India is a cultural hub, and we always want to maintain and present this tradition to the world. Indian events cannot achieve their classic and ethnic looks without the addition of sherwanis and kurtas. Though men have fewer options for dressing than women, with their various collections of kurtas and sherwanis, they will certainly make up the fashion difference. A sherwani and a kurta are both valuable wardrobe items, but there is a significant difference between them.
Sherwani comes with some rich designs and fabrics as well as a rich variety of colour combinations. Sherwanis have a Mughal touch to them and are worn for special events or occasions such as weddings of their own or close friends, famine weddings, or other occasions such as engagements or name days, etc.
The Sherwani style was adopted in the late 19th century. It originated in the 18th century in South Asia sherwani is associated with muslim dynasties during British rule. It appeared first in Lucknow in the 1820s. For the general population, a sherwani is the national dress of Pakistan. The Sherwani was gradually adopted by the rest of the royalty and aristocracy of the Indian Subcontinent. A sherwani is a long-sleeved coat worn by South Asian men. It falls to below the knees and is buttoned down the front. The sherwani has a shirt-style collar or a stand-up collar. It can come without a collar. Its following European fashion, the chapkan or balaba, evolved from the Persian cape, and was developed into the sherwani.
On the other hand, Kurta is suitable for general use, family festivals, and religious festivals like puja or Eid. There are various kinds of designer kurtas and they can come in various colours, but when we imagine a kurta, a white kurta is always preferable.
Kurta may be worn by men and women. Sometimes it can be called a "kurtis" for women. Kurtas are mostly loose collarless shirts worn in many regions of South Asia and now also worn around the world. According to author Roshen Alkazi, Mahmud of Ghazni increased this fashion after he entered India; after that, the kurta became an item of common attire during the Mughal period. The kurta can be made of cotton or silk; it can be worn plain or with an embroidered design on it. The sleeves of a traditional kurta can be reach to the wrist. The kurta typically falls above or can be below the knees. The kurta typically falls above or below the knees. The front and back of a kurta can be made of rectangular pieces, and its side-seams will be left open at the bottom. It comes in a variety of lengths.
The given table illustrates the major differences between sherwani and kurta −
Topic | Sherwani | Kurta |
---|---|---|
Definition | A sherwani is a coat-like garment with long length that can be worn over a kurta and bottom wear. |
A kurta is a traditional Indian attire that can be worn by both men and women. The Kurta is ideal for celebrations with family and friends and festivals also. |
Occasion | It is mostly used as wedding attire for men. |
It can be worn on any occasion, and it is mostly used to dress for casual occasions and festivals. |
Style | A sherwani can be found in a variety of patterns and styles. The fabrics and colours also have various options. |
These are the popular styles like cotton kurta, pathani kurta, highlow blue kurta, printed kurta, etc. |
Types | We can see various kinds of sherwani, like the Jodhpuri sherwani, Pakistani sherwani, Chipkan Sherwani, Achkan sherwani, and many more. |
There are a lot of types that can be seen in kurtas, like tail, a-line, long straight, Indo-western kurtas, etc. |
Design | There are many kinds of designs that can be seen on sherwanis, like peachcoloured embroidered brocade dhoti sherwani, blue and red jodhpuri sherwani, maroon velvet sherwani with resham, etc. |
There are various kinds of designs, like embroidery style designs and jaal work designs. The Lucknowi chikan kurta, floral print designs are remarkable. |
As Indians, we are proud of our tradition. Our unique tradition is recognised by the world widely. Besides our unique festival varieties, languages, foods, literature, dance, lifestyle and cultural phenomenon, we are rocking the fashion world with our distinctive fashion design qualities. Our mind-blowing designer sherwanis and kurtas are the best examples of our culture and tradition. Though sherwanis and kurtas have notable differences, both are essential components of any Indian man’s closet.