Dress is the most important part for people in Kinnaur. Infact it would be a good idea for Indian fashion designers to visit this place and take some inspiration from here. Indeed in 2004 one of my friends who was in fashion designing took few ideas for her first show and it worked very well. The people of district dress mostly woolen clothes. There clothing is well suited to the climate and is artistic too in its own distinctive way.
Head dress of men and women is a round woolen cap called thepang in the local dialect. It is generally of light grey or of white colour with a colour velvet band on the outer fold. Band of green colour is most liked. Crimson blue, yellow etc. may also be worn. Men wear woolen shirts called chamn Kurti made of woolen cloth and tailored in the village. Another type of dress which the men wear is Chhuba. It is long woolen coat somewhat resembling an Achkan. A sleeveless woolen jacket worn outside the Chhuba. Men wear woolen churidhar pajama.
Women wrap up a woolen shawl like garment called dohru. The first wrap of dohru is on the back with embroidered border displayed throughout its length up to the heels. Darker shades of colours are preferred for dohru. Besides beautiful coloured shawls are also worn by them over their shoulders. Choli a sort of full sleeves blouse is worn by the women. Some of them have decorative lining also. However, now a days wearing of cotton/synthetic salwar, kameez, pants and shirts have become popular among the young Kinnauras. In the traditional footwear worn by the Kinnauras were made of wool and goat hair with sole of goat hide. However, with the passage of the time the indigenous shoes have almost disappeared and wearing of readymade shoes is in vogue.
Interesting!
