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EveryPallu

Choli

A short fitted bodice worn with a saree or a lehenga, the older name behind the modern saree blouse.

A swatch drawn for this page, not a picture of Choli.

Also: cholee, kanchuli

Choli is a short upper garment that covers the bust and leaves the midriff bare. It is worn by women across much of north and west India, with a lehenga or ghagra and a dupatta, and also with a saree, where it is more often called a blouse. Cholis can be tied at the back with strings, hooked at the front or the back, or cut with sleeves of different lengths. In Rajasthan and Gujarat they are often richly embroidered or mirror worked. The choli is much older than the Western style blouse, and the saree blouse developed from it.

See also

Find sarees that mention Choli

The weekly drape

Every Monday: seven sarees you may not know, what is being worn this week, and one drape explained step by step.