Assam Tribune, The

Ask questions before going in for faux or so-called 'vegan' leather, for most are essentially altogether polyurethane or contain significant amounts of petroleum components. Circa the late Eighties. I had just discovered khadi kurtas, roughly woven in shades of blue, black, an ombre, and a tangerine too. The bags were either of cloth and now I know some PU or polyurethane leather, which means it was artificial and so peeled off after some time. Little did we know then how harmful these were for...

COP27 has just come to an end in the seaside resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in the land of the pyramids. Reports coming in informed that more than 40,000 topnotchers from across the globe were trying to hammer out a route map on how to reach net-zero by 2050. The spotlight there was on fashion too, being as it is the second most polluting industry globally. Now what is net-zero? Fast fashion with its use of fibre to fabrics derived from fossil fuels — the non-renewable sources of energy like...

There was a time when men used to go to the local barber and be done with their fashion pronouncement for the week, if not a couple of months, apart from the daily shave, weekly trimming of nails, some type of cream and an aftershave. And not to forget the bushy ears (vellus) and nostrils (cilia)! I remember the Afghan Snow that my father used, and the ivory’ish buoy-shaped Old Spice after-shave bottle with a screw-on top. The Afghan Snow, I learn as I google, is India’s first beauty cream, and...

What’s in a colour? Everything! As a kid I was conditioned to believe that black is a strict no-no since I have our typical wheat-brown skin colour. Till one day well into my college days I chanced on a black khadi kurta and the mirror told me a different story. Today when I enter a shop, I may tell them not to show me any charcoal hues, but I invariably walk out with yet another sooty garb to be added to my closet. This seasoning of the mind is what fashion does not accept. What it does impact...

Did you ace the ruffle sari? Will you wear the nose ring a la the American socialite and businesswoman Kim Kardashian, looped with a double chain to huge hoops? Does the cold shoulder top still warm the cockles of your heart? Irrespective of your body type, height, overall personality — if your answer is an affirmative yes, then you sure are a trend junkie. And if you frowned a tad or just felt your eyebrows notch a high scale and perhaps a dash of disdain as you read this, you are either a...

You may or may not have come across these lines by the fashion diva Coco Chanel, the woman who gave the world the LBB or the little black dress, and more — “It’s not the appearance, it’s the essence. It’s not the money, it’s the education. It’s not the clothes, it’s the class”. Class, yeah! Class is in how you style yourself. Class is in how you play up your strengths. No fat-shaming, colour blaming, age-shaming, or whatever else that’s done to make people lose their sense of self-worth. Style...

The big fat Indian wedding season for the summer of ’22 comes to a close on July 9, and you got a marriage or two to attend and really can’t decide what to wear? Worry not. We got you covered. Decide what do you want to wear for the various ceremonies. The ubiquitous mekhela-sador, lehenga, sharara, the never-to-be-dropped sari, fusion wear or a short kurti-patiala salwar with an elaborate dupatta, or the multi-panelled anarkali kurta royally sweeping the floor. Heavy silk in this hot, humid...

The weather these days be rain some minutes, a glaring sun and sapping humidity. And when the mugginess wants you to shed, opt for breezy cuts and cool fabrics. Style up in ankle high everything and definitely not those floor grazers that could leave both you and the dress or trousers limpid and uncomfortably damp or squishy. And you may ask, how indeed can the sari or mekhela climb up the talus? Why not!? The style twist comes when you team them with water-proof, airy sneakers. Comfort aplenty...

Old dupattas, suits, tees, bedcovers, pagdis, bedspreads… the ‘old’ list is endless. Giving away to helps or anyone needy is the best option but if you still have the problem of aplenty, don’t just throw them away. Repair. Re-use. Re-cycle. Be kind to Mother Earth! I spoke some on this in an earlier column. Dupattas: The salwar-kameez or leggings (more popular today) fade faster. Give the dupatta to your local tailor to make a crop top, kurti or kurta out of it. Don’t wish to wear the same thing...

Summer’s on us and as dresses go bare minimal, just accessorise right for the ‘it’ look. Belts If you have a waist that’s every girl’s envy, go for big broad belts to give you that hourglass look. Plus size? Think slim metal or silver chains or intertwined hoops to accentuate just the right curves. Carrie Bradshaw may have worn that slim belt on her bare midriff taking the fashionistas by storm, but hey we’ve had this forever! Rock it on a sari, dress, sharara or lehenga! Baubles You don’t want...