Early Sikh immigrants dressed in western clothing to help assimilate into Canadian culture and due to the fact that Indian clothing was unavailable. Paul Singh Dhaliwal, an Indo-Canadian pioneer, said in his interview that you would never go downtown and see a lady wearing Indian clothing.
It wasn't until the 1970's immigration influx that Sikh immigrants started to dress in their traditional clothing. The result of this was the creation of specialty stores to meet the growing demand for traditional Indian products. These stores were for Indo-Canadians who wanted resurgence of cultural pride and they brought a return to Indian fashion.
Saris: Saris range from four to nine metres in length and the material is usually cotton or silk. The saris is worn over a full length skirt and midriff otherwise known as choli or ravika length bodice. One end is tucked into the skirt front, wrapped around the waist then gathered at the front, tucking the gathered fabric into the waist band. The final length of fabric, known as the pallu or the pallav, is draped diagonally over the torso and over one shoulder and left hanging down the back.
There are a variety of ways a woman can wear a sari, however the most popular style is Nivi, in which pleats are passed through the legs and tucked into the waist at the back.
Salwar-kameez: A salwar is worn by women and men, resembling a pajama or pants drawn tightly around the waist with a string or elastic. The kameez is worn over the salwar, resembling a long shirt.
The kameez usually has detailed design where as the salwar is usually plain. A chuni or dupatta, a rectangular cloth made of thin cotton, is worn as a scarf around the neck or over the head.
Kurta: A long loose shirt, that ends just above or below the knee is usually worn by men. The kurta usually is in the colour of pastel or neutral colours and is very comfortable to wear. It is usually worn with a dhoti or salwar pants.
The kurta can be worn at casual as well as formal affairs. The kurta usually opens at the front with buttons and is made of thin cotton or silk in the summer and of thick wool for the winter months.
The Kurta is similar to the style of an Achkan which is a long coat, worn by men during weddings. An Achkan is a more formal attire of the Kurta, and comes in many different colours. It is worn much longer than the kurta as it ends closer to the ankle.
Traditional Wedding Attire: Traditionally the uncle of the bride gives her the jewelry and clothing for the wedding. However, nowadays the parents of the bride usually pay for the wedding attire. Although a bride can have the wedding outfit in any color traditionally the color of maroon or red is used for a bride to wear and is most popular today.
The Bride wears three pieces, a skirt, bodice and shawl. The suit is made of red silk, hand embroidered with gold thread and heavily beaded. Gowns may weigh up to thirty pounds. The dupatta is fully detailed with motif which is a symbol for prosperity. The bride also wears Juttis, which are Punjabi style shoes for the wedding, usually made of silk.
Every Sikh bride must wear the kalire and chuda. The kalire, which are thin pieces of gold and silver attached to bangles, are tied on both hands by the uncle of the bride before the wedding ceremony. The uncle and aunt also give the chuda which traditionally were ivory and were worn by the bride 40 days to one year after the marriage.
A Sikh bride must also wear a maantikka which is a necklace, a nose ring and earrings. The traditional Sikh bride would wear a panja, which are rings connected together by a gold chain worn on all five fingers.
Menhendi is worn on the bride for luck and beauty when she is getting married. Traditionally, menhendi is worn on the hands and feet of the bride. The design of the menhendi is greatly detailed and can be worn up to the elbows and just below the knees. The design includes the grooms name which is part of the tradition for the wedding.
For the men, a kurta is worn which is a loose fitted shirt and the kameez which is an embroided tunic. Also the groom wears a dhoti, an uncut cloth, around the waist. The groom will usually wear a cream colored outfit with a stand up collar over white trousers called a cufni.
The groom must grow a beard and wear a keski or turban which is usually a deep red or pink color. The turban symbolizes honor, respect, virtue, reverence and brotherhood. The groom must also wear a sehra, a curtain made of tinsel and flowers that is draped over the face to shield the groom from the evil eye. The groom is dressed to resemble a prince, wearing swords and sometimes a plume.
