In India, clothing is viewed as an important marker of social classification.  People communicate their identity and beliefs through the wearing of particular clothes, with various regional nuances of style.  In general, the traditional dress for both men and women consists of various cloths elegantly draped over the body and held together by folds and tucks.  In place of trousers (which, with modernity, are becoming more common), men wear the traditional dhoti – a loosely draped waistcloth, and a kurta – a long, loose fitting shirt.  The way in which the dhoti is folded on the body will reveal whether a man is a sannyasi (renunciant), a brahmachari (celibate student), or a grihasta (householder).

The sari, a single length of draped cloth, is still the most popular form of dress for women.  Different draping methods reveal the part of the country from which one comes.
      
The color of one's dress is a clear indicator of social status.  Sannyasis and Brahmacharis wear saffron (representing celibacy), whereas householders (married men) wear white.  White is also the colour of dress for women who are widowed, in contrast to the bright colours and patterns of married women's saris.
         
Vaishnavas also wear various kinds of neck-beads, not merely for ornamental purposes but as an indication of religious commitment.  A three-strand necklace of tulasi beads, for example, indicates that one has accepted a spiritual teacher (guru).  In addition to these sartorial components, hairstyle and bodily markings are also employed as indicators of religious affiliation.  Vaishnava monks generally have shaven heads, keeping only a small tuft of hair on the back of the head.  This distinguishes them from Buddhists and the followers of Shankara, whose heads are completely shaven.
     
A woman will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person, depending upon the manner in which she parts her hair.  Forehead markings are another essential element of identification in Vaishnava culture.  Married women wear a bindi – a red dot in the center of the forehead.  Today many young girls and unmarried women wear similar bindis in many colors, but these have no religious or social meaning.
          
The markings called tilak, or tika, are applied with sacred clay or chandan (sandalwood paste) in various styles that distinguish followers of one sampradaya (spiritual lineage) from another .  Worshipers of Shiva wear on their foreheads tripundra : three horizontal lines, while Vaishnavas wear urdhvapundra two vertical lines often with a leaflike shape at the bottom.
      
The Skanda Purana states that the "U" shape (the vertical lines) of the urdhvapundra represents the footprint of Krishna, and that the small triangular shaped image at its base is a tulasi leaf, always found at Krishna's feet.  Additionally, the Padma Purana says that the center of the "U" should never be filled in, for this spot is the abode of Vishnu (the lines on either side representing Brahma and Shiva).  Because the center of the tilak is Vishnu's abode, some sampradayas place there a small bindi (a red dot) as a representation of Shri, the Goddess.
       
Although the forehead marking is the most conspicuous, Vaishnavas also mark their bodies at thirteen central energy centers, reciting various names of the Lord while applying the tilak to each spot.  This meditation is designed to promote the awareness that the body is a temple of Vishnu and is intended to be used in that way.