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Nepali Topi

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Nepali Topi and Traditional Caps for Men, Women and Kids

A Nepali topi is the brimless cap that finishes the daura suruwal: the one in passport photographs, at Dashain and Tihar, at weddings, and on 1 January, Nepali Topi Day. This page is Bhutib’s home for it inside our wider range of Nepali traditional dress. Here you will find the printed dhaka topi in seven designs, the black Gorkha topi with its crossed-khukuri badge, a Newari cap in patterned cotton, the Tamang syade in brocade and in embroidered velvet, the white Rai topi with gold ribbon, the Lepcha topi in woven cotton or Tash Kuchin brocade, and the beaded Tamang wedding topi for women.

Every cap is stitched for us in the Eastern Himalayan hills around Kalimpong, where the Nepali families of Darjeeling and Sikkim wear them, and it ships free across India in a box that keeps the crown in shape.

Which Nepali topi is which

Dhaka topi. The pan-Nepali cap: a flat top that slopes down to the back, no brim, geometric dhaka motifs in colour. Ours is cut from printed dhaka cotton, which keeps it light and the price low, and comes as seven printed dhaka topi designs to choose from.

Black topi, kalo topi, Gorkha topi. The plain black cap of Bhaktapur, the Bhadgaunle topi, is the formal cap of civil servants, elders and grooms. Pin crossed khukuris to the front and it becomes the Gorkha topi of regiments and parades: the black Gorkha topi with a removable khukuri badge.

Newari topi. The same sloping shape in the black patterned cotton Newar men wear for Mha Puja, Indra Jatra and Bisket Jatra: a Newari topi in black cotton with coloured bands.

Tamang topi, the syade. Round and flat-topped with a striped rim, and the one Nepali cap worn by men and women alike. Choose the unisex Tamang syade in six Tash Kuchin brocades, or for height and embroidery, the taller embroidered velvet Tamang topi for men.

Rai topi. A tall white cap with a gold ribbon band, an upright front crest and ribbon tails, worn with Rai dress for Sakela at Ubhauli and Udhauli: the white Rai topi with gold ribbon and crest.

Lepcha topi. A round cap worn with the dumyan at Namsoong and Tendong Lho Rum Faat, in three styles: the Lepcha topi in woven cotton or Tash Kuchin brocade.

For women. Besides the unisex syade, Tamang brides and bridesmaids wear the beaded Tamang wedding topi for women.

How to wear a Nepali topi

Set the cap level on the head with the front centred over the brow, and let the flat top slope down towards the back; a dhaka topi is worn with that slope showing, a kalo topi sits straight and a little higher. If there is a badge, it goes at the front over the left brow. Keep the cap on indoors at a puja, a wedding or a cultural programme; it is a mark of respect, not sun protection, and it is handed to guests of honour and elders for the same reason.

With a daura suruwal it completes the national dress. On a festival morning it goes just as well over a plain shirt or kurta, and on Topi Day it is the one thing everyone wears, whatever is underneath.

Size, kids and tailor-made topis

Every topi here is one free size that fits adult heads. For a child, or for a closer fit, order the free size and give us the head measurement, the tape run around the forehead just above the ears, when Bhutib confirms your order; the cap is then tailor-made to that size. The two Tamang topis are the exception and come in free size only. Ready-made caps leave us within two business days.

Questions buyers ask about Nepali topis

Is a printed dhaka topi the same as a handwoven one?

No. Handwoven Palpali or Tehrathum dhaka shows a raised pattern on the outside and loose floating threads inside. Our dhaka topi is printed dhaka cotton: the same slope and shape, lighter on the head and lower in price, and we say so on the product page rather than call it handwoven.

Either the dhaka topi or the black kalo topi; both count as national dress. Grooms and officials lean to black with a khukuri badge, festival days to dhaka, and a Tamang, Rai, Newari or Lepcha family will reach for its own cap.

The Tamang syade is unisex and the beaded Tamang wedding topi is made for women. On Topi Day many women wear a dhaka topi as well. The other caps on this page are cut for men, and all but the Tamang ones can be tailor-made for a child.

Yes, with no minimum quantity. Message us on WhatsApp with the count, the designs and the date, and we confirm the dispatch plan before you pay.

Ready-made topis leave within two business days, in a box that holds the crown’s shape. Shipping is free across India, prepaid or cash on delivery, and we deliver worldwide.

Yes, under the same policy as our apparel. The details are on our returns and exchange page.

1 January. It began with Nepali diaspora groups around 2011 to 2013 and spread home: people wear a dhaka or kalo topi for the day and share the photographs. It is the busiest day of the year for a topi.