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A Jodhpuri suit, or Bandhgala (lit. closed neck) suit, is a formal suit from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. It originated in the

Jodhpur State Kingdom of Marwar, also known as Jodhpur State during the modern era, was a kingdom in the Marwar region from 1243 to 1818 and a princely state under British rule from 1818 to 1947. It was established in Pali by ''Rao Siha'', possibly a migran ...

, and was popularized during mid 19th–mid 20th century in India. It consists of a

coat A coat is typically an outer garment for the upper body, worn by any gender for warmth or fashion. Coats typically have long sleeves and are open down the front, and closing by means of buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop fasteners (AKA velcro), ...

and

trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants ( American, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending ...

, sometimes accompanied by a

vest A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit) or vest ( US and Canada) is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wear. It ...

. It brings together a shorter cut with hand-

embroidery Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile, fabric or other materials using a Sewing needle, needle to stitch Yarn, thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across ...

escorted by the

waistcoat A waistcoat ( UK and Commonwealth, or ; colloquially called a weskit) or vest ( US and Canada) is a sleeveless upper-body garment. It is usually worn over a dress shirt and necktie and below a coat as a part of most men's formal wea ...

. It is suitable for occasions such as weddings and formal gatherings. The material can be silk or any other suiting material. Normally, the material is lined at the collar and at the buttons with embroidery. This can be plain, jacquard or jamewari material. Normally, the trousers match that of the coat. There is also a trend to wear contrasting trousers to match the coat colour.

History

Angarkha Angarkha is an outer robe with long sleeves which was worn by men in South Asia. By the 19th-century it had become the generally accepted attire of an educated man in public. It had evolved from the Persian cape ''balaba'' or ''chapkan'' as a ...

is considered the predecessor of the Bandhgala. An angrakha was a traditional court outfit in ancient and classical India that a person could wrap comfortably around himself, offering flexible ease with the knots and ties. Bandhgala emerged as a shortened version of the

Achkan An achkan (, ), also known as ''baghal bandi'', is a knee length jacket worn by men in the Indian subcontinent. It is a similar garment to the angarkha. History The achkan evolved from the , a dress which was worn by people in higher social c ...

. Bandhgala quickly became a popular formal and semi-formal uniform across

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

and eventually throughout India. Designer

Wendell Rodricks Wendell Rodricks (28 May 1960 – 12 February 2020) was an Indian fashion designer and author based in Colvale, Goa. He was also an activist for social causes, environment and gay rights. In 2014, the Government of India awarded him its fourt ...

observes that formal wear such as the Bandhgala are evolutions of a costume legacy that is 6,000 years old. Although, unlike the indigenous european style men's skirts, eastern style pants are worn with it.

References

Rajasthani clothing Jodhpur Indian clothing Folk costumes Jackets Suits (clothing) {{India-culture-stub

History

See also

References