Designing dreamwear
By Saloni Kaul

DESIGNING sleepwear is a tricky business. For one, most women tend to spend heavily on what they are seen out in, rather than pamper themselves with a dress that is meant to be worn primarily in the privacy of their bedrooms. For another, there are cultural conditions determining the style of sleepwear. Unlike in the West, Indian women cannot be seen in strappy nothings while living in joint families. The dress must also look ‘respectable enough’ to greet the milkman the next morning!

"Fortunately, things are gradually changing with rising literacy and economic independence," observes Sumita Raha, the name behind the Ladybird range of night-wear. "Indian women are learning to spend on themselves."

Urmila Talyarkhan, who started the Darmilla sleepwear line, feels that Indian women need to make an effort to look good in bed. "Sleep is such an important part of our routine, that you better wear the right clothes and make the best of it" she explains.

The designer decided to specialise in this line the day she found shapeless gowns being passed off as night-wear by reputed boutiques in Bombay. "There was just about nothing for women to sleep and lounge around in," she recalls.

For Sumita, bottle green and electric blue are the most favoured colours in keeping with the Indian ‘wheatish’ skin tones. "Probably this explains why pink might sell so well abroad, but hardly works here," she observes.

According to her, it is a misconception that nightclothes need to be restricted to cottons simply because "they breathe well". Soft knits, lycra, suede silks and lace-trimmed velvet are just as comfortable and look far more attractive.

"There is the other side that is just as effective — the hardy poplin, the variegated viscose and tough terrycot. Somehow, Indians do not associate these fabrics with night-wear. But in time, they should be just as popular as cottons and soft knits," says Sumita.

A graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Delhi, Sumita started the Ladybird label when she discovered that there weren’t any good enough nighties to go with her wedding trousseau. Her first collection included a range of camisoles and short pyjamas in satin, which became instant hits. "I concentrated on simple, straight silhouettes with light embroidery work, to create a delicate look and feel," she narrates.

"I ensured there weren’t any lace, frills or flounces. Everything was understated. I just played around with the fabric and colour, as much as I could. There was an entire range in pink and peach and another in black, burgundy, silver and golden beige."

That was three years ago. Since then, Sumita has evolved in her range of styles and variety of nightwear. She came up with an all-white summer collection in 1998, followed by a kaftan collection in deep maroon, mustard and navy last year.

Her latest collection is in two-tone, double-layered georgettes with soft lace motifs. Most of them have spaghetti straps, bows and ribbons, light embroidery and some ruffles. A few kaftans are in polyester with mirror-work.

"I need to keep the Indian lifestyle in mind," she explains. "The outfits have to be suitable if you live with your in-laws or need to open the front door to salespersons. In that sense, they also need to serve as daywear."

Many designers feel that such outfits could more appropriately be termed as ‘indoor wear’ or perhaps, ‘comfort wear’. Their argument is that nightwear holds no relevance in a country where nobody gives a thought to dressing for bed.

Small wonder, a few of them who started out with nightwear collections have diversified to comfort wear and fun wear lines. Sumita herself has started what she describes as a maternity-wear line for expectant mothers.

"I am glad there is plenty of fun wear being designed in the fashion world now," she says. "In this new millennium we can look forward to newer designs in unusual fabrics and exotic accessories. But before that, we need to change the Indian mind-set." — MF