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A choli is a midriff-baring blouse worn in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other countries where the sari is worn. The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves with a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel; the cropped design is particularly well-suited for wear in the sultry South Asian summers. Cut-out backs and front-opening buttons are some of the features of contemporary designs. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Choli. ... For the city see: Sari, Iran. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Saris are often woven with an extra length of material meant to be cut off and fashioned into a matching choli. The choli may be sewn so that the elaborately woven borders of the sari material form the bottom edges of the choli sleeves. However, cholis need not match the sari. There is a growing trend towards stretchy, comfortable cholis made from knit materials. Knit hat, yarn, and knitting needles A woman knitting at a coffee shop Knitting is one of several ways to turn thread or yarn into cloth (cf weaving, crochet). ...

The traditional choli was worn without a brassiere, as is evident from the images in the Choli Art Gallery, below. However, many modern South Asian women wear a soft bra under the choli, for a firmer appearance of the bust. Expensive designer cholis are sewn with padding and reinforcements so that a bra is not needed and backless or off-the-shoulder cholis can be worn with ease. Bra - front Bra - back A brassiere ( ; , commonly referred to as a bra, ) is an article of clothing that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. ... Map of South Asia South Asia is a subregion of Asia comprising the modern states of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, . It covers about 4,480,000 km², or 10 percent of the continent, and is also known as the Indian subcontinent. ...

Women of the Gujarat and Rajasthan countryside may also wear the choli with a gypsy skirt, or lehnga. Their cholis are often loosely fitted and heavily ornamented with embroidery and mirror work, or shisha embroidery. , Gujarāt (GujarātÄ«: , IPA:  ) is a state in the Republic of India. ... , Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area but encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert (Thar Desert) which has an edge that parallels the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with... Gold Embroidery Cross-stitch embroidery, Hungary, mid-20th century Phulkari from Punjab region, India 15th century embroidered cope, Ghent, Belgium Elizabethan embroidery styles include blackwork on linen and dense patterns worked in colored silk and metallic threads on velvet or other rich fabrics Embroidery is the art or handicraft of... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Maassel. ...

When wearing a semi-transparent kameez, women usually wear a sleeveless choli as an undergarment similar to a camisole or a bustier. Salwar kameez, from Max Tilkes Oriental Costume, 1922 Salwar kameez (also spelled shalwar kameez and shalwar qamiz) is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. ... A camisole or cami is a womans undergarment which covers the top part of the body. ... A bustier is an article of clothing for women, which is form-fitting and can either be worn as lingerie or as an outer garment. ...

Office dress codes usually prohibit cropped, sleeveless cholis; similarly, women in the armed forces, when wearing a sari uniform, don a half-sleeve shirt tucked in at the waist.

Some Western women have started wearing the choli as part of their belly dance costume. They typically wear backless cholis (held together with strings) so that the audience can see a dancer's bare back as she sways. Raqs Sharqi dancer Chryssanthi Sahar Scharf, Heidelberg. ...

Choli Art Gallery

Women dancing in choli-lehnga outfits Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (765x708, 204 KB) Played with copy of picture from Racinets costume book This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author...

Rajput princess lounging in a choli-lehnga Image File history File links Choli_art. ...

Choli-lehnga ensemble in the colours of spring Image File history File links Choli_art2. ...

A Maharani in an alluring choli with a dupatta Image File history File links Choli_art3. ... Women from Jaipur wearing Salwar kameez and dupatta Dupatta (Hindi: दुपट्टा, Urdu: دوپٹا) is a long scarf that is essential to many South Asian womens suits. ...

External links

• Return of the Glamorous Choli
• Get Cholis and more
• Indian Clothing
• 14 Wedding Choli Styles
• Pattern for backless stretch choli