| Aspect | Detail | Place/District |
| General Characteristics | | |
| Climate Influence | Dresses are primarily dictated by the climate, necessitating woolen garments for much of the year. | (General) |
| Key Occupations | Sheep-breeding is a major occupation, and spinning and weaving are integral community functions. | (General) |
| Historical Evidence | Found in ancient paintings, wood-crafts, stone-images, folk songs, and icons. | (General) |
| Modern vs. Traditional | Younger generations adopt modern attire (coats, pants, trousers); older generations often retain traditional caps or turbans with a ‘Kamarbund’ (waist-worn item). | (General) |
| Woolen Garments | | |
| Types | Sweaters, caps (‘tops’), ‘patoos’ (homespun local tweed), ‘dohrus’ (woolen saris fastened with two silver pins), ‘lohiyas’, pyjamas, jackets, stoles, ‘moja’ (socks), ‘zomba’ or ‘pichaya’ (woolen hose), ‘puli’ (blankets), and ‘gudmas’ (carpets). | (General) |
| Other Popular Dresses | | |
| ‘Jurkhi’ | Resembles an ‘achkan’, often worn as a waist coat, kurta, and with woolen pyjamas. | (General) |
| ‘Doru’ | Wrapped around the body like a sari, often paired with a full-sleeved blouse and a shawl. | Kinnaur and Chamba districts |
| ‘Chola’ | A long wool coat, gathered around the waist by a black rope called ‘Dora’; utilitarian items (axe, flute, sickle) are tucked into the waistband. | (General) |
| ‘Luanchari’ | A cotton gown of a special pattern. | Kangra and Chamba |
| ‘Choli’ | A popular garment in the past, made with intricate embroidery and fitted with colored glass pieces, worn with a ‘dupatta’ and ‘Suthan’. | Mandi (past popularity) |
| ‘Dhattu’ | A square piece of cloth used as headwear by most women. | Rural areas (General) |
| ‘Anga’ | An overgarment reaching to the knees; also refers to a bodice. | Mandi and Kangra districts (popular among men) |
| ‘Chapkan’ | A type of frock used with trousers, angu, gachi, and a Pahari cap by men. | Rohru tehsil of Shimla and Pabbar valley |
| ‘Chopta’ or ‘Chhupta’ | A knee-length gown with a V-shaped neck cut. | Rampur, Kotkhai, Kotgarh, and Kumharsain areas of Shimla district |
| ‘Pishwaz’ | A colored gown made of very fine muslin; also known as ‘ghagra’ or ‘cholu’. | Mandi and Chamba |
| ‘Cholu’ | An ordinary dress consisting of a cap, kurti, or cholu, and short breeches (‘knees’). | Kangra valley |
| Footwear | | |
| ‘Deshi Juta’ | (General) | (General) |
| ‘Chamba Chappal’ | (Famous in the state). | Chamba |
| ‘Pullans’ (grass shoes) | Versatile, worn both indoors and outdoors; made from ‘bhang’ fiber with a hemp top. | Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba, parts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti |
| ‘Zomba’ (Kinnauri pullans) | Have thick soles for walking on dry ice. | Kinnaur |
| Artistic ‘pullans’ | Soles made of goat or sheep skin. | Pangi |
| Himachali Caps | | |
| Usage | Integral part of local dress for both men and women; customarily used to honor guests, sometimes adorned with flowers. | (General) |
| Kinner Cap | Known as ‘Pang’ or ‘Bushahri cap’. | Kinnaur |
| Kinner Women Attire | Typically wear a woolen sari, full-sleeved blouse, and an indigenous ‘Chhanli’. | Kinnaur |
| Shawls (Handicrafts) | | |
| Origin | Weaving of shawls is prominent, particularly in Kullu valley, though their origin is traced to Kinnaur. | Kullu, Kinnaur |
| Early Designs | Initially, Kullu and Kangra shawl designs featured checks. | Kullu, Kangra |
| Kullu Evolution | Kullu weavers adopted designs of stripes, leaves, flowers, and even weave hill-scapes onto the ‘pallus’ (ends) of shawls. | Kullu |
| Bhutti Weavers Cooperative Society | Formed in 1944. | Near Bhunter (Kullu) |
| Kinnauri Shawls | Retained distinctive individuality; standard 2m long, 1m wide; incorporated patterns from traditional ‘pattoo’ and ‘dohrus’ (1970 experiment). | Kinnaur (Kalpa, Nachar, Rekong Peo, Jhangi) |
| Kinnauri Design | Prized for angular geometrical patterns (pyramids, triangles, rectangles, squares, stripes), contrasting with Kullu’s more compact and floral designs. | Kinnaur |
| Trade | Pashmina ‘dohrus’ and ‘pattoos’ were historically traded with Tibet and are now sold at the ‘Lavi Mela’. | Rampur |
| Modernization Impact | | |
| Dress Patterns | Gradual shift influenced by modern facilities like easy travel, communication, and television. | (General) |
| Urban Population Growth | Showed a reversal trend from 32.59% (1991-2001) to 15.16% (2001-2011), constituting 10% of total population in 2011. | (General) |
| Modern Fashion Influence | Impact of modern fashion, including pageants like Miss Himachal and Dance Himachal, is visible even in the state’s interior. | (General) |
