Traditional Dresses of Manipur

Traditional Dresses of Manipur carry their own unique characteristics. A traditional Manipuri costume for women includes a shawl called ‘Innaphi’, a ‘Phanek’ and a wrap around skirt called ‘Sarong’. A Manipuri man wears a dhoti, a jacket and a white Pagri or turban. Manipur Traditional Dresses of Manipurare very charisma, attractive, very simple and easy to wear them. The patterns and designs on the costumes are very unique and colourful. The Manipuri dress is woven with the hand in horizontal line designs. Many weaving processes are carried out by the women, and they will mainly use cotton as well as other fabric types. All North-Eastern States in India have the skill of handloom weaving, and this applies to Manipur as well.Nowadays, you get a trendier version of this attire in which modern dyes are used, some beadwork is integrated and also the usage of silk threads. All of this is being done to create a better version of this attire to fit the current world.

This is one of the most popular attire worn by Manipuri ladies. It is used to cover the torso by simply wrapping it around oneself. The Inaphi, resembles closely like a shawl and it is worn almost in the similar manner. The Manipuri textile carefully creates these dresses with bold motifs and amazingly done vivid colors. Usually, you will get Inaphi that’s semi-transparent because it’s not this costume that’s worn alone. But the vivid color pattern, finest craftsmanship, and maintenance of the poise makes this attire so beautiful and perfect.

Mayek Naibi is known to be a different version of Phaneesh and that it is worn on special days; majorly during festivals, fairs, or traditional functions of Manipur. If you look closely, it will be observed that the bottom end of this Manipuri attire is usually adorned with heavy embroidery and embellishment of studs. This gives it a wonderful design and overall look. Earlier, people used tacky colors but now things have changed and you can get better color combinations. One that fits in today’s world without looking too odd.

There are many versions of Potloi and each of them looks significantly beautiful and adorable. Women wear it on special occasions like their wedding and they have a particular set to pair with this attire. If you were to go by the culture of Manipuris; Potloi is worn only by the bride. The entire dress below the torso is created in a cylindrical shape giving it a wonderful overall look. The dress is more stitched on a belt that is simply worn to fit it.Although the invention of this dress dates back to somewhere around the 1700s, it is still in fashion and brides love wearing it. There is a huge variety in Potloi and you can have a look at the most common ones on the internet.

Traditional Dresses of Nagaland, West Bengal, Haryana