Kurta
Kurta ( Persian / Urdu : کرتا; Bengali : কুরতা ; Hindi : कुरता ) is a simple, traditional item of clothing made of cotton, silk, muslin or wool that is common in large parts of South Asia ( Bangladesh , India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka ).
It is a collarless shirt that is cut loose and is mainly worn by men. For women it is usually part of the salwar kamiz , recently also in combination with jeans. Kurtas are traditionally knee length. Shorter variants were and are also worn in the West; they became popular with the hippie culture. Kurtas are made from a rectangular piece of fabric that is processed without much waste. On the side of the kurta, 15 to 30 centimeters are not sewn together in order not to impair the wearer's freedom of movement. On the front, the kurta is generously slit up to the chest and can usually be buttoned or tied at the top. The sleeves fall straight to the wrist and do not tighten.
Festive kurtas in particular are richly ornamentally embroidered around the kurta opening on the chest and can also be decorated with gemstones.
literature
- Emma Tarlo: Clothing Matters: Dress and Identity in India . University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1996, ISBN 0-226-78976-4 .
- Vandana Bhandari: Costumes, Textiles, and Jewelery of India . Mercury Books, 2004, ISBN 1-904668-89-5 .
