Salwar Neck Designs & Patterns : Introduction
The Salwar is a traditional form of clothing that you’ll traditionally see in many parts of India, although it’s gaining a lot of popularity as a style choice elsewhere in the world – and the Salwar can be the perfect clothing choice for almost any occasion. The Salwar is perfect because of its adaptability, and it’s great because you can wear your Salwar for formal or casual occasions – and in almost any type of weather.
Salwars are available in several different types of designs, even though the basic idea of the Salwar remains the same. Traditionally, the Salwar can be worn with fitting accessories, and sometimes even the right jacket – but everyone will have a different idea of just what the perfect accessory for their outfit should be.
Because there are so many different types of Salwar designs out there, it can be hard to choose your first one – in fact, when it comes to clothing, it can be pretty hard to make the right choice even when you have a hundred of them in your closet already. This is why we’ve put together this article.
This article is to help you understand the different types of Salwar designs and how they are cut to fit around the neck – and then tell you just what you can do with these individual Salwar neck designs to improve your fashion. It can save you a lot of time when you want to buy a Salwar and have no idea what you’re looking for, and it can help you to find your fashion style this year.
The Salwar never goes out of style, and they very rarely change apart from some small variations in cut or fabric. This makes them a reliable option for any point during the year, and you know that the popular designs that you can choose from for 2019 are pretty much the same ever-popular options that have been around for a while.
Here’s more about how to choose your first Salwar, and the different types of Salwar neck designs that you should be keeping an eye on for this year.
More Than Bollywood
If you were talking about ten or twenty years ago, you might have only seen the Salwar on the red carpet of Bollywood events – and other than that, in areas where it’s worn as part of traditional garb. But today, the Salwar is considered to be far more popular than this, and you’ll see it everywhere and in every season – and in almost all parts of the world.
The Salwar has become popular everywhere, and this is partially due to the fact that it can be adapted to suit both formal or casual looks – and it’s comfortable in any kind of weather. No matter whether it’s formal or casual, it’s always sleek – and in most cases, also happens to be made from fabric that allows the skin to breathe under the Salwar.
The Salwar is much more than just a Bollywood red carpet outfit. It’s just as great for something that you can wear every day – and we guarantee that you’ll find the right Salwar for your look from the list in this article no matter what it is you’re really looking for, and no matter what body shape or type you are.
For a truly versatile piece of clothing, you’ll want to choose a Salwar.
Salwar Patterns
The Salwar is available in a variety of different patterns limited only by the type of fabric that you can find. There are a thousand different patterns out there, and they range from the very out-there to the simplistic – and this is why most people eventually build up a large collection of Salwar designs for their fashion needs. It just makes it easier to choose the right one for the right event or look.
The number of different patterns in which you can find a Salwar is limited only by the amount of fabric that you can find – and as you should know even if you aren’t a fashion guru, there are thousands of different patterns out there that can be as formal or as casual as you need them to be.
Which pattern you choose for your Salwar is a lot like which cut you’ll choose: It’s up to you, and it depends on a few essential factors including just what individual look you’d like to go for – it also depends on things like your skin tone and body type, which are pretty easy to establish even if you aren’t an expert.
Sales Assistants: There to Help
When the rich and famous need help and advice when it comes to their style, they rely on professional stylists – the people who are often at the front row of the world’s top fashion shows. It’s true to say that this falls out of the budget for most people: Getting a stylist of this caliber can cost you thousands – and most people will never drop this kind of money just for someone to tell them what to wear.
But this doesn’t mean that you can’t still have access to some great fashion advice – and it doesn’t have to cost you nearly as much.
Almost every shop that sells clothing has to have a sales assistant, and this sales assistant has to be trained in at least the very basics of the stock they keep in the store. This includes what body type it might go with, what sizes are available and what the different cut is called. For the most part, you can ask the sales assistant at the majority of (good) chain clothing stores about the clothing and get just as much information from them as you would from a style consultant.
It doesn’t have to cost you thousands to have great style, and you can often achieve the right look just by trying several options until you find the right one for your needs – guided by a sales assistant who knows the ins and outs of their job.
Don’t get discouraged if you do this and find that the shop assistant at the first store you try can’t tell you all that much. Not all shops train their sales assistants as well as the next, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for at one store, there’s nothing that will stop you from just going to the next store until you’ve found the right one for your needs.
Factors That Matter
You can’t just choose a Salwar off the shelf; well, you can, but not if you want it to suit your style perfectly. There are only a lucky few people who can just choose something off the shelf and look great in it – for everyone else, there are a few things that you’ll have to consider when you buy your Salwar.
Here are the essential factors that matter when buying your Salwar apart from the different neck cuts of Salwar that we describe in this article.
- The Fabric: Fabric is one of the most important things when choosing any type of clothing. When choosing a fabric, you’ll need to think about the pattern and shade of the fabric, but also the quality – and you won’t buy something if you don’t like the feel of the fabric, or if you aren’t completely convinced the fabric is going to last for a long time. It’s important for the fabric to be breathable, comfortable and durable – and if it doesn’t match those 3 factors, you aren’t going to buy it, are you?
- The Quality: Quality extends to more than just the elements that surround the fabric. It also matters to ensure that the quality of everything else is up to standard – things like the embroidery and stitching have to be clearly and strongly affixed to the garment, or you risk it coming undone over time. Test the fabric, and learn to develop an eye for a loose (or half-done) stitch – yes, it’s fine to inspect it with a magnifying glass from close-up if you struggle to see this with the naked eye.
- The Feel: The feel of the fabric is essential, but you’ll soon discover that it’s about more than that. It’s about the feel of the entire dress instead of just the fabric – and you should try to fit the dress where possible so that you can see just how it feels for you. The same outfit might feel great for one person and terrible to the next, so the fitting phase is vital – and nobody likes to take a piece of clothing home just to realize that they don’t really like it the very next day.
The real feel is the one aspect of choosing clothing that nobody else can do for you. While people can spend pages (or hours) telling you about the style, the fabric, and the fit, it won’t tell you much if they describe the feel – because it’s as individual as your own fashion style.
Most clothing stores will offer you the option of fitting a suitable dress, but just in case they don’t, find out what their returns policy is before buying anything from the store. In most cases, you are allowed to return an item that’s been worn once or twice as long as it’s in good condition, the tags are intact and we’re not talking about underwear for obvious health reasons.
Top Fashion and Trends
The entire fashion industry rests on the fact that people are told what the trends are to follow for the season; these trend-setters publish their findings through top fashion platforms like magazines, and people pick up their style for the year or season from here. This is why top fashion trends change so much, and why something can be “in” for one season and then “out” again for the next.
Have you ever considered the idea that you could ignore what’s trendy right now and instead choose to select your style from things that remain classic – and will for the next twenty years?
This ensures that your style will stay in style for as long as possible – and the garments that you buy now if they’re taken care of in the right way, will last you for a long time to come.
Types of Salwar Neck Designs
There are many different types of Salwar neck designs, and each of these can be suited to a different event, style or season depending on your needs. The most common ones are straight-necked, round-necked and V-necked – but you should keep in mind that this only describes some of the more common designs, and there are plenty of others that you can also choose from: In fact, many more than the majority of people would ever imagine existing.
We’ve put together the most common types of Salwar neck designs in this article so that you can find the right one for your style needs – and that you know what it’s called when you’re talking to a sales assistant and trying to find one for yourself.
Here are the most common Salwar neck designs that you can add to your style collection for the year, how to use the different types of designs in your everyday fashion – and why there’s so much emphasis placed on the neck.
Showing the Neck
While there are a lot of different things that come into play when you’re looking to choose a piece of clothing, when you’re choosing a Salwar, whether or not you want to show off the neck – and how much of it – makes for perhaps one of the most important factors in which one you end up choosing.
Some Salwar designs fully show off the neck – and there are many that show off a little more than the neck at the same time, perfect for those formal events where you want to look sleek with a touch of sexy. Others only partially show the neck – usually great for casual wear, although there are many that are specifically great for more formal occasions too – and there are some that cover up the neck completely.
When deciding which to choose, consider the weather – are you going to be hot or cold wearing this? Also consider how revealing the occasion allows you to be, and how much you’d like to show off: You won’t wear the same thing to a casual date as you would to a formal dinner, and the Salwar that you’ll choose for going out might not be the same one that you’ll want to pick when hosting a work event.
Try out several options, and choose the one in which you feel most comfortable. Don’t focus too much on fashion over comfort – what does fashionable matter if you feel like you can’t move?
It’s also pretty important to make sure that you choose the right fit for your fabric. Because of this, you want to make sure that you fit the Salwar that you choose to buy before you do – and of course, we’ve already said this before in the article, but a fitting is so important to finding the right clothes that we’ll say it more than once: Always fit before buying.
Straight Neck
The straight-neck cut Salwar is one of the most common designs that you’ll encounter together with the round and V-neck cuts, and it’s the perfect one that fits almost all types of occasions: You can choose to wear it for more formal occasions, or you can wear it as your casual, everyday wear – it really doesn’t matter which. This is a great part of what’s helped to make it one of the most popular options around, and it’s why you’ll always see the straight-neck Salwar in fashion.
Of course, there are many clothing pieces that are embroidered and a little more elaborate that you might want to keep for more formal events. Keep in mind that some of these more elaborate designs will require some more care when washing, and it’s usually best to wash your Salwar by hand even if they aren’t embroidered – and if you want to keep the fabric in good condition for years to come, take it easy on chemicals like washing powders and bleach.
What’s great about the straight neck design is the fact that it can easily be combined with the right jewelry without the need to show off the neck too much – or you can just omit a necklace and leave it as is, since the collar usually has a design of some sort around it as it is with most Salwars.
Closed High Neck
The closed high-neck Salwar goes up much higher than the straight cut, and it’s perfect for occasions where you want to protect against colder winds, or where you don’t want to reveal as much. It’s great for the more corporate, professional look – but it can also be employed with just as much effect if you want to wear it as a casual piece.
The whole point of the closed high neck is covering up the neck instead of showing it off, although fashion is obviously not the only reason why you would want to do it – often the temperature has a lot to do with it.
Angrakha Dress Design
The Angrakha dress design is one that a lot of people outside of areas where it’s traditionally worn won’t know, but will recognize; even if you don’t know what it’s called and you’ve never been outside of a country like the United States, you’ll have seen this dress design before – a lot – and it’s the common “wrap-around” dress often adorned with patterns that the majority of people would associate with a Bollywood leading lady.
Of course, this dress design is usually not for everyday wear, but reserved for special occasions where you want to dress up a little more – and it will make you feel like a star, guaranteed.
Find a dress that fits well, and makes sure that you choose comfortable shoes for the dress – and the right length so that you don’t go falling over the hem the entire time. (While we’ve said it again and again, we could point out the same thing again: Fit the dress first, twirl around in the mirror and make sure that you like the overall feel and fit of the dress before you buy it.)
Round Neck
The round neck design is one of the most common Salwar designs that you’ll see, and it’s becoming more and more popular all over the world. Because of the versatility, the round neck is one of the Salwar designs that you can count on to never go out of style, and everyone should have at least one round neck as part of their collection.
This is a great starting type of Salwar if you aren’t sure what your needs are, and these are great because they can be used for both casual or formal wear, accentuated with accessories, or left as-is – and you’ll feel just as fashionable no matter which of these options you choose for your style.
Everyone should have a round neck or two, just for the fact that it’s one of the options where you can’t go wrong: For when you aren’t sure, for when you need something for an event right now or for when you just want to wear something great without having to think about it too much, the round neck is a great choice all throughout the year.
Square Neck
The square neck Salwar ends in a very distinct square that shows off a little more of the neck, and it’s another great choice that you can pick for your Salwar if you find that the round neck design doesn’t work for your needs for the specific event. If you want a great design that works for both your formal and informal needs, the square neck is a great choice – and it allows you to have just enough of an “open-air” look without being too revealing.
The square neck is arguably one of the most popular top five designs out of this list of neck designs, and if you’re looking for something that allows you to show off a tattoo or necklace, the square neck Salwar can make for a perfect choice.
Remember that a Salwar can very often be complemented with the use of jewelry, or it can easily be left out of the process if you prefer – the adornment around the neck of a Salwar is often enough to wear without any jewelry while still being able to draw attention.
Oval Neck
The oval neck Salwar is another one of the most classic designs that you’ll find, and it’s one that you can combine with anything else you want to wear. It’s perfect for both formal and casual wear, and it never goes out of style. It allows you to show off some of the necks without showing off to much – and again, while some Salwars are embroidered with fancy patterns, not all of them are and which you choose will depend on what kind of event you’ll be wearing it to.
The oval neck can sometimes be long-sleeved and other times short: Again, it depends on what event you’ll be wearing it to, and the environmental factors around you. If you’ll be exposed to cold temperatures, then an oval neck might not be the best choice – or can just be adapted to be better with just the addition of a simple jacket.
Remember that you can always add (or sometimes subtract) elements to your outfit if you need it to do a little more or a little less than it normally does.
Halter Neck
Halter necks are usually not something that the majority of people would traditionally associate with Salwar neck designs, and that’s probably because halter necks – that are held over the neck with a spaghetti strap – aren’t the traditional type of Salwar. But it can be said that they’ve been seeing a huge rise in popularity, and now it’s not that strange or unusual to spot a halter neck Salwar – and you can use it to great effect for your fashion needs in case you have a little bit more to reveal.
The halter neck is great because it allows you to stay cool – and just like most of the other options on this list, it’s greatly versatile and can be employed to suit a variety of different looks and styles.
It’s pretty easy to make a halter neck part of your fashion: You don’t have to add any accessories to this to make it look like something, and it’s one of those great fashion options that happens to always be in fashion no matter what time of the year you look it up.
It’s great for winter with the addition of a jacket, and it’s just as great for summer – and allows your neck to get just enough air without revealing as much as certain other events might have allowed you to get away with.
Halter necks (and other more open-necked types of designs like the V-Neck and deep V-Neck) are great for people who might find other higher-up neck designs to be uncomfortable, restrictive or not suited for hotter weather.
V-Neck
The V-Neck design is one that’s remained forever classic for decades, and it’s one that you’ll likely already be familiar with away from the concept of seeing it as a Salwar Neck Design. The V-neck remains popular because it draws an arrow down to more desirable parts of the body while being able to distract from any features that you might want to make less obvious.
The v-neck is also one that remains perpetually cool when you need it to, and if you need it to look a little bit more covered up than it already does, just combine it with a stylish jacket that allows for you to change your look.
Jewelry like a necklace can sometimes be added to the v-neck, but it’s usually not necessary to do this, especially when the V-neck Salwar has some kind of embroidered pattern on it that already manages to draw attention.
Deep V-Neck
The majority of V-neck Salwar designs don’t go too far down – although if you want to reveal a little more for a special occasion or event, you should go for a deep V-neck cut instead. This cut can be a little bit more formal and a little more revealing at the same time, and it’s great for those times where you want to go for a look that’s a little more romantic or striking than your usual square or round cut.
For the deep V-neck, don’t put too much emphasis on accessories – sometimes the simplest look can the best one, and you can turn heads with a deep v-neck design without having to add all that much to do it.
Again, if you’ve tried high-necked designs and found them to be a little too restrictive, the V-neck can make for a great choice – and especially the lower, deeper type of V-neck that allows you to have a little more fun with your style, perfect for the right event.
Strapless Neck
Looking for something that’s not your traditional Salwar neck design and bound to turn heads when worn to the right type of event? If you find certain design types to be a little too restrictive for your needs, you should opt for something like a V-necked design – but there are times where the restriction we’re talking about isn’t at the front, but might be around the neck or back instead.
A strapless neck design can be a great help when you’re looking for something that’s casual and cool for just hanging out over the summer, and something that can still be made to fit more formal use for those special events. Strapless neck design Salwars are available in almost every pattern that you could imagine, and they can look great for any occasion – while they’re not the most traditional type of clothing to wear, they’re great for almost any occasion and considered a staple for when temperatures start reaching the higher ends of the scale.
An important thing to remember when you’re wearing a strapless neck design of any sort is the fact that your shoulders and the back of your neck are bound to be more exposed to sunlight; take precautions against this, especially if you aren’t used to the sunlight. Just simple sunblock lotion can help to avoid sunburn – and the potential of heatstroke as a result.
Strap-Over
The strap-over Salwar is another one of the designs that might not fall under the definition of the most traditional ones, but it can still work great for when you need a formal or casual design that never goes out of fashion no matter which point in the year we might be talking about. The strap-over neck design usually isn’t seen in winter months, but once summer comes around you’ll be bound to see them everywhere.
Like with strapless neck designs, you should spare a thought of consideration for your skin and protect yourself against exposure to the sun; just a little bit of precaution can help to go a long way when we’re talking about getting in the sun, and if you aren’t used to the sun, wearing a spaghetti top for the first time can expose your skin to the sun just enough for you to get pretty badly burned.
A strap-over top can easily be combined with the use of a jacket to compliment the rest of the look, or you can just wear it as-is.
Spaghetti Strap
Spaghetti-strap tops and blouses are something that you wouldn’t normally come to associate with a Salwar, that’s traditionally seen in other designs like high-neck, low-neck or round-neck – but in recent years, designers and fashionistas have started to play around more with the design of the basic Salwar, and have come up with all sorts of neck designs that can help to compliment your look.
Especially when summer comes around, the spaghetti-strap Salwar is perfect for staying cool whether you plan on going somewhere fancy or not. Remember that these should be washed pretty carefully because spaghetti straps, known for being pretty thin, can wear or snap easily over time, especially if they aren’t treated with the right amount of care.
Even though it’s not technically traditional, the spaghetti strap is a great modern take on an old design – and it’s giving the Salwar some revitalized fashion sense and putting it back on the map for what people should be wearing. It might even become one of the classic designs overall, and it’s a great idea to make sure you own several types of Salwar designs to that you can choose the right one through the season.
Off-Shoulder Neck
The off-shoulder neck design is one Salwar design that can be considered more of a return to something of a more classic look, and the off-shoulder neck Salwar is one that comes just a little off the shoulder in the way that you would see many a fancier cocktail dress do – and it’s great for a hot day, casual wear, functions or formal events – and you can even wear it every day if you choose to.
The off-shoulder neck design is ever-popular, and might even be so popular that you’ll struggle to find it around the summer months when everyone is starting to buy up stock in shops. If you see a great Salwar blouse that you like, buy it right on the spot instead of waiting until “next time you see it” – considering how quickly some popular types of dresses, blouses and Salwars sell out around the right season, there might not be a “next time you see it” until a few months, years or shops later.
Ideally, when you find any kind of Salwar that you like (whether it’s off-shoulder or not), buy several – and buy them in several different shades, too. They can last for a pretty long time if they’re taken care of in the proper way and washed by themselves, usually by hand, without the use of harsh chemicals – and you can look forward to wearing the same set for years or even decades at a time if it’s made from the right durable fabric.
Collared-Neck
The collared-neck is a type of Salwar design that you simply don’t see every day, and you might have to order from somewhere directly online to find one at the right time of year, but they make for great options when you want to convey a slightly more professional or formal look – with some creativity, the collared neck can be adapted to suit even a funky casual look, especially with rolled-up sleeves and jeans.
The collared neck might be unusual to some, but it can be one of the most comfortable and stylish options for the right even when worn the right way. Sometimes it can be combined with a jacket to round off the look to something a little more formal, or to round off a look that you need to be more corporate.
Take special care when washing a collared-neck shirt to avoid doing any unnecessary damage to the collar – and remember that you might need to iron the collared-neck. (If you don’t have the time or inclination for ironing, you can just hang the shirts with the collar down, straight, and weight it down with clothing pegs at the bottom – this can help to iron out any potential wrinkles in the fabric. )
Embroidered Neck
If you’re looking for something considerably fancier than the traditional round or V-neck design, you should go for one with an embroidered neck design instead. These can come in several cuts, although the most prominent feature of these cuts is usually the fact that the neck contains an embroidered design of some sort – sometimes this is pretty elaborate, other times this isn’t. Which one you should choose will depend on your individual needs – so go for what you like best.
Remember that an embroidered-neck design will need to be washed more carefully than your traditional Salwar – usually by hand – and never ironed to risk any potential damage to the pattern. If you must get out creases, hang it upright and make use of a steam cleaner instead.
