TWEED coats, Armani jackets and solitaires have done to our Nehru cap and khadi-dominated political wardrobes what power dressing did to corporate India. The new-age CEOs of India Inc have changed the way our republic looks and dresses.

From the dhoti-kurtas of the swadeshi wave to the designer wardrobes of a nation going global, the sartorial profile of our netas has changed colour, form and texture much like our socio-political and economic fabric.

From being Page One fixtures in dailies more and more of our leaders can now be seen peering out of Page Three too. As the thin line between politician and socialite gets blurred, many party heads have become party animals. Much like the Sachins, Sehwags and Amitabhs, our politicians too have become brand ambassadors. No, they don’t market strength-givers like eggs, Boost or Dabur Chyawanprash. Instead they endorse our strong point—-Brand India.

Post-Independence, the character profile of our public leaders has had more shades of black than white. Their plunging credibility line has often earned them a dressing down from the public. But the political attire of free India sure has acquired a sheen for the better. The face of the politician has spanned a journey from paan-chewing rusticity to wine-sipping, diamond-studded sophistication and how! Here’s looking at the changing profile of the Indian neta:

Khadi wave: In the first flush of freedom, India’s political dress code was awash with shades of patriotism and dipped liberally in the swadeshi sentiment. Khadi, the ‘fabric of freedom’, became the common thread around which was woven the new parliamentarians’ identity. Inspired by the heroes of the national movement, the Nehru topi and achkan and the Gandhian dhoti and chappal became the defining style of the men at the helm in the new republic. The apparel of our first-generation legislators was thus an extension of the khadi-clad freedom fighters, wedded more to ideology than style.

Swadeshi chic: The era of Indira Gandhi saw a consolidation of the swadeshi element in the politicians’sartorial style. Much like the pink saree woven by Nehru for Indira in prison got passed on as a heirloom to the Nehru-Gandhi progeny, so did the khadi dress code pass on to the future generations of netas. Indira’s hand-spun block-printed cotton sarees bore not only the stamp of her personal style but also stood out as symbols of swadeshi at international fora. Though the female forerunners of Indira in the political arena, like Sarojini Naidu and Vijaylakshmi Pandit, too had lived and breathed khadi, it was primarily Indira who made swadeshi chic and fashionable. The streak of silver in her hair too became her signature style, spawning clones in real and reel life, the most famous being Suchitra Sen in the film Aandhi.

Season of safaris: With Rajiv Gandhi coming at the helm and becoming a symbol of a young India, the ministerial wardrobes had a new yarn to tell. As opposed to the kurta-pyjama brigade of Sanjay Gandhi had headed, the big brother spawned the cult of the suave, gentleman politician. Much the way his ministry came to be dominated by younger faces, Rajiv’s own wardrobe showcased India’s youthful, upbeat mood to the world. His famous black bandgalas and sprightly gait energised the starched, staid and stocky image of the politician. The season of festivals of India abroad, the telecom and technology missions and the winds of liberalisation heralded the age of dynamic, safari suit-clad, PC-weilding parliamentarians. They became the bold, futuristic face of Mera Bharat Mahan on the political ramp. The men in safari brought polish to the dehati image of the Indian politician. The dhoti-clad Deve Gowdas, Narasimha Raos and Chandra Shekhars were put in the shade, if only for a brief interlude.

Nattily Dressed Alliance (NDA): Though the 21^st century too has its Hinglish-spewing and dhoti-proud Laloos, a new breed of leaders has gained visibility. With tycoons, socialites and connoisseurs doing party-hopping of another kind, we have a new political entity—-the Nattily Dressed Alliance (NDA). And a new brand of neta—-the Page 3 politician. Its members have brought their personal lifestyle to the public arena, not in a garish diamond display, a la Mayawati, but in all its subtlety and refinement. The ‘caviar and Cartier’ politicians—-Vijay Mallya, Lalit Suri, Amar Singh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and the like—-have brought about rud(y)mentary changes in the way our leaders look and live. As couture comes calling on the political ramp, life has begun to look like one big party.

The female of the species too wears a contemporary look. Her Indianness doesn’t necessarily lie in sticking to the big bindis, Kanjeevaram look of predecessors like Vyjanthimala, Jayanthi Natarajan or Renuka Choudhary. The Hema Malinis, Shabana Azmis and Vasundhra Rajes can handle public debate with as much aplomb as their chiffons, designer blouses and solitaires.

In this growing sweep of designer labels—-from Pringle to Armani—-the ubiquitous dhoti and khadi kurta may well be dying a slow death in the politicians’ wardrobe. And the day may not be far when the mofussil mantri too gets ‘dressed to skill’ in the colours of haute couture.

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