Expression of female vanity
Pinky Adil

A blouse reveals more than it conceals. Its cut, colour and the way it is worn would tell you about whether the woman is casual, carefree, bold, reticent or orthodox. It is a dead giveaway of a woman’s attitude and personality.

Little wonder, blouses are no longer treated as mere decorative garments. As designer Suneet Verma puts it: "It is a statement of a woman’s sense of freedom, an expression of female vanity and, most importantly, a celebration of feminine grace."

Yet, till about two generations ago, the blouse was not considered an essential part of Indian clothing. In fact, sociologists tend to regard blouses as a British import, since a vast majority of women in the subcontinent, guided by climactic and cultural considerations, did not require blouses.

Even during the Mughal rule, most women did not wear blouses with sarees. The earliest evidence of an Indian blouse is the kachuli — an unstitched piece of cloth stretched across the bosom and knotted behind. From that humble beginning, emerged the backless cholis and then, all of a sudden, came the lacy, full-sleeved blouses inspired by the fashion trends on London streets.

Today, blouses boast of cleaner cuts in fabrics ranging from cotton and silk to brocade and lycra. The embroidery could be in simple thread or bead and mirror work.

For instance, in Tarun Tahiliani’s trousseau collection, the blouses are encrusted with pearls to match his heavily embroidered, transparent sarees worn with satin petticoats. Then there is Verma who has eliminated the need for an undergarment by providing padding material to his blouses with "boning" (wiring ) to keep the body in shape. "The best blouses are those which have a lighter fabric on the outside and a tough fabric for the lining," he advises.

Probably, this explains why Ritu Kumar’s blouses have always been a rage. "She gives silk linings to her chiffon blouses," explains Verma.

Yet another designer, Ritu Beri is combining embroidered lace blouses with satin sarees. She also has a variety of halter necks, backless cholis and the rather conservative round-neck, short-sleeved variety with a lot of back detailing like strings, key-holes and intricate embroidery.

Style-wise, the perennial favourites are the short-sleeved numbers and wrap-arounds, with or without straps. Blouses with prominent buttons at the back are equally popular. Also making strong statements are blouses with long sleeves in transparent chiffon or lace. Besides, there are off-shoulder versions as well as those held up with strings and lycra blouses for a casual, westernised look.

The fabrics used for designer blouses are mostly crepes, georgettes, silk and satin. Crepes are currently high in demand.

"There are basically three different kinds of designer blouses in the market," says Fatima Iman, a fashion consultant with a merchandising firm. "It all depends on how you want to mix and match with your saree, because that would become your ultimate expression of style."

According to Iman, the first variety includes "differently patterned embroidered blouses" with certain colours similar to those of sarees most in demand. A majority of patterns in this section of blouses are in laces and broad borders.

The second variety comprises the "standard lycra blouses" having resham or zardozi embroidery on the sleeves and back. And in the third category are blouses in cotton or silk with a patch of embroidery or net on the neck and sleeves.

"There are many ways to create drama with the blouse," explains Iman. "For example, a bright bandhini blouse from Rajasthan can be coordinated with an old kanjeevaram saree. Similarly, try out a swarovsky-encrusted lycra blouse with a chiffon saree. You are guaranteed to look gorgeous!" (MF)