Shalwar Kameez

creative Commons License 2.0 U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Daylena Gonzalez, IJC Public Affairs

Ho, Stephanie. “Salwar Kameez.” National Library Board. n.p. 18 September, 2013. 28 April, 2016. 

Shalwar Kameez is a type of attire that is very common among women in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. It is also known as the Punjabi suit, because it is the traditional dress of women in the Punjab region, however recently that outfit has become more popular in India and Singapore. The Shalwar Kameez consists of trowsers, which is the Shalwar, and a tunic, which is the kameez. Often times a scarf is added to this outfit to tie it all together. Punjabi men also wear the trowsers, however they have a different type of tunic that they wear. This attire is thought to have originated from the costumes of the Muslim rulers of India, the Mughals. As this outfit came into style, it was worn by women and was even made the school uniform for the girls in the India government schools. This outfit is so popular because not only is it comfortable and affordable, but it is also considered flattering to the female figure. Today, the modern form of the Shalwar Kameez is tighter and more fitted than the traditional outfit. Some women even choose to just wear the Kameez and then wear a skirt or pants with it. The Shalwar Kameez was significant to society because in the older days, Indian girls were supposed to wear an outfit called the sari when they got married, which was soon after they hit puberty. Today, Indian girls marry later in life, and so as to avoid wearing their childhood clothes until they get married, they wear the shalwar keemez. This is viewed as an acceptable, modest outfit and allows the women to move freely while getting their daily jobs done. 
I chose to research Shalwar Kameez because it’s always interesting to learn about different types of attire around the globe. It was interesting to me that the Shalwar Kameez was popular so long ago, and even though it has been modified a bit, it still exists today throughout more places than when it was first introduced. Shalwar Kameez is significant in The Kite Runner because it shows how the Afghans live by tradition and their customs are sacred to them and they do not often change. 

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-09-20_164320.html