W hether it was the ubiquitous kurtas or oversized shirts, loose, comfortable clothing was the dominant feature on the ramps and racks this year.
Comfort was uppermost in the mind of the coutourist and, of course, the wearer. In fact, comfort clothing was the trend not only on runways but was also found favour in the dream factories of Bollywood. It was about practical clothing as female stars didn’t mind sporting long T-shirts and sweat shirts during film promotion. Body hugging attires, which invariably flaunt curvaceous figure, were given good riddance.
Loose clothing has been an international trend and has now percolated to India.
Payal Jain sent by Collage
Experts feel, it has a sociological dimension to it. It is the freedom to wear and not bounded by the diktats of fashion gurus . According to seasoned designer Payal Jain, it is freedom to wear clothes in which the wearer feels comfortable. “Loose clothing has a sociological and practical aspect to it because people want comfort. It is no longer about good looks. The reasoning that if you want to look good then you are bound to wear certain kind of clothes is no longer applicable. I will connect this trend with freedom and right to wear garments in which you feel comfortable. Now it is about an expression of individuality and who you are. The practical aspect is that people need to travel lot more now.”
This is not an overnight development, though and is associated with the rise of sustainable fashion. “It has been a gradual process. Fashion is no longer regimented; it is not the same as it was three years ago. Loose clothing also means natural fabric like cotton or a blend of cotton with other fabric giving a push to sustainable fashion. Now sportswear is also becoming natural and organic. We have organic jeans. We need sustainable clothes because our planet is wearing off. So sustainability and comfort went hand in hand this year.”
Conscious fashion was the norm this year as every designer worth his salt spoke about sustainability, explaining how waste in factory can be minimised.
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Oversized clothing doesn’t mean oversized bodies. In fact, as more and more girls are spending time in the gym, the demand for a sporty sensibility also increased in fashion. No wonder, the picture of Kalki Koechlin sporting sneakers with sari went viral. Does this mean the grace and femininity that we associate with fashion is waning? Veteran designer Ritu Kumar maintains that in India both can co-exist.
Here are a few trends that made a cut with customers in 2016
Shirt dresses
Long shirt dresses with asymmetrical hemlines, quirky cuts and double high slits were in vogue. Similarly, loose shirt were part of anti-fit and they trickled down all the way from runway to street wear. Rather than the usual machine-made shirts, designers gave handloom shirts a new lease of life.
“Oversized shirts were certainly the norm this year. It had to do with flexibility that they provide,” says David Abraham.
Embracing athleisure
Sportswear was a big inspiration this year. As sports and gymming is becoming a part of everyday life, Indians are increasingly embracing athleisure to show off their toned bodies. With the complex of hiding that girth waning, sportswear is increasingly finding expression n fashion ateliers. Designers are draping a person in gym wear that works well outside workout arena. Every designer used it in styling like loose shirt with skirts, gold sneakers with long kurtas or tunics.
“Sportswear can easily blend with tunics or worn with kurtas. It has percolated from runway to streetwear,” says Shalini James.
Sari returns
Good old saris were presented in new avatars in fashion weeks where they look more like a gown.
The novelty factor in 2016 was that saris were also also presented in classical ways during fashion weeks. And it was given a fillip by not only heavyweights like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, JJ Valaya and Rohit Bal but also emerging names like Gaurang Shah and Shalini James.
“This year saris were a fashion stable. Even in classical hues, saris retained their charm,” notes Shalini James.
And this was reflected in the way young girls are going in for Banarasi or Chanderi saris.
Off-shoulder dresses
Off shoulder tops have been much sought after from runways to malls. Office goers, particularly those in hospitality and corporate sector, have been flaunting them as they are pleasant to the eye and also make the wearer feel comfortable during sweltering summers. Moreover, it can go as a style statement in evening cocktail parties.
Explaining its popularity, Anupama Dayal says: “Firstly, off shoulder tops go with our kind of climate. Secondly, revealing collar bone is the easiest way for Indian women to look sensuous without compromising on grace ”
Pyjama-crazy
Pyjama came out of bedrooms to runways. With comfort being paramount in wearer’s mind, pyjamas in blue and violet grabbed lot of eyeballs in fashion weeks. Light, easy to wear, they are breathable fabric, which provide comfort in hot sticky weather.
Just like Spain’s palazzo and Pakistan’s salwar are sought after , the Indian pyjama has global acceptance. Our basic pyjama was easily a hit among fashionistas, right as a morning wear to an all-weather trouser, particularly for itinerant travellers and backpackers.
“Pyjama-craze is not going to die down as it would come in the form of asymmetrical pyjama next year. It is supremely comfortable and the easiest thing to wear,” says Anupama.
