The history of Indian fashion dates back to the Harappan culture in the Vedic times.

The evidence about

textiles and dresses is scant but not unimportant even in the Harappan sculptures.
In Vedic literature, the lower garment worn by the women was much like the sari or dhoti of later times.
Garments made by the skin of animals were worn by gods, sages and tribal alike. It was a perception
among some scholars that initially, sewing was not a very popular concept amongst Indian people and
it was something that was brought in by
the Mughals.
There is a de_nite indication that the Indians were familiar with the knowledge of sewing i.e. the needle
was known to the Indians from the very beginning of historic periods.
So, a distinction needs to be made between the knowledge of sewing and the use of sewing.
So, we need to draw a distinction between what can be designated as timeless
costumes and those that are time-bound. The timeless Indian dress of men thus
consists of garments that use no stitching. As Forbes Watson says, leave the loom,
ready to wear. The dhoti, the scarf, the uttariya, and the turban, which have never really
disappeared from any part of India, belong to this category.
Similarly for women, the dhoti or sari as the lower garment combined with a stanapatta or breast-band
forms a basic ensemble, and once again consists of garments that do not have to be stitched. The upper
garment is simply fastened in a knot at the back and the dhoti or sari is worn covering both legs at the
same time, or alternatively, with one end of it passed between the legs and tucked at the back in the
kakshya fashion that is still prevalent in large areas of India.
The preference for people to wear these kinds of timeless garments was also due to the hot Indian
climate, where comfort of fabric was important.
The time-bound category of garments re_ects the eras of the various invasions that happened in India.
With each invasion came a new concept of clothing. The Indians
adapted these to a certain extent in their own dress code, and a new range of costumes evolved.
Trousers of a close-_tting kind evolved with the British in_uence. Angrakha and chogas evolved with
the Muslim in_uence. So, we became familiar with time-bound attire
and sewing became a visible feature and the evolution of fashion occurred.
When we evolve, we pick from all these basic elements and create ensembles of our own.
For example, the Ghaghra has been an inspiration for all.

It can be called a day skirt, a lehnga or even a petticoat. The concept is the same. The Angrakha of the
man has been converted into the Angrakha with churidar for women. The backless choli of Rajasthan
inspired all of us to create backless blouses with strings and knots. The choga of men inspires us to use
embroideries and also create a toned down version of kurtas for women.
However, while creating new designs, the basic concepts remain timeless and time-bound. We at
times pick from the timeless fashion drapes of ancient India and create draped garments on our dummies.
We also pick from the various costumes, colours and embroideries of our heritage and translate them
into contemporary fashion.