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{{Short description|Loose shirt or tunic worn traditionally in South Asia}}
{{About|the item of clothing|the abandoned village in Georgia|Kurta (village)|the Ukrainian footballer|Serhiy Kurta}}
{{Italic title}}
[[File:Kurta traditional front sandalwood buttons.jpg|thumb|right|A traditional cotton ''kurta'' with wooden cuff-links-style buttons, centre [[placket]] opening with ''[[chikan (embroidery)|chikan]]'', a style of embroidery from [[Lucknow]], India ]]

A '''''kurta'''''  is a loose collarless shirt or tunic worn in many regions of South Asia,<ref name=oed-kurta>{{citation |chapter=kurta, n. |title=OED Online |date=September 2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |chapter-url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/104592?redirectedFrom=kurta |access-date=November 22, 2022}} (subscription required) Quote: "A loose shirt or tunic worn by men and women."</ref><ref name="Stevenson2010">{{citation |last=Stevenson |first=Angus |title=Oxford Dictionary of English |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=anecAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA981 |year=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-957112-3 |page=981 |quote=A loose collarless shirt worn by people from South Asia, usually with a salwar, churidars, or pyjama. From Urdu and Persian kurtah.}}</ref><ref name=cambridge-english>{{citation |title=Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary and Thesaurus |publisher=Cambridge University Press |chapter=kurta |chapter-url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/kurta |year=2013}} Quote: "Kurta: a loose shirt without a collar, worn by women and men from South Asia"</ref> and now also worn around the world.<ref name="Shukla2015">{{citation |last=Shukla |first=Pravina |title=The Grace of Four Moons: Dress, Adornment, and the Art of the Body in Modern India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MlObCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA71 |year=2015 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-02121-2 |page=71}} Quote: "The kurta—the tunic—is likewise variable in its cut. It might be wide or tight, there is variety in the length and width of the sleeves, the height of the slits on either side, and especially the shape of the neck. The length of the tunic varies as well, ranging from upper-thigh to well below the knee. Like most garments of this type, worn by people in many countries in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, the tunic always covers the crotch area of both genders."</ref> Tracing its roots to [[Central Asian]] nomadic [[tunic]]s, or upper body garments, of the late-ancient- or early-medieval era, the kurta has evolved stylistically over the centuries, especially in South Asia, as a garment for everyday wear as well as for formal occasions.<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002">{{citation |last=Alkazi |first=Roshen |editor-last=Rahman |editor-first=Abdur |title=India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-565789-0 |pages=464–484 |chapter=Evolution of Indian Costume as a result of the links between Central Asia and India in ancient and medieval times |quote=This exposure to a different mode of dress for four centuries in the ancient period and for six centuries under Islamic rulers later, created the varieties of cut and sewn garments which now form and intrinsic part of what today is called Indian costume. This applies particularly to the Deccan and the Northern parts of India. The South, however, retained the earlier draped and unstitched garments of ancient India, e.g., the ''antariya/dhoti'', the ''uttariya/dupatta'' and ''cummerband''/waist cloth. These cut and sewn garments of the invaders underwent dramatic changes evolving from simple Central Asian nomadic costume (both Kushan and the Turk Mongol peoples were horse-riding nomads) to the highly civilized, urban and decorative costume of the Mughal court and the day-to-day comfortable and relaxed dress of the common man of today called the ''kurta-pyjama'' (page 468)}}</ref>

The kurta is traditionally made of cotton or silk. It is worn plain or with embroidered decoration, such as ''[[chikan (embroidery)|chikan]]''; and it can be loose or tight in the torso, typically falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer.<ref name="Shukla2015" /> The front and back of a traditional kurta are made of rectangular pieces, and its side-seams are left open at the bottom, up to varying lengths, to enable ease of movement.<ref name="Shukla2015" />

The sleeves of a traditional kurta fall to the wrist without narrowing, the ends hemmed but not cuffed; the kurta can be worn by both men and women; it is traditionally collarless, though [[mandarin collar|standing collars]] are increasingly popular. Kurtas are traditionally worn over ordinary [[pajamas]],<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002"/> loose [[Shalwar Kameez|shalwars]], or [[churidar]]s. Among urban youth, kurtas are being increasingly worn over [[jeans]],<ref name=kapadia-kurta-over-jeans>{{cite book |last=Kapadia |first=Shagufa |title=Adolescence in Urban India: Cultural Construction in a Society in Transition |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-81-322-3731-0 |year=2017 |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QdQ5DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA31 |quote=The adolescents, all high school students, belong to educated and economically well-off middle class Hindu Gujarati nuclear families in Baroda city. All of them were studying in English medium schools. Almost all of them have a two-wheeler and a cell phone—two indispensable possessions. ... In terms of clothing, there is a preference for modern Western styles, and at the same time, the Indo-Western fusion style (example, wearing a ''kurta'' over jeans) is popular}}</ref> not only in South Asia,<ref name=khaire-kurti-jeans>{{cite book |last=Khaire |first=Mukti |chapter=Entrepreneurship by design: the construction of meanings and market for cultural craft goods |title=Culture, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, New Directions in Theory and Research |editor1-last=Lounsbury |editor1-first=Michael |editor2-last=Cornelissen |editor2-first=Joep |editor3-last=Granqvist |editor3-first=Nina |editor4-last=Grodal |editor4-first=Stine |publisher=Routledge |year=2021 |isbn=978-0-367-64000-2 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ifwgEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT32 |quote=Similarly, as more Indian women adopted jeans and trousers instead of Indian clothing for everyday wear, Fabindia introduced a shorter version of the traditional long Indian tunic (the kameez or kurta), called a 'kurti'. The kurti is a scaled-down version og the kurta that nevertheless covers a woman's hips when worn over trousers or jeans; this modest length made Indian women – used to having their hips covered – more comfortable wearing trousers in public.}}</ref> but also in the [[South Asian diaspora]], both the recently established,<ref name = perkins-kurta-jeans>{{cite book |last=Perkins |first=Mitali |title=First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover |publisher=Penguin |series=Dutton Children's Books series |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-525-47800-3 |page=189 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E0QdH0ql9FAC&pg=PA189 |quote=They were definitely all South Asian, but their parents were from different places. George was a Christian with roots in South India, Bobby's parents spoke Bengali, Nadia's parents were from Pakistan, and Sangi's heritage was Punjabi. ... The dance floor was packed with bodies rising and falling to fusion of what sounded like pop, Bollywood, and reggae. ... Most dancers were wearing western clothes, but several of the girls were in ''salwar kameez'' outfits, and some guys and girls were wearing long, cottom kurta shirts over their jeans.}}</ref> and the longstanding.<ref name="kloß-kurta-jeans">{{cite book |last=Kloß |first=Sinah Theres |title=Fabrics of Indianness: The Exchange and Consumption of Clothing in Transnational Guyanese Hindu Communities |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1-137-56540-2 |year=2016 |page=123 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_aPCDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA123 |quote=Caribbean masculinity is constructed through one's presentation of being tough and strong. These characteristic s of hard and soft are transferred to clothing. Bhavani further explains that she finds it appropriate to wear kurt with soft pants, preferably matching (Indian) pants bought in a set with the kurta. She expresses her preference for 'matching' clothes: to her, mixing hard and soft clothing—possibly interpreted as English and Indian styles—does not seem appropriate or aesthetic. Her remark of 'mixing' refers to a recent practise among boys and young me, who commonly attend puja in kurta and jeans.}}</ref> Young women and girls in urban areas are increasingly wearing ''kurtis'', which are short hip-length kurtas, with jeans or leggings, in addition to more traditional lower-body garments.<ref name = parames-kurta-jeans>{{cite book |last=Parameswaran |first=Ambi |title=For God's Sake: An Adman on the Business of Religion |date=April 2015 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=9789351186083 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wSxiAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT30 |quote=... about ten years ago the humble kurta worn with a churidar was reinvented as the kurti which is today worn with jeans, leggings, pyjamas—churidar.}}</ref>

== Etymology ==
[[File:Silk kurta churidar mojari2.jpg|thumb|right|A silk kurta worn with [[churidar]] and decorative [[mojari]] sandals.]]
* According to the ''Oxford Dictionary of English'',<ref name="Stevenson2010"/><blockquote>kurta (n): A loose collarless shirt worn by people from South Asia, usually with a salwar, churidars, or pyjama. From Urdu and Persian kurtah.</blockquote>
* According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (online, subscription required),<ref name=OED89>Oxford English Dictionary, Second Edition. 1989.</ref> the first use of ''kurta'' in English is attributed to W.G. Lawrence in [[T. E. Lawrence]], ''Home Letters'', 1913, "Me in a [[dhoti]] khurta, White Indian clothes."
* According to Cannon and Kay's ''[[The Persian Contributions to the English Language: A Historical Dictionary]]'', 2001,<ref name="CannonKaye2001">{{citation |last1=Cannon |first1=Garland Hampton |last2=Kaye |first2=Alan S. |title=The Persian Contributions to the English Language: A Historical Dictionary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2iX3RXJnHCUC&pg=PA103 |year=2001 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |isbn=978-3-447-04503-2 |pages=103–}}</ref> <blockquote>'''kurta''', n. (Ogilby 1673: 50) Cloth., var. '''khurta''', '''kurtha''' + 1 [Persian. a tunic, waistcoat, jacket & Hindi & Urdu ( < Persian.)] A loose shirt or tunic worn by Persian men and now esp. by Indians; a woman's dress resembling the man's kurta, popular in the West.</blockquote>
* According to Platt's ''A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English'', 1884, online, updated 2015,<ref>{{citation |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/platts_query.py?qs=kurta&matchtype=default |author=Platts, John T. (John Thompson) |title=A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English |location=London |publisher=W. H. Allen & Co. |year=1884}} (online; updated February 2015)</ref> <blockquote>Persian کرته kurta , s.m. A shirt worn outside the drawers; a frock, a kind of tunic; a waistcoat or jacket.</blockquote>
* According to McGregor's ''Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary'':<ref name="McGregor1993">{{citation |last=McGregor |first=Ronald Stuart |title=The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MILAQgAACAAJ&pg=PA206 |year=1993 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-864339-5 |page=206}}</ref> <blockquote>कुरता ''kurtā'': (Persian. masculine), a collarless shirt</blockquote>
* According to Winer's ''Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles'', 2009,<ref name="Winer2009">{{citation |last=Winer |first=Lise |title=Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_n82hsbDJBMC&q=kurti&pg=PA504 |year=2009 |pages=1072– |isbn=9780773576070}}</ref> <blockquote>'''kurti''', '''kurtee''' ''n'' A traditional form of Indian woman's long loose-fitting tunic, with long sleeves. /kurti/ * Usually the Kurti was longer than men's ''Kurta'', for sometimes it reached down [past] the knees. (Raghoo 1984:3) * She used to wear long dress and kurtee and tie a handkerchief on her head. (Deen 1994:167)</blockquote>
* According to Steingass's ''A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary'', 1892 (updated 2007) <blockquote>کرته kurta, A tunic, waistcoat, jacket; a long loose-skirted under-gown or shirt; a shirt. کرتی kurtī, A waistcoat for women, a short bodice reaching to the hips, with very short, if any sleeves, open under the throat; a soldier's jacket.<ref name=steingass-1021>{{citation |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/steingass_query.py?qs=kurta&matchtype=default |author=Steingass, Francis Joseph |title=A Comprehensive Persian-English dictionary, including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in Persian literature |page=1021 |location=London |publisher=Routledge & K. Paul |year=1892}} (Updated 2007)</ref><br /> Arabic قرطق qurt̤aq (Persian. كرته kurta), A kind of garment. Arabic قرطقة qartaqat (v.n. of قرطق), Putting the garment qurt̤aq on (any person).<ref name=steingass-964>{{citation |url=https://archive.org/details/comprehensiveper0000stei_d9o9/page/964/mode/1up |url-access=registration |author=Steingass, Francis Joseph |title=A Comprehensive Persian-English dictionary, including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in Persian literature |page=964 |location=New Delhi |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers |year=2000 |orig-year=First published 1892}} (Updated 2007)</ref></blockquote>

== History ==
[[File:Kurta closeup side open knot2.jpg|thumb|right|Close up of knot-and-loop button for a kurta with opening off the left shoulder, a relic of the ''qaba'' of the [[Ghaznavid]] period.<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002-467"/>]]

According to author Roshen Alkazi, stitched (''i.e.'' cut and sewn) attire came to South Asia from Central Asia. There was a trickle during the Scythian/Parthian/Kushan invasions of the late ancient period.<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002-465">{{citation |last=Alkazi |first=Roshen |editor-last=Rahman |editor-first=Abdur |title=India's Interaction with China, Central an-5d West Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-565789-0 |pages=464–484 |chapter=Evolution of Indian Costume as a result of the links between Central Asia and India in ancient and medieval times}} Quote:"Taking the Kushan period as a starting point the changes that took place in Indian costume as a result of the connections with Uzbekistan in Central Asia are discussed The ordinary dress of the people of India till then had consisted usually of unstitched garments as ''antariya/dhoti'', ''uttariya/dupatta'' and a ''kayabandh/cummerbund'' with a turban for men. With the advent of the Kushans this was extended, and the fashion of wearing sewn garments of Central Asiatic pattern seems to have made headway with many classes of Indian in North India The cut-and-sewn garments which are rarely visible in the previous Mauryan and Sunga sculptures are more commonly found in this period.  The Kushans under Kanishka spread their empire over large parts of Central Asia and India. The Kushans in AD 48 entered Gandhara under Kadphises and overthrew the Greeks. Later they took the Kabul valley from the Parthians and extended their empire to cover the Punjab. Sind, northern Gujarat. and part of Central Asia. Still later they annexed Kashmir and part of Chinese Turkestan. Kanishka (AD 120–162) was their greatest ruler.  Although the Kushans ruled for almost three centuries, they never looked on India as their home. Detesting the heat of the plains they retired to Kashmir or Afghanistan in the summer. They wore the clothes of Central Asia which were cut and sewn and consisted of long padded coals and riding boots with spurs and pointed caps, totally different from the draped and unstitched garments worn by the Indians.  (page 465)"</ref> with [[Mahmud of Ghazni]], the floodgates opening with the Muslim conquests of the late 12th century, until the kurta became an item of common attire during the early modern era.<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002-468-1">{{citation |last=Alkazi |first=Roshen |editor-last=Rahman |editor-first=Abdur |title=India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-565789-0 |pages=464–484 |chapter=Evolution of Indian Costume as a result of the links between Central Asia and India in ancient and medieval times}} Quote: "This exposure to a different mode of dress for four centuries in the ancient period and for six centuries under Islamic rulers later, created the varieties of cut and sewn garments which now form and intrinsic part of what today is called Indian costume.  This applies particularly to the Deccan and the Northern parts of India. The South, however, retained the earlier draped and unstitched garments of ancient India, e.g., the ''antariya/dhoti'', the ''uttariya/dupatta'' and ''cummerband''/waist cloth. These cut and sewn garments of the invaders underwent dramatic changes evolving from simple Central Asian nomadic costume (both Kushan and the Turk Mongol peoples were horse-riding nomads) to the highly civilized, urban and decorative costume of the Mughal court and the day-to-day comfortable and relaxed dress of the common man of today called the ''kurta-pyjama'' (page 468)"</ref><ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002-468-2">{{citation |last=Alkazi |first=Roshen |editor-last=Rahman |editor-first=Abdur |title=India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-565789-0 |pages=464–484 |chapter=Evolution of Indian Costume as a result of the links between Central Asia and India in ancient and medieval times}} Quote: "Timur's large empire in Central Asia influenced the garments worn at all Islamic courts including India. Babur who himself came from the Ferghana Valley in Uzbekistan was the first of the Mughals and he and his progeny continued exercising their influence on Indian costume right till the advent of the British. The role of the Mughals in creating new and fashionable modes of dress started to percolate to the masses in the same way that British costume did in a later period. What we see today in the trousers, shirts and coats is the British influence on Indian dress, just as the kurta, pyjama, salwar, achkan is that of Central Asia ..."</ref>

According to Alkazi:<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002-467">{{citation |last=Alkazi |first=Roshen |editor-last=Rahman |editor-first=Abdur |title=India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-565789-0 |pages=464–484 |chapter=Evolution of Indian Costume as a result of the links between Central Asia and India in ancient and medieval times}}</ref> <blockquote>  ...In the Ghaznavid period, we have only one clear visual reference to their actual costume, those worn by the [[Mamluk]] (slave) palace guards of Mahmud of [[Ghazni]], in the wall paintings of Lashkari Bazaar in Afghanistan. They wear the ''qaba'' made of rich patterned textiles. This was a mid-calf length tunic with long narrow sleeves and ''tiraz''. The opening is from right to left and has a small loop for closing it higher at the left shoulder. This closing at the left shoulder was one of the earliest forms of neck closing and a relic of this is still seen in the Russian tunic and in the contemporary ''kurtas'' used in certain parts of India, both of which close at the left shoulder. (p 467)  </blockquote>

==Styles==
[[File:Kurta closeup sandalwood buttons.jpg|thumb|right|Close up of front opening kurta with [[plackets]] and cuff links]]
[[File:Kurta ornate side open chikan2.jpg|thumb|right|A formal-wear kurta with off-centre placket opening and [[chikan (embroidery)|chikan]] embroidery]]
A traditional kurta is composed of rectangular fabric pieces with perhaps a few [[gusset]] inserts, and is cut so as to leave no waste fabric. The cut is usually simple, although decorative treatments can be elaborate.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The sleeves of a traditional kurta fall straight to the wrist; they do not narrow, as do many Western-cut sleeves. Sleeves are not [[Cuff#Shirt cuffs|cuffed]], just [[hem]]med and decorated.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

The front and back pieces of a simple kurta are also rectangular. The side seams are left open for 6-12 inches above the hem, also referred to as the ''chāk'', which gives the wearer some ease of movement. (Note: ''chāk'' derives from the Persian "چاك ćāk, Fissure, cleft, rent, slit, a narrow opening intentionally left in clothes)."<ref>{{citation |url=https://dsalsrv04.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/platts_query.py?page=418 |author=Platts, John T. (John Thompson) |title=A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English |location=London |page=418 |publisher=W. H. Allen & Co. |year=1884 |access-date=2019-04-30 |archive-date=2021-02-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224204345/https://dsalsrv04.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/app/platts_query.py?page=418 |url-status=dead}} (online; updated February 2015)</ref>

The kurta usually opens in the front; some styles, however, button at the shoulder seam. The front opening is often a hemmed slit in the fabric, tied or buttoned at the top; some kurtas, however, have [[placket]]s rather than slits. The opening may be centered on the chest, or positioned off center.

A traditional kurta does not have a collar. Modern variants may feature stand-up collars of the type known to tailors and seamstresses as "mandarin" collars. These are the same sort of collars seen on [[achkan]]s, [[sherwani]]s, and [[Nehru jacket]]s.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

==Material==
[[File:Cotton-kurta-pant-and-dupatta-set-made-in-khari-print.jpg|right|thumb|Cotton kurta worn over matching cotton pants.]]
Kurtas worn in the summer months are usually made of thin silk or cotton fabrics; winter season kurtas are made of thicker fabric such as [[wool]] or "[[Khadi]] silk", a thick, coarse, handspun and handwoven silk that may be mixed with other fibers. A very common fabric for the kurta pajama is [[linen]], or a linen-cotton mix ideal for both summers and winters.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

Kurtas are typically fastened with tasselled ties, cloth balls, and loops, or buttons. Buttons are often wood or plastic. Kurtas worn on formal occasions might feature decorative metal buttons, which are not sewn to the fabric, but, like [[cufflink]]s, are fastened into the cloth when needed. Such buttons can be decorated with jewels, enameling, and other traditional jewelers' techniques.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

==Decoration==
Tailors from the South Asia command a vast repertoire of methods, traditional and modern, for decorating fabric. It is likely that all of them have been used, at one time or another, to decorate kurtas. However, the most common decoration is embroidery. Many light summer kurtas feature [[Chikan (embroidery)|Chikan]] embroidery, a specialty of [[Lucknow]], around the hems and front opening. This embroidery is typically executed on light, semi-transparent fabric in a matching thread.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

==Regional variants==
Regional styles include the Bhopali, Hyderabadi, Lucknowi and straight-cut kurtas. The Bhopali kurta (taking its name from [[Bhopal]]) is a loose kurta with pleats at the waist, flowing like a skirt reaching midway between the knees and the ankles.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=h9-BAAAAMAAJ&q=punjabi+lucknowi+bhopali+hyderabadi+kurta Jamila Brij Bhushan (1958), ''The Costumes and Textiles of India'']</ref>{{refn|group=note|The Bhopali kurta was popular with the local royal families and is believed to have been adopted from the dress of [[Turkey]] by Sultan Jehan Begum<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=4yMqAAAAYAAJ&q=bhopali+kurta+from+turkey ''Cine Blitz'', Volume 29, Issue 1 (2003)]</ref> who reigned between 1901 and 1926 C.E.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZKOBF2ST-0C&dq=Sultan+Jehan+Begum&pg=PA340 S.R. Bakshi and O.P. Ralha (2008), ''Madhya Pradesh Through the Ages'']</ref>}} The Hyderabadi kurta is named after the former royal state of [[Hyderabad State|Hyderabad]] and is a short top which sits around the waist, with a keyhole neck opening. It was popular with the local royal households.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=qYK1AAAAIAAJ&q=hyderabadi+kurta Kumar, Ritu (2006), ''Costumes and Textiles of Royal India'']</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TS1uAAAAMAAJ&q=kurta- Mohan Lal Nigam, Anupama Bhatnagar (1997), ''Romance of Hyderabad Culture'']</ref> Traditionally, the Hyderabadi kurta was of white material,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ag1uAAAAMAAJ&q=kurta Javed, Arifa Kulsoom (1990), ''Muslim Society in Transition'']</ref> but modern versions can be of any colour. Over the kurta, some versions have net material, the combination of which is called ''jaali karga'', worn by men and women.<ref>Aslan, Reza (2011), ''Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East'' (Words Without Borders): Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East  [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQXGAgAAQBAJ&dq=jaali+karga&pg=PA148]</ref>
The traditional [[Lucknow]]i kurta can either be short<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=7RCe2E5ch80C&q=+kurta&pg=PA119 Mukherji, P. C., ''The Pictorial Lucknow'' (1883)]</ref> or long, using as much as 12 yards of cloth.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=F4x9oVY-KoYC&q=kurti Ravi Bhatt. ''The Life and Times of the Nawabs of Lucknow'']</ref> The traditional Lucknowi kurta styles have an overlapping panel.<ref name="books.google.co.uk"/> However, the term "Lucknowi kurta" now applies to the straight-cut kurta embroidered using local [[Chikan (embroidery)|Chikan]] embroidery. Another style is the kali or kalidar kurta which is similar to a [[frock]] and has many panels.<ref name="books.google.co.uk">[https://books.google.com/books?id=Bfmxx6m0hqEC&dq=kali+kurta&pg=PA38 Karampuri, Aradhana (2005), ''Punjabi Dress Drafting and Cutting'']</ref> The kalidar kurta is made up of several geometrical pieces. It has two rectangular central panels in the back and the front.<ref>Bhandari, Vandana (2005), ''Costume, Textiles and Jewellery of India: Traditions in Rajasthan'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=nckSAQAAIAAJ&q=kalidar]</ref> The kali kurta is worn by men<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ihtuAAAAMAAJ&q=kalidar+mens+kurta Rashtriya, ''Sahara'', Volume 2, Issue 2 (1991)]</ref> and women.

The straight-cut traditional kurta is known as a ''panjabi'' in [[Bangladesh]], [[West Bengal]] and [[Assam]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Fraser |first=Bashabi |author-link1=Bashabi Fraser |year=2008 |title=Bengal Partition Stories: An Unclosed Chapter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zW30rV_UAskC&pg=PA619 |publisher=Anthem Press |page=619 |isbn=978-1-84331-225-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Redclift |first=Victoria |year=2013 |title=Statelessness and Citizenship: Camps and the Creation of Political Space |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BVxtNBjTaCgC&pg=PA178 |publisher=Routledge |page=178 |isbn=978-0-203-09687-1}}</ref> Local embroidery designs give a regional outlook to the traditional kurta. In [[Assam]], the Panjabi<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=moVlXosSoJQC&q=assam+panjabi+shirt Census of India, 1971: Series 3: Assam, Volume 6, Part 3]</ref> is worn with a scarf (Gamosa) using local prints.  Other designs include [[Bengal]]i [[Kantha]] embroidery;<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oNAwl-jS3gwC&dq=bengal+embroidery+kantha&pg=PA1 Naik, Shailaja D. (1996), ''Traditional Embroideries of India'']</ref> Multani crocheted designs of [[Multan]] ([[Punjab, Pakistan]]);<ref>''Official Journal of the European Communities: Legislation'', Volume 30, Issues 248-256 (1987) [https://books.google.com/books?id=AWcNAQAAMAAJ&q=sindhi+kurta+multani+kurta]</ref> the [[Phulkari]] kurta<ref>The Journal of industry and trade, Volume 21.  Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India., 1971  [https://books.google.com/books?id=zBQoAAAAMAAJ&q=phulkaria]</ref> using the Phulkari embroidery of the [[Punjab region]];<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=oNAwl-jS3gwC&dq=punjabi+phulkari&pg=PA103 Naik, Shailaja D. (1996), ''Traditional Embroideries of India'']</ref> [[Bandhani]] tye-dyeing of the [[Cholistan Desert]];<ref>Nasreen Askari, Liz Arthur, Paisley Museum and Art Galleries Merrell Holberton, (1999) Uncut cloth [https://books.google.com/books?id=FBJPAAAAMAAJ&q=origins+of+bandhani+dyeing+sindh]</ref> [[Delhi]] style kurtas which include the wooden beaded kurta and a kurta heavily laden with embroidery;<ref>''United States Treaties and Other International Agreements'', Volume 21, Part 3 (1971) [https://books.google.com/books?id=2JjIE5x0uggC&dq=hyderabad+kurta&pg=PA2171]</ref>

[[Sindhis|Sindhi]] kurtas called Pehran/Pehriyan in [[Sindhi language|Sindhi]] are made out of many [[Sindhi embroidery|Sindhi embroideries]] like Kacha, Pakka, Hurmuch, Muka, Pani etc, Sindhi kurtas are also made of applique called "Tuk ja Kurta"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=EjTVAAAAMAAJ&q=Rilli+Kurta Pakistan Exports, Volume 28 (1977)]</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Tunic |date=c. 1855 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O480355/tunic-unknown/?carousel-image=2014GY2243 |access-date=2024-03-27}}</ref> Sindhi kurtas utilise mirrors and the local art of [[bandhani]] (creating patterned textiles by resisting parts of a fabric by tying knots on it before it is dyed). Sindhi kurtas are worn by both men and women, the female kurtas are called "Padhri" which are tied at either side of shoulder are heavily embroidered with heavy embellishments like [[Shisha (embroidery)|mirrorwork]], [[Pom-pom|pompoms]] (phundra), [[sequin]]s, [[cowrie]]s, [[Seashell|shells]], [[bead]]s and [[button]]s,<ref>{{Citation |title=Pehran |date=c. 1900 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O453665/pehran-unknown/ |access-date=2024-03-27}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Shirt |date=c. 1855 |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O188208/shirt/ |access-date=2024-03-27}}</ref> the male kurtas are called Pehran or Pehriyan which are embroidered as well, and are collarless having either side neck or center necks.

Traditional Punjabi kurta of the Punjab region is wide and falls to the knees<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=3MNFAQAAIAAJ&q=kurta+mens+punjab ''Punjab District Gazetteers: Attock district, 1930''. Printed 1932]</ref> and is cut straight.<ref>Asoke Kumar Bhattacharyya, Pradip Kumar Sengupta (1991), ''Foundations of Indian Musicology: Perspectives in the Philosophy of Art and Culture'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=JMjpz-lAm0sC&dq=kurta+maharashtra&pg=PA113]</ref> The modern version of the regional kurta is the Muktsari kurta which originates from [[Muktsar]] in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. This modern Punjabi kurta is famous for its slim-fitting cuts and smart fit designs. It is very popular among young politicians.<ref>Puneet Pal Singh Gill (04.01.2012) ''The Chandigarh Tribune''. "Muktsari-style kurta pyjama a fad" [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120105/ldh1.htm]</ref>

{{Gallery
| title = Kurta styles
| align = center
| style = packed
| height = 200px
| File:Dom man2 kurta eastbengal1860.jpg
| A Dom man, East Bengal (Bangladesh), 1860
| File:Muslim scholar2 in kurta1860eastbengal.jpg
| Muslim scholar, East Bengal (Bangladesh), 1860
| File:Punjabi Sikh woman in Amritsar Punjabi suthan and short kurta 1874.jpg
| Punjabi woman in short kurta 1874
| File:Punjabi kurta Ferozepur 1845.jpg
| Man in kurta, [[Ferozepur]], 1845
| File:Pahari women kashmir3.jpg
| [[Pahari people (Kashmir)|Pahari]] (Hill) women, [[Kashmir]], 1890
| File:Blue_khadi_kurta.jpg
| A blue [[khadi]] kurta
| File:Kurta - Mens.jpg
| Men's kurta
| File:Man in Dhoti Kurta.JPG
| Man in dhoti kurta
| File:Kurta, India, 20th century, cotton blend - Saint Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA - DSC02637.JPG
| Kurta, India, 20th century, cotton blend - Saint Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA
}}

===Jeans and straight-cut kurta===
Kurtas are often worn with [[jeans]].<ref name=kurtis-jeans>[https://archive.today/20121216133710/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040417/asp/calcutta/story_3131072.asp "Regal chic"], ''The Telegraph''k, [[Calcutta]], April 24, 2004. Quote: "The first sequence was a range of traditional [[sari]]s in silk and cotton, moving on to kurtis and jeans and short kurtas in silk and [[georgette (fabric)|georgette]]."</ref> Women sometimes wear kurtas as [[blouse]]s, usually over [[jeans pant]]s.<ref>[Yet, jeans are among the most comfortable outfits as they can go with just about anything, a short top or even a kurta.]</ref> Jeans are sometimes preferred over [[pajamas]] or [[leggings]] as they are more durable for rough use. Most colours of kurtas match with blue jeans.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/113573/comfort-dressing-their-mantra.html |title=Comfort dressing is their mantra |work=Deccan Herald |date=2010-11-17}}</ref> In 2014, an Indian family court in [[Mumbai]] ruled that a husband objecting to his wife wearing a kurta and jeans and forcing her to wear a [[sari]] amounts to cruelty inflicted by the husband and can be a ground to seek divorce.<ref name="gulfnews1">{{cite news |agency=Press Trust of India |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/india/wife-s-jeans-ban-is-grounds-for-divorce-india-court-rules-1.1353273 |title=Wife's jeans ban is grounds for divorce, India court rules |work=Gulf News |date=2014-06-28 |access-date=2015-10-28}}</ref> The wife was thus granted a divorce on the ground of cruelty as defined under section 27(1)(d) of Special Marriage Act, 1954.<ref name="gulfnews1"/>

===Leggings and straight cut kurta===
Ladies' kurtas/blouses, along with leggings, are most popular in South Asia, and the community from South Asia in Singapore and [[Malaysia]].<ref>Jaime Koh, Stephanie Ho Ph.D (2009), ''Culture and Customs of Singapore and Malaysia'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=MWlFCQAAQBAJ&dq=kurta+malaysia&pg=PA109]</ref>

===Kurti===
In modern usage, a short kurta for women is referred to as the [[kurti top|kurti]]. However, traditionally, the kurti refers to [[waistcoat]]s,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WfYCAAAAQAAJ&dq=kurti+waistcoat&pg=PA260 Forbes, Duncan (1861), ''A Smaller Hindustani and English Dictionary'']</ref> jackets and blouses<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=debQiFq5jjgC&dq=kurti+waistcoat&pg=PA368 Bahri, Hardev (2006), ''Advanced Learner's Hindi English Dictionary'']</ref> which sit above the waist without side slits, and are believed to have descended from the tunic of the [[Shunga Empire|Shunga period]] (2nd century B.C.).<ref>Panjab University Research Bulletin: ''Arts'', Volume 13, Issue 1 - Volume 14, Issue (1982) [https://books.google.com/books?id=nvE7AQAAIAAJ&q=Shunga]</ref> Kurtis are typically much shorter than the traditional garments and made with lighter materials, like those used in sewing [[shalwar kameez|kameez]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}

== See also ==
* [[Barong Tagalog]] (influenced from  Kurta)
* [[Angarkha]]
* [[Áo dài]]
* [[Jama (coat)]]
* [[Khādī Development and Village Industries Commission]] ([[Khadi Gramodyog]])
* [[Thawb]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

== Citations ==
{{Reflist|25em}}

== General and cited references ==
* {{Cite book |last=Bhandari |first=Vandana |year=2004 |title=Costume Textiles and Jewellery of India: Traditions in Rajasthan |location=London |publisher=Mercury Books |isbn=1-904668-89-5 |oclc=58481881}} 192 pages.
* {{Cite book |last=Tarlo |first=Emma |year=1996 |title=Clothing Matters: Dress and Identity in India |url=https://archive.org/details/clothingmattersd0000tarl |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=0-226-78976-4 |oclc=32779537}} 382 pages.

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Kurtas}}

{{Clothing in South Asia}}

[[Category:Afghan clothing]]
[[Category:Bangladeshi clothing]]
[[Category:Indian clothing]]
[[Category:Pakistani clothing]]
[[Category:Tops (clothing)]]
[[Category:Folk costumes]]