Frocks For All Age

This is the loose long dress having long history behind, first originated in the church in the western world and worn by priests. It is only after that frock has been used as the dress of women, and now it is equally used throughout the world, and has acquired the international fame.

There are many types of frock used in many parts of the world. Its use is conventional in many countries. Especially in Europe and America it is used as a bridal dress of thin fabric in white colour.

The older form of frock used by the ladies in England from early 18^th century down to the late Victorian times was with the round shaped stiff cloth along with bonnet (the frilled cap), and it was the most famous dress from ladies of elite class to the common women, even in all ages of history. 

Modern frock styles

Modern frock styles and forms are with respect to the occasion and season.

Latest fashions of frock

The latest fashion brought about the great stylistic contribution in dress. The general outlook of the dress remains the same whereas there are many attractive stylistic additions that won the public appreciation and therefore they are long lived even in the world of changing designs and fashions.

Latest fashions of frock are in many styles. The only spirit behind the modern fashion is the convenience and that is why the modern styled dress is neither heavy as old nor is it heavily frilled or embroidered.  Nearly all of them are light and convenient to be worn. The basic stress is towards the grace and elegance. 

Modern frocks are light, usually sleeveless and graceful. Now-a-days there are large number of styles. Some are with the unique patterns and cuttings. Modern frock quite unlike the old fashion is made as one shirt, of single cloth where upper and the lower parts don’t look to be separated rather they are like shirt, the one piece of fabric, but difference is its being loose than the shirt.

Modern frocks also get gradually loose right from the shoulders downwards and are worn both with paijammas and shalwar. The styles of neck are varied. The great number is with embroidery at gala, the front and the corners of lower loose frill.

Frock for children

Frock for the children is something most common. It is mostly sleeveless, frilled and in different rich colours that suit children.

Frock for children is with the back strips, colourful patterns and decorations worn with tights. Some white frocks are heavily frilled in the front and look like sprouting flowers.

Some are identical to skirts having separate frilled lower part whereas in the great many cases it is the single piece.

Old Frock Fashion

The frock in the old fashion is still in the vogue in Pakistan and India.

It was the one with bulging lower frill. Mostly It is sleeveless and having frills on the shoulders too. 

Some old fashioned frocks are even with the long sleeves. Old frock was heavily built up unlike modern ones. 

Kurta Shalwar

Kurta too is one of the oldest kinds of dressing. 

This is collarless loose shirt with straight lower borders, equally used by men and women in the region of Subcontinent including Afghanistan. It is worn by men either with tight fitting paijamas or loose shalwar. The vogue of tight fitting paijamas is the old one which is still in fashion in India whereas in Pakistan its use is generally with the loose shalwar except the marriage ceremonies. The purpose of dressings in marriage ceremonies in entire world is mostly extravagant, and it is owing to the same that kurta in weddings is of bright colours with embroideries (sometimes heavy). Still in entire Pakistan it is considered as the formal dress worn in the public gatherings. Its formality, quite unlike India, is its use with simple shalwar.

Kurta is in the very history of Pakistan independence, for it was in the very vogue of gent’s fashion, and all the leaders right from Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in Pakistan movement worn this dress. It was quite common in entire India Muslims and Hindus alike that Jinnah and Nehru were of same dress. Only difference was Jinnah’s selection of Sharwani whereas Nehru was more used to with achkan.

Gent’s varieties

In gents it is richer in varieties than shalwar kameez. Its most use is in the summer weather mainly on account of its being loose garment. It is also used along with waist coat, the traditional sleeveless coat used in Pakistan.

Thin clothed without “ban”

This is quite popular variety of kurta in Punjab, the largest province of Pakistan, whereas it is used in large scale in the other provinces as well. This is one of the oldest fashions that always remained popular and this is white kurta of very thin cloth especially for the summer weather. This is neither with collar nor with ban (a stiff neck covering). It is simplest used to be worn at home or in the informal gatherings.

Formal kurta with “ban”

This style is something considered to be the more formal one, used in the gathering with waist coat. Instead of collar a covering of stiff cloth like a strip is used which is actually called a “ban”. There are many varieties of it, some simple, which is more formal one whereas other is the one used in the ceremonies and it is with embroidery and rich colours. There is one which is now considered to be in the latest fashion and it is the combination of gala and ban both. 

Shirt type kurta

This is the simple shirt with ban and rounded lower corners. This is now-a-days quite in the vogue and is popular in Pakistani society. Rather this can be said that this style is now gaining more popularity than the other ones, and it is simply owing to the fact that this is considered to be the formal one and used with convenience in the public gathering, offices, job and whatever. It is the counterpart of simple shirt with collars.

Lehanga

Lehanga is the oriental skirt used at the large scale in subcontinent especially in India. Just like sari it is the combination of petticoat and blouse and the only difference is the piece of strip (drape) which is missing in the case of lehanga. Sari is shawl less. Its drape alone is used for that purpose, whereas in lehanga shawl is the separate piece. The blouse is usually short in length and short in sleeves which is called choli. The length of choli varies in different styles and designs. It may be a shorter one covering the breasts only or longer extending to the petticoat. There are so many different fabrics the lehanga is made of. Like; Crape, Brocade , Khadi, Satin, Cotton Silk, Georgette, Net and Chiffon. Silk lehanga is the most popular among all. Apart from fabric there is heavily decorative work that makes it more attractive. The work of zardozi, zari, embroidery, diamante, bead and mirror work present it the excellent look and elegance in the world of fashion. Many types of embroidery are applied that really add to the grace of this fashion.

It is owing to the same that lehanga is mostly used in the weddings ceremonies. It is tradition that it is worn by brides at the wedding day and therefore it is considered to be the parts and parcel of the weddings. It does have many fashions.

In many fabric materials there are shafoon, jarjet, tissue etc that are mostly applied. Other characteristics are related to embroidery which are the decorative works like; Tilla, dabka, gotta, salma sitara etc

Bridal Lehanga

Lehnga’s attractions in the eastern societies are mainly due to the wedding ceremonies.  It is the part and parcel of the weddings especially in Pakistan and India. Bride can never perhaps be imagined without lehanga. Its most colours are dark and bright. Red colour is tradition. The craze of lehanga is so wide and deeply traditional that it is generally considered that it adds to the grace and beauty of the bride as is the demand of the very occasion.

Lehanga is used along with blouse and petticoat. They too are of mostly red in colour, whereas there are now-a-days many other varieties. 

Heavy dupatta

Heavy in a sense that it is heavily and richly embroidered, whereas fabric applied is usually very thin. Dupatta has long tradition and even backed by the religion with the notion that it is binding upon women to cover their heads and make them muffled up. This verdict of religion gets its complete satisfaction in the weddings because bridal dress is larger enough to completely cover her body. The edges are richly embroidered with gotta, aar, dapka and salma sitara etc which are the local methods of embroidery. 

KURTAS

Ladies’ varietiesThe female’s dress variety in kurta is of course in the large scale. This dress has long been used in India and Pakistan. Its history rather is of centuries in this region and is considered to be the recognition of this part of the world. There are many varieties of cloth used in it. In the summer weather cotton kurta is mostly used by the ladies. It is with rich designs and embroidered patterns to the great likings of the ladies. Kurta in ladies quite like gents is longer than the usual shirt. One more thing that matters most is the design of “ban” or other way round the design of “gala”. There are modern styles with gala and ban at the same time and this type of kurta is popular in the ladies and gents both.

Ladies’ varieties

Kurta with gala

Gala is the Urdu word stands for neck. This is the style of kurta with no ban (hard neck strip instead of collar). The designs of neck or gala matter most. In great many cases it is round. Whereas its other designs are square, V-shape, deep, drop-shape and with different others. There is usually an embroidered line at the front, edges of neck, sleeves, lower edges of the shirt, chaks, and at he lower edges of shalwar.

Kurti

This is as compare to kurta a shorter style of shirt with round, V-shape and different other neck designs. There are different designs. Kurti is mostly in fancy designs with more decorations, with or without embroidery in shirt’s edges. It is also used along with paijamas both churidar and other one. Recent designs are of great variety of shapes.

Kurta with ban

Ban is the stiff neck covering instead of collars and ban kurta for ladies is in this way a bit identical to the kurta for gents. It is usually always embroidered at he ban, front, sleeves and the lower corners of the shirt. It is usually worn with shalwar or trousers. Its most use is in the formal gatherings. Long ban kurta with rich colours and designs is the source of aesthetic pleasure and great feminine satisfaction. Its use although is not large enough as common shirt but still that gives a graceful look. Its other characteristics is its not being a tight dress as is in the case of other female dresses. Some times it is even without a ban and only rounded neck.

Kurta with ban and gala

This is the latest fashion and this is even there in the case of gents. There is ban followed by the V-shaped gala. It is used mostly along with trousers or genes. Being quite famous now-a-days it went into the very craze of ladies and being used quite in the large scale now in Pakistan and India. It is rather considered to be the dress of celebrities and therefore it is something quite likely for it to gain public fame as celebrities always were considered to be the symbol of fashion