Kurta couture
By Nikhil Bhagat

AFTER sarees and salwar-kameezes, the kurta has come to be regarded as the most distinctive Indian wear in the fashion firmament. It is usually lighter than shirts, fits better, is immensely comfortable, looks cool and above all, is very versatile.

You could wear it the traditional way, with dhotis or pyjamas, or team it with a pair of jeans or trousers. You might go retro with churidaars (remember Saira Banu?) or try an out-of-the-ordinary combination — with sarees or lehngas.

Accordingly, you have kurtas of varying lengths. The most acceptable drop is barely two inches below the knee — a length appropriate for dhotis, churidaars and pyjamas. For jeans and trousers, you would need ‘guru kurtas’, which just about brush your knees — the way Rajesh Khanna wore them during the seventies.

Then there are the Mughlai kurtas, which have acquired the reputation of being "tents" for the way they cover the body down almost to the ankles. At the other extreme are the micro kurtas or kurtis, which used to be worn by herdsmen in Gujarat.

"Today, the kurti is making a fashion statement," observes Vaishali Burman, a design consultant with a garment export firm. "In sizes between 30" and 38", these tight-fitting and profusely embroidered kurtas have become substitutes for blouses and tops."

"When we had brought out kurtis a year-and-half back, there were few takers," recalls Sandeep Khosla, who specialises on the wardrobe of film stars. "Today, it is a fad. This is what happens when famous personalities make something popular."

He points out that people seem to have a wrong notion about short kurtasnot going well on heavy-set women. "It is only important that the fit is left a little loose," he advises. "That is why we provide kalis (pleats) for a loose fit."

From the self-proclaimed ‘kurta king’ Aki Narula and Calcutta-based Sharbari Dutta down to the Tarun Tahilianis and Monisha Jaisinghs, every Indian designer has caught on to the kurta craze. Though, there is not much they can do with the fall or fit, the collars and sleeves are coming in for special attention.

From collarless babu-cuts to V-necks and Mao collars, kurtas are being jazzed up with intricate resham embroidery in both tone-on-tone and contrasting colours. The common colours this season are mauve, turquoise, ecru, magenta, red and black.

Designers like Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla are changing the look by focusing on the coordinates. Instead of coordinating with the Pathani salwars of the seventies, they are opting for slick churidaars, heavy sarees and flowing skirts for their kurtis.

Says Usha Mirchandani, another designer: "The trend of the seventies has come back, only the look is different. Today, the kurta is made to be part of an Indo-western approach instead of the pure Indian look earlier."

"Now these embroidered or block-printed kurtis are worn with either churidaarsor slim pants to give a formal look," she adds. "Depending upon the occasion and place, the options available are large. After all, the emphasis today is to project one’s individuality through whatever one wears."

At times, the most ordinary, run-of-the-mill kurtas are given a personal touch with the buttoning. But then, for some strange reason, these fancy wood and bead buttons have remained the prerogative of men and are not popular with women’s kurtas.

Gold or silver ‘chain buttons’ (which are detachable actually) continue to be restricted in their usage with the classic white, collarless cotton kurtas. During religious ceremonies and festive occasions, gold buttons on lightly embroidered silk kurtas have become fashionable with men.

For women, silks are not as popular as chiffon, georgette and, of course, cotton. In casual wear, khadi seems to be an eternal favourite, with chikankari Lakhnawi kurtas coming a close second. Synthetic fabrics are, however, a big no.

Then there are designers like Darshana Kinariwala who are using Banarasi saree weaves for kurtas. "I am also using net with cutwork as well as block prints with a discharge effect for the woven fabrics depending on the occasion or time of the day the kurta is to be worn," says Kinariwala.

But will this kurtacraze last for long?

Designers are confident that it is here to stay. "Anything that is good and comfortable will last", opines Khosla. "When we introduced those long Mughlai kurtas, people were skeptical about their acceptability. But once women realised how comfortable they were, they stuck to them." — MF