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Choli

Apparel
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A tight-fitting short blouse or bodice, often worn with a sari or skirt in South Asia; in poetry, it indicates traditional dress, cultural identity, and the intimate layering of clothing.

Detailed Definition
A choli is a fitted upper garment traditionally worn with a sari, lehenga, or related ensemble, often featuring short sleeves and decorative stitching. It can carry regional, festive, familial, and sensual meanings at once. In verse, its bright fabric may flash beneath a veil or skirt, while its close construction grounds elaborate movement. The choli can symbolize inheritance reshaped by the wearer into a distinctly personal form.
Example
Example in poetry:
The dancer’s choli flashed with mirrors whenever she turned; In the poem, a crimson choli gathers the music of the village around the speaker; Her embroidered choli carries stories in thread and beadwork; The poet contrasts the fitted choli with the wide, ringing movement of the skirt
Additional Notes
A choli is a close-fitting South Asian blouse or bodice, traditionally worn with a sari or lehenga. It may be cropped, embroidered, sleeveless, or elaborately decorated for formal occasions. In a lehenga ensemble, the choli is commonly paired with a long flared skirt and a dupatta, or decorative scarf.
Also Known As
Sari Blouse Ravika
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