The lightweight cotton fabric,also called dhoti,that is used for the garment is usually white and is often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. It was originally called a paridhana.

    

    Dhoti Fabric is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. The raw materials may be cotton, silk, or wool, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric, cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 

    However, being a cruder form of material, it wrinkles much faster than other preparations of cotton. In order to improve the look,khadi is often starched to have a stiffer shape. 

                   

   

      The Indian western states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra have a large number of men who continue to wear the dhoti. There are many regional variations in how men wear the dhoti across India. In Gujarat, for example, men wear the dhoti with a short kurta on top, called a "kediya".