The Northeast part of India hides a golden heritage that remains untouched till date. Often regarded as a separate destination, it is very much a part of India. One of the states, Assam is known today for its heritage and textiles. Assamese silks and cottons are favoured by many designers and continue to represent the Assamese Fashion scene, globally.
Today, we will unearth the traditional Assamese costumes which are still worn in modern times.
Decoding Assamese Fashion
Women’s Fashion
Mekhla Chador – Inseparable Part Of Assamese Fashion
Women in Assam wear the Mekhla Chador, a traditional dress for the women in Assam and represent Assamese fashion wholesomely. Most women wear Eri and Cotton Mekhla Chadors on a daily basis. For traditional festivals and marriages, women wear Mekhla Chadors made from Muga or Pat Silk.
Photo by Marshal Manish Murmu: (Free to use under Pexels content license) Published Date – May 4th, 2022
Riha
You wear it as a covering for the upper body, beneath the Mekhla Chador. Women in Assam still wear it during weddings.
Dokhna Sarees
Bodo women wear this saree wrapped around the body. It covers the body from the chest till the ankles.
Photo by Tanha Tamanna Syed: (Free to use under Pexels content license) Published Date – April 14th, 2026
Men’s Fashion
Dhoti and Kurta
Assamese men are very practical in their fashion sense and wear the dhoti and kurta in cotton, but silk usage is also not uncommon.
Sula
Men also wear sula, which is a short similar to angrakhha.
Gamosas
Gamosas are also widely worn by men and are used to cover their body waist down with the upper part left bare.
Photo by Bikash Das (TROSTO): (Free to use under Pexels content license) Published Date – December 17th, 2025
With new innovations in Assamese fashion, new textiles and designs are thronging the Assamese markets and outside as well. Muga silk, Eri silk and Pat silk, widely used in Assam are crossing borders too.
Take Away…
Assam is a beautiful state with a golden heritage, and has much more beautiful traditional textiles representing Assamese fashion. We will keep exploring the fashion scene to come up with more discoveries from the untouched locales of India. So stay in touch!
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Rihan (Ishan) Das: (Free to use under Pexels content license) Published Date – October 8th, 2022
