You probably know about the caves of Ajanta and Ellora and that the earliest representations of women show them with minimal clothing. In medieval India, women walked around the streets topless and it was accepted as a norm. Yes, it's true. However, it was the rise of Mughals in India that was responsible for changes in Indian women's attire like covering the head and the breasts. It was the influence of the Mughal empire that gave birth to garments like the salwar kameez which is virtually seen as a one of the common dresses in India today.

Another example is that of Kerala where women covering their breasts was considered as a sign of class and only upper caste women belonging to certain clans were allowed to cover their breasts.

The majority ethnic group (Malayali) only allowed women of the Brahmin and Kshatriya castes to wear tops (only until 1858).

But the British influence became stronger over time and it was then, when the terms 'blouse' and 'petticoat' made the leap into Indian vocabulary.