Is a Jodhpuri suit the same as a bandhgala?
Almost. "Bandhgala" means "closed neck" and describes the jacket: hip length, with a standing collar that fastens at the throat. A "Jodhpuri suit" is that jacket worn with matching trousers, or traditionally with jodhpur breeches. Most people, and most shops, use the two names for the same outfit.
At SALVE, The Jodhpur Neo is cut with a narrow open neck and three clasps, and The Jaipur is the classic full-closure bandhgala with five buttons. Both come with matching trousers, so both are Jodhpuri suits.
Where does the name Jodhpuri come from?
From Jodhpur, the former princely state in Rajasthan, where the style was worn at court. It spread across India during the British Raj as formal wear that sat between the Indian achkan and the Western suit, and it has been India's formal evening wear ever since.
What is the difference between a Jodhpuri suit and a sherwani?
| Jodhpuri suit | Sherwani | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Hip length, like a Western jacket | Knee length or longer |
| Worn with | Matching straight trousers, or breeches | Churidar or narrow trousers |
| Register | Formal, evening, reception | Ceremonial, the wedding itself |
| Worn again? | Often: receptions, dinners, festive evenings | Rarely outside weddings |
The full comparison is in bandhgala or sherwani.
What is the difference between a Jodhpuri suit and a Nehru jacket?
A Nehru jacket has the same standing collar but is usually sleeveless, and is worn as a layer over a shirt or kurta rather than as a suit. It is lighter and more daytime. The Lumen is SALVE's Nehru jacket, in linen.
What is the difference between a Jodhpuri suit and an Indo-western?
"Indo-western" is a broad designer term for outfits that mix Indian and Western elements: asymmetric closures, draped fronts, embroidered jackets over trousers. A Jodhpuri suit is a specific, classic garment with a standing collar and a straight front. If you want something that will still look right in ten years, choose the Jodhpuri suit.
Is a Jodhpuri suit more formal than a Western suit?
In India, yes. A Jodhpuri suit is the Indian equivalent of black tie, and is correct wherever a dinner jacket would be. It is also widely worn at official and diplomatic occasions in India.
Is a Jodhpuri suit the same as jodhpurs?
No. Jodhpurs are riding breeches, flared at the thigh and close from the knee down, also named after Jodhpur. They were the original trousers of the Jodhpuri suit and still appear at some weddings, but today most Jodhpuri suits are worn with straight trousers.
Questions, answered
Almost. Bandhgala describes the closed-neck jacket; a Jodhpuri suit is that jacket with matching trousers. Most people use the names interchangeably.
Indian. It comes from the princely state of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, though it borrows the structure of Western tailoring.
Many grooms do, especially for the reception. For the ceremony itself a sherwani carries more weight, but a well-cut Jodhpuri suit in a rich cloth is entirely correct.
Prince suit is an older name for the same closed-collar jacket and trousers, used mostly in North India.
Riding trousers, flared at the thigh and close below the knee. They were the original pairing for the Jodhpuri coat; straight trousers are more usual today.
