SOCIETY
Casual elegance
Banalata Bipani

Dressing cool will give a boost to your confidence

While recession and eco-consciousness has prompted European designers to try to figure out what their contribution to the ongoing decade is, economic liberalisation and the media blitzkrieg is offering Indian designers something their predecessors never had—the chance to create a label and an identity. However, there have also been problems. For instance, what should the fashion statement of the 2010 be? Should it be practicality? Should it be realism? Or should there be an honest attempt to reconcile the romance of the 1960s, the rebellion of the 1970s and the razzmatazz of the 1990s?

The later 1990s had witnessed an increasing propensity among Indian designers to go for the soft, subtle and what is generally understood as 'casual elegance'. In keeping with this spirit the Indian fashion industry has made the kameez indispensable. The kameez was subjected to a few minor variations in previous decades. However, what is puzzling is that the garment has not quite responded to the body beautiful obsession of modern Indian women. In fact, since the 1960s when film actresses sported body-fit shirts, the look has never returned. The younger generation does not even want the garment tailored to size. The kameez is still mostly preferred in its flowing, unstructured form with flares and panelling.

Shararas and ghararas have risen in popularity. Salwars and churidars both remain in vogue. In salwars, the size of the poncha (flare) is optional. Some prefer wide, some narrow, some like embroidery, others do not.
Colour has returned to the international scene and Indian designers are also taking note. Tarun Tahiliani has steered away from soft pastels to ochre and red. Monisha Jaisingh uses a palette reminiscent of the 1940s—white, khaki and lilac. Raghuvendra Rathore uses contemporary prints and art work. Embellishments are low key but include silk embroidery, cord work, bone beads and, of late, crochet. Some designers use the dupatta merely as an accessory but others feature it as part of ensemble.

The saree is once again coming into prominence after being ignored for the past few seasons. Of particular interest is the choli. Most designers, among them Arjun Khanna, are featuring solid, plain sarees with all the attention being devoted to the choli. Given these broad parametres it takes a bit of adventure and oodles of imagination to look good. After all, as any designer will say, it is not enough to invest in tried and tested garments.

The wardrobe has to be constantly updated, altered, enhanced and adapted to suit the personal needs of the wearer. Make sure your wardrobe includes four basic colours—beige or off-white, black, white and grey. These hues could be in jeans, skirts, sarees or salwar kameezes—garments around which your whole look can be created. Include soft pastels. A simple dress with absolutely no frills in colours such as violet, peach or sunshine yellow can be arresting when teamed with strapped tan sandals.

Make a feature of checks and polka dots. These designs look striking in skirts, shirts and blouses. Cottons are the best bet for ethnic wear.

Steer away from regular saree blouses. Instead, try different necklines an sleeves and use embellishments in the form of tiny mirror work along the neckline or a deep, low back.

Whenever you wear a shirt or T-shirt with a pair of jeans, avoid obvious combinations. For example, a green checked shirt over khaki trousers or a dark blue shirt over light blue jeans have become pass`E9. Instead, try a biscuit coloured blouse (possibly sleeveless) with khaki, a grey T-shirt with a cape to go with blue jeans or a mink shirt with blue or maybe green with blue. Unusual alternatives can make for a striking look. Don't worry if your combination fails to make an impression. The bottomline is that you are portraying attitude and imagination. — MF

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