Column

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...

So what if you are a plus size. It means not that you cloak yourself in shapeless garments. And having said that, irrespective of body type or size, it is important that you work out your own distinct style. Understated is the way to go, but should you want to dress like Ranveer Singh or Govinda in his heydays, or the nymphets all over social media, go about it with the right panache and comfortable in your skin. Let’s talk plus today. A few rules: Go black or red or monochrome. Wear shades of...

There is an elegant dignity about our very own Indian wears. The six-yard drape, the kurta-trousers-churidar-leggings set, the sharara or lehenga, the kurti as a tunic, angarkha or short top, we all have ‘em aplenty in our closets. A question that I was asked recently was how to style our very own wears when winter comes a’ calling. Experiment! The cardigan or long coat with a sari or kurta-churidar? Yes. But try tweaking the drape on a boatneck fitted woollen croptop. Take the long pleated...

Warm by day and chilly evenings, and once in a few days when the clouds play mischief, time it is to get snug in layers. Here are a few tips on how to be on trend this festive winter. Layer up: Unbeknown to many, but a linen undershirt can work as a cool layering garment. Layering is key to moving from a mellow sun to a chilly evening. Get out of your chunky sweatshirt or fuzzy sweater and hang around in a full sleeves collarless tee till you feel the nip or sting. Contrast or colour block your...

Organic fashion. Organic food. Organic travel. Organic lifestyle… there seems to be a glut of everything organic all around us. But how truly organic is it all? Before we address that, let’s understand what does ‘organic’ mean. In terms of food or farming methods, it means any produce or production without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals. So when you buy an ‘organic cotton or linen’ shirt or skirt or sari, the promise is that from soil and seed to shelf...

How many of you have seen some pieces from the wedding trousseau of your parents or grandparents? If you haven’t, go ask for it today. You will for sure see handwoven saris, lehengas, mekhela-xador in the purest banarsis, kanjeevarams, patolas, paithanis and of course pat and muga among many more varieties. These fabrics are our roots! And the time to go back to our roots is now! Why now? Because we have strayed afar and if not now then we fear losing not just our rich heritage but also the...

It is an espresso world we are in. Little time to stand and stare and always the perennial rush. So too our fashion closet! We buy and buy and often forget to wear! Or, it could just be that with outings few and far between in these times of the Covid, most of the online shopping we did means that a bulk of the clothes, footwear or accessories that the courier guy delivered remain wrapped up in the plastic covers they came in! Plastic – that’s the name of the game! Use and throw! When our...