Acholi orravike is ablouse or abodice-like upper garment, that is usuallycut short or cropped leaving themidriff bare worn by women inSouth Asia. It is also known asravike inSouth India. It is worn along with asari in theIndian subcontinent. In northernGujarat is also known aspolku. The choli is also part of theghagra choli costume in the Indian subcontinent. Women ofRajput families wore thekurti on top of the choli, because the choli left the midriff and the back bare.[1]
Woman in an ancient form of long, front-covering choli, tied at the back.Ravike fromKarnataka withKasuti embroidery c. 1855–1879.V&A Museum.
The choli evolved from the ancientstanapatta, also known askurpsika orkanchuki, which was one of the forms of three-piece attire worn by women during the ancient period.[2] This consisted of theantriya lower garment; theuttariya veil worn over shoulder or head; and thestanapatta, a chest band, which is mentioned inSanskrit literature and BuddhistPali literature during the 6th century BC.[3]
Paintings fromMaharashtra andGujarat from the first millennium BCE are considered the first recorded examples of the choli.[2] Poetic references from works such asSilapadikkaram indicate that during theSangam period (third-century BCE to fourth-century CE in ancient South India), a single piece of clothing served as both lower garment and upper shawl.[4] Paintings and sculpture indicate that thestanapatta evolved into the choli by the first century CE, in various regional styles.[2]Rajatarangini, a tenth-century literary work byKalhana, states that the choli from theDeccan was introduced under the royal order in Kashmir.[5]Early cholis were front-covering and tied at the back. Cholis of this kind are still common in state ofRajasthan.[6] In Nepal, the garment is known as acholo, and in Southern India as aravike. Both of these styles are tied at the front, unlike Northern Indian cholis, which are tied at the back. In parts of the Hindi Belt, mostly in Rajasthan,Haryana andUttar Pradesh, women wore vest-like garments, known askanchli, over choli; this complete costume is known as theposhak.[7]
Traditionally, the choli has been made from the same fabric as the sari, with many sari producers adding extra length to their products so that women can cut off the excess fabric at the end of the sari and use it to sew a matching choli.[citation needed] For everyday wear,cotton-based materials and silk cotton are widely considered the most comfortable.Chiffon andsilk are best suited for formal occasions.[8] The ideal fabric for cholis in the summer is chiffon andgeorgette.[9]
Designers have experimented with the choli, influencing pop-culture fashion in the Indian subcontinent, with adventurous tailoring and innovative necklines, such ashalter,tubes,backless orstringed.[10] Anupama Raj, a designer and boutique owner, commented that "there is a very real need to re-invent the choli so that it can be worn with a variety of outfits. Just as we see the choli to be a deconstructed form of the blouse, we need to deconstruct the choli." Bobby Malik, an exporter-turned-designer commented "the choli is the most sensuous of all garments created for women. It not only flatters the feminine form, but also brings out the romanticism in a woman. But where Indian designers have failed is at giving it an international look and making it still more beautiful."[11][12][10]
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Media related toCholi at Wikimedia Commons
