The cholo is the blouse of Nepali women’s dress across the hills, worn by Chhetri and Brahmin, Magar, Gurung, Rai, Limbu and Newar women alike over the gunyo or fariya wrap skirt, with a patuka bound at the waist. Most are cut as a chaubandi cholo, the wrap that crosses the chest and ties at the side. This page gathers four cholos in printed cotton: one in the stepped geometry of dhaka, and three in laliguras, the red rhododendron that is Nepal’s national flower, each in a different cut.
The cloth is a smooth plain-woven cotton with the pattern printed on, so each cholo stays light and washes like an everyday blouse. The scoop-neck wrap crosses to the right and ties at the side under a round neckline; the collared wrap closes the same way beneath a mandarin collar; the dhaka wrap adds a woven band along the hem; and the hook-front has a stand collar notched into a V, shaped seams down the front, and hooks and eyes hidden along the centre. Each is cut only after you order and checked for fit, finishing and cultural accuracy before it ships. Each one is tailor-made to your measurements — after ordering, Bhutib contacts you directly to confirm fit and preferences.
Wear it over a gunyo or fariya with the patuka for Dashain, Tihar and Teej, for Sakela or Mha Puja, or over plain trousers on any day of the week; it belongs with the gunyo cholo, lehenga and blouses of Nepali women’s dress. For the same wrap in woven rather than printed cotton, the striped and dotted chaubandi cholo in Newari cotton is its older sibling. Each cholo is stitched for Bhutib in a small workshop in Kalimpong.
| Garment type |
Cholo, the Nepali women’s blouse, in four cuts |
| Closure |
Side ties plus an inner tie on the three wraps; hooks and eyes on the hook-front |
| Cultural wear |
Nepali hill communities, for Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Sakela, Mha Puja, weddings and everyday wear |
| Styling |
Over a gunyo or fariya with a patuka; also with trousers or a long skirt |
Questions buyers ask
Is this a chaubandi cholo? Three of the four designs wrap across the chest and tie at the side in the chaubandi way, with an inner tie holding the under-layer in place. The hook-front closes at the centre with hooks and eyes instead, for anyone who prefers a blouse that does not tie.
Is the laliguras printed or embroidered? Printed on the cotton, which keeps the cholo light and the price within reach. The flower is the rhododendron, Nepal’s national flower, drawn in blossom and leaf.
Which design goes with a gunyo cholo set? Any of the three wraps. The collared wrap is the closest to the cholo worn at a gunyo cholo ceremony; the scoop-neck wrap sits lower at the neck for jewellery.
