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Wear denim, wear attitude

Jeans are permanent items in style market, writes PRATHIBHA PARAMESWARAN

JEANS For all occassions. Photo: Mahesh Harilal

When it comes to making a fashion statement, denims are never out of vogue. They may have fallen out of favour several times since in the last few decades, but each time they made a comeback, it was with a definite attitude.

The earliest tradition of wearing jeans started with the slave labourers, who found it necessary to wear a fabric tough enough to stand the wear and tear.

Jeans are made out of durable cotton twill fabric.

Long back sailors from Genoa in Italy wore clothes made of this fabric and it came to be called jeans in the later years.

Rebellious youngsters

There was a time when the fabric became synonymous with rebellious youngsters and few countries in the West even banned it.

But yet again they made a terrific comeback to steal the show on the ramps.

And today, it is difficult to think of even in a small city in India like Tiruchi to get away from its influence.

If there is one fabric that every youngster's wardrobe here is definite to contain, it's of course the good-old denim.

Most shop-owners agree that Tiruchi lags behind when it comes to being trendy. "It takes often a couple of months or more for a style and design in jeans introduced in the North to arrive in the city. But it's a fact that though some colleges restrict students from wearing jeans, they do have a niche here," says the showroom owner of `Options' on Salai Road, A. Rajesh Khanna.

Curiously though even the South Indian film industry has its own history of popularising denims in a way.

While the Simran jean was in vogue some time ago, now it's Asin who's grown to be the popular youth idol these days.

The low-rise jeans fashion continues among both boys and girls."Low waists have been a craze since Diwali this year.

Youngsters in the city get their fashion notions from films and they often ape their favourite actor's style," says A. Joe, in-charge Trigger Jeans showroom on Nandhikoil Street.

Surprisingly, it's Vijay who is copied more than Surya, despite his cool looks in the new release `Ghajini.'

"Boot-cut jeans are more fashionable these days. Jeans with broad pockets are in.

Some like these six-pocket jeans and prefer them to cargos," M. Jai Ganesh of `Impressions,' showroom in Singarathoppe chips in. Printed or striped shirts go well with jeans, he adds.

Defy age

Denims even defy age, as they are as popular with the middle aged as with the younger folk. "Bell bottoms have made a comeback. But women no longer buy jeans as they once used to. However, tight denim skirts are really moving well," says A. Syed Imran, showroom in-charge of 5th Avenue Plus in Singarathoppe.

Jeans no longer has to be dyed in indigo anymore, but they can come in a plethora of colours with matching tops.

As Rajesh points out, "Jeans nowadays are trendy with embroidery work on them. Cross pockets or zipped ones look good too. Some come and ask for fabric paint designs to be made on them. Jackets and jeans tops made of imported and stretchable fabrics also sell well."

And to choose something to go with denims is not a tough ordeal for one has an entire range of skin hugging Ts to choose from. If it's the shirts that appeal to you, then you could choose from the padded, netted or just the striped ones.

But keep it short for that is the choice this season.Think casuals and denims simply pop out of cupboards.

The fabric has crossed cultures and merged into the local style and taste only too well.

And for sure, it's too much a part of the history to be torn away or discarded that easily.

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