What should I wear to garba?
What to wear to a garba night
The honest answer is that nobody will turn you away for what you are wearing — but there are a few things that will make the night considerably more comfortable.
The traditional answer
For women the customary outfit is a chaniya choli: a full, often heavily flared skirt worn with a fitted blouse and a dupatta. The flare is functional rather than decorative — the dance is built on turning, and a skirt that moves is part of the effect. Mirror work, embroidery and oxidised silver jewellery are common.
For men it is typically a kediyu — a short, gathered upper garment — worn with a dhoti or churidar, sometimes with a bandhani turban. Kurta and churidar is equally accepted and more commonly seen at events in the United States.
What people actually wear
At most garba nights in the US you will see the full range, from elaborate traditional dress to a kurta over jeans. Plenty of people come straight from work. Nobody is checked at the door and nobody is excluded for being underdressed.
If you are going to your first one and do not want to buy an outfit, something loose and comfortable in a bright colour will put you entirely at ease in the room.
The part that matters more than the clothes
Footwear. Garba is danced for hours, frequently barefoot, and many venues ask that shoes come off before you step onto the floor. Whatever you wear should be easy to take off and leave at the side, and you should be comfortable on your feet for a long evening.
Worth thinking about too: these halls get very warm once a few hundred people are dancing. Heavy fabric looks magnificent and becomes hard work by the third hour. Layers you can shed are sensible.
- Shoes you can slip off without sitting down.
- Something that lets you lift your arms and turn freely.
- Nothing so long at the hem that it is stepped on in a circle.
- A bag small enough to leave with your shoes, or no bag at all.
Is it appropriate for a non-Gujarati or non-Indian guest to wear traditional dress?
Garba nights are generally welcoming to guests, and dressing for the occasion is usually read as a courtesy rather than an intrusion. If you are invited by someone, the easiest thing is to ask them what they are wearing and match roughly to that.