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Confetti East’s A-Z of fashion terms

Don’t know your achakan from your kalidhar? Here’s our quick guide to technical fashion terms from South Asia...

Abla mirrored glass
Achakan men’s long-sleeved coat-like garment, worn close-fitted, reaching down to the knees or lower and buttoned in the front-middle
A-line triangular shaped skirt that is wider at the hem than at the waistband
Angararkh a kurta with two flaps, one over-lapping the other, the left half tied under the right
Angavastram gold embroidered cloth worn folded and draped over the left shoulder
Angia halter style choli or bodice
Badla flat gold or silver wire
Baluchari silk brocade sari from West Bengal
Bandgala literally means closed neck, it is a jacket or achakan closed and buttoned at the throat, also known as the Nehru jacket
Bandhini process of tie-dyeing in which small spots are tied tightly with thread to protect them from the dye; popular in Rajasthan and Gujurat
Batik traditional method of producing patterns onto fabric using wax and gum
Bel floral design
Bias cut cut diagonally across the grain of the fabric used to create garments that follow the body curves closely
Block-printed wood-cut blocks of traditional designs are applied to cotton, organza & silk
Brocade a jacquard weave fabric with interwoven all-over designs, usually of flowers and foliage, creating an intricate figuring effect by using satin weaves on a plain weave background, used extensively for silk saris
Buta larger motif of flowers and plants
Buti a diminutive of buta, very commonly used in Indian textile design.
Chanderi span of silk bordered with cotton which is bordered by gold, from Madhya Pradesh
Chikankari form of embroidery popular during the Mughal period, mainly white work consisting of floral embroidery on a net ground, has recently become hugely popular
Choli a short bodice-like garment which can be worn in many styles: with back or backless, fastened with strings or extended cloth-pieces, with shaped breast pieces or flat, etc
Chunnat crinkled gota ribbon
Chunri a lightweight scarf generally around 2-3 metres long, with embroidery, cut-work, border to it, also known as duppatta or chunni
Churidar a bias cut close-fitted trouser with bangle like gathers or wrinkles around the ankle, worn underneath a tunic, can be worn by men or women
Crushed fabric that is twisted or crumpled
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