Choli Choli A choli (Hindi: चोली, , , Nepali: चोलो "cholo") (known in South India as "ravike" (Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ, Telugu: రవికె, Tamil: ரவிக்கை)) is a midriff-baring blouse or upper garment commonly worn with a sari in the Indian subcontinent. The choli is also part of the ghagra choli costume in the Indian subcontinent. The choli evolved from the ancient "stanapatta", also known as "kurpsika" or "kanchuki", which was one of the forms of three-piece attire worn by women during the ancient period. This consisted of the "antriya" lower garment; the "uttariya" veil worn over shoulder or head; and the "stanapatta," a
Bodice shape and support the bust, the bodice was frequently stiffened with "bents" (a type of reed), or whalebone. The bodice was different from the corset of the time because it was intended to be worn over the other garments. In earlier periods, bodices and corsets were laced in spiral fashion, with one continuous lace. In later periods, both were laced like the modern tennis shoe, with eyelets facing one another. This was more convenient for women who had to dress themselves. One mid-19th-century style included the Agnes Sorel bodice, named after 15th-century royal mistress Agnes Sorel. This style was a