Indian Ethnic Wear

Clothing in India varies on the different ethnicity, geography, climate and cultural traditions of the people of that region. India also has a great diversity in terms of weaves, fibers, colors and material of clothing. Color codes are followed in clothing based on the religion and ritual concerned. For instance, Hindu ladies wear white clothes to indicate mourning, while Parsis and Christians wear white to weddings. The clothing in India also encompasses the wide variety of Indian embroidery.

Indian ethnic wear is like no other clothing in the world. This country's rich and varied history has resulted in a vibrant, multi-cultural society full of color, life and variety, and nothing exemplifies this better than the fashion.

With designers discovering and celebrating regional prints and techniques in their Indian ethnic wear collections, the appeal of this type of clothing has reached international audiences as well.

So, what really sets ethnic clothing apart?

Embroidery Work
The art of embroidery or stitching designs onto the fabric using colorful threads is indigenous to many parts of India, with almost every region having a unique style of embroidery to boast of. Even on the simplest of clothes, some amount of embroidery is usually included in the design. Embroidery gives a unique look to the fabric, allowing artisans to add a personal and artistic touch to any garment.

Multitude of Fabrics

There are a dizzying number of options when it comes to fabrics. From plain, printed and embroidered fabrics to woven and dyed materials, the choices are tremendous. Every region not only has a preferred raw material but also local techniques of weaving and decorating the fabric.

Unique Motifs and Designs
Even modern Indian ethnic wear which does not utilize the kinds of regional and traditional techniques listed above is still distinguished by its use of funky ethnic motifs and designs. This includes Hindu mythological depictions, Mughal patterns, tribal art forms, nature inspired motifs and much more.

The Ethnic wear Market in India

The ethnic wear market of India stood at us$ 13,100 million in 2013 out of which the contribution of men’s ethnic wear is only 3 percent, contribution of kid’s ethnic wear is 9 percent and that of women’s ethnic wear is 88 Percent. The ethnic wear market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8 percent to reach $ 19,600 million in 2018.

The apparel market of India was valued at US$ 41 billion in 2013, and is projected to grow at 9 percent CAGR for the next decade. In this huge market, the menswear category contributes 42 percent, women’s wear 38 percent and kids wear 20 percent. The ethnic wear market of India stood at US$ 13,100 million in 2013, out of which the contribution of men’s ethnic wear has been a mere three percent; the contribution of kids ethnic wear has been nine percent; and that of women’s ethnic wear a whopping 88 percent.

This market as a whole is expected to grow at a CAGR of eight percent to reach US$ 19,600 million by 2018. In this segment, the market has largely been driven by women’s ethnic wear as it comprises 74 percent of the overall women’s apparel market with a market size of US$ 11,500 million. It is a large part of women’s wardrobe and will continue to grow at a promising rate of eight percent.

The ethnic wear market space is largely populated by unorganized players. Each region of the country has strong players but at the same time very few brands have presence across India. Almost a decade ago this was a completely unorganized category with no brand presence. It was a space mostly driven by local retailers and tailors. The maximum design innovation used to come from local ‘colony tailors’ only, who offered very limited options in terms of design variation. Even fabric design innovation had become stunted due to lack of competition and complacency in the market. 

However, the entry of brands infused a new life into ethnic wear and we see a lot of activity happening in this segment. It will not be far fetched to say that ethnic wear is the new in-thing in the fashion space.