Punjabi Salwar Suit

The Punjabi Salwar is part of the Punjabi suit which is the traditional attire of the Punjab region. It is known for its lively hues, rich fabrics and embroidery. The suit features three items - a kameez (top), salwar (bottom) and dupatta (scarf). The women's Punjabi salwar suit style has become popular all over the sub-continent and beyond reaching even the remote parts of Ladakh. It is also the national dress for Pakistan, since the later 1960s with the Punjabi salwar being used in government offices.

The outfit has been a part of Punjabi tradition for centuries whether as the suthan kurta/kurti ensemble or the salwar jhaga (kameez)/kurta combination. The outfit includes the Patiala salwar and the Saraiki shalwar suits of the Punjab region.

The term Punjabi suit refers to the three piece ensemble comprising the head scarf, kameez and the salwar. However, the term also encompasses the older variety of the Punjabi suthan suit which is made up of the head scard, kurta/kurti and Punjabi suthan.

The word suthan is derived from the Sanskrit word svasthana, which means tight fitting trousers which in turn is derived from the Central Asian word Samstamni. The suthan are trousers cut straight and tight, as opposed to the salwar, which is baggy and can be full of folds. The tight suthan is loose to the knees but the loose Punjabi suthan is loose to the lower legs and very tight at the ankles. The salwar ends in a band which is loose fitting. Despite this difference, people use the word suthan and salwar interchangeably to describe loose suthans and salwars, with the loose suthan resembling the salwar.

Prior to the use of the term pajama, the term suthan was used. Therefore, the woollen pajamas of Gilgit are also referred to as suthan. However, these are not of the Punjabi variety. The churidar pajama was also referred to as the suthan.

The word suthana was also used in Hindi, to describe pajammas.

Ancient svasthana and varbana outfit worn during Gupta Empire, the basis of the Punjabi suthan suit

The use of the suthan in the Punjab region also called suthana in Punjabi is a survival of the ancient svasthana. Svasthana referred to a lower garment which can be described as a type of trousers. The svasthana was in use amongst the rulers in the Mauryan times(322–185 BCE). Evidence of the use of svasthana amongst the ruling classes has also been observed in North India during the Kushan Empire between the 1st and 3rd centuries C.E. It was noted in use during the Gupta Empire between 4th and 6th centuries C.E. and during King Harsha's rule during the 7th century C.E.

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