Dresses of Nepal - 7 Beautiful Traditional Nepalese Dresses

Traditional dresses are symbolic of the art and culture of any country. They trace the timeline of the evolution of fashion dating ages back to modern times. These dresses also many times reveal the essence of nationalism of its country. So like all other countries, there are plenty of traditional dresses in Nepal that the beautiful nation boasts of.

1. Dhaka Topi

The Nepalese Prime Minister Mr Rana had worn it during his visit to England in the 19th century. This had further popularised the Daura Suruwal. History holds that Queen Elizabeth had gifted a coat to the Prime Minister which he used to wear over the Daura. This was a modification to the traditional clothing.

Once upon a time, it was mandatory for government officials to make it part of their dress code. These days, they are worn mostly by elderly people. Despite the fact that it is used less of late, it’s demand is soaring higher and higher in the international markets.

3. Dhoti

Clothes used on a day-to-day basis are as important as the festive dresses of Nepal. Dhoti is such a dress worn on a regular basis by men residing in the more humid parts of Nepal where comfortable wearing is of utmost importance. It is basically a long plain piece of fabric which is wrapped around the hips of men and tied around the waist as a substitute for trousers.

4. Lungi

Lungis are similar to dhotis worn but with the purpose of comfort wear. The ends of the lungi are sewn together and they are worn by men as a long sort of skirt with one end open. Lungis are also worn exclusively by Indians. They are often sold in a variety of colours and have become a very common house-wear.

5. Gunyou Cholo

This is the female equivalent dressing of the Daura Suruwal. Gunyou Cholo has a special significance apart from being a national dress of Nepal. It is used to mark the specific age of a girl(7 to 8 years). It is given to a 7 or 8-year-old girl to make a mark of her womanhood and celebrate the fact that she is slowly turning into a woman. It consists of a cholo(blouse) and a skirt accompanied by lots of jewellery. Sadly enough, after the political uprising in 2011, both Daurya Suruwal and Gunyou Cholo have been removed as the national dress of Nepal. They continue to be worn only as ethnic wears.

6. Sari

Another quite popular dress of the Nepalese women is the Sari which is worn by them for decades These saris are similar to the saris worn by the Indian women consisting of a petticoat, a blouse and sari draped around the shoulder. Sari is mostly worn with a lot of gold jewellery and ornaments. Saris are very common in festivities and are even recognized as formal wear for Nepalese women.

7. Kurta Suruwal

This is more of a modern dress of the Nepalese women which has developed in the recent past. It consists of baggy pants serving the purpose of trousers. The upper wear consists of a blouse, a kurta which is made up of silk or cotton, collared or collarless and a scarf as a sign of decency. They are sold in a variety of shining colour combinations all across Nepal.

Dress Specifications According to Caste

In Nepal, people of different castes wear different sorts of jewellery and dresses of Nepal which are unique to themselves and differ from the other castes to distinguish themselves. Some of the different castes and the respective dresses worn by them are Bahun, Chhetri, Gutung, Limbu, Magar, Maithili, Newar, Raute, Rai, etc.

So once you visit this beautiful country, make it a point to shop for some of these traditional dresses of Nepal as a mark of respect to their tradition and also spreading the beautiful culture of this country all across the world.