles, Cosmetics & Coiffure in Ancient and Mediaeval Indi Candataka continued as a popular female dress in the seventh century.Uma Prasad Thapliyal (1978) Foreign elements in ancient Indian society, 2nd century BC to 7th century AD

Punjabi Juti

The Punjabi Jutti is the Punjabi version of the shoe. Local styles include designs from Patiala,The Panjab Past and Present, Volume 36 (2005) the Pothohari shoe with sharp pointed toes, and the Derawali shoe with silk embroidery and round tipped.Punjab District Gazetteers Mianwali District 1916

Patiala salwar

The Patiala salwar was developed in Patiala and is very popular with women.

Bahawalpuri shalwar suit The Bahawalpuri shalwarThe Pakistan gazetteer, Volume 5 (2000) originates from the Bahawalpur region of Punjab, Pakistan. The Bahawalpuri shalwar is very wide and baggyCurrent Opinion, Volume 25 (1899) with many voluminous folds.Katherine Prior, John Admson (2001) Maharajas' Jewels The material traditionally used for the Bahawalpuri shalwar and suthan is known as Sufi which is a mixture of cotton warp mixed with silk weft and gold threads running down the material.Extracts from the District & States Gazetteers of the Punjab, Pakistan, Volume 2 (1976) The other name for these types of mixed cloth is shuja khani.The Pakistan gazetteer, Volume 3 (2000) The Bahawalpuri shalwar is worn with the Bahawalpur style kameez, the Punjabi kurta or chola.1998 District Census Report of [name of District].: Lodhran (1999)

Multani shalwar suit