F A S H I O N - Surekha Kadapa-Bose ( Courtesy - BTW Magazine)
Dress me up
Sprinkle some haute couture magic and voilà, the humble
salwar kameez
stands transformed
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It’s an attire with a universal appeal. Whether you are a size zero like Kareena Kapoor or a plus size 5 X, a toddler or a 100-year-old, a pauper or a billionaire, a plain Jane or a ravishing beauty queen, this is one dress that sits pretty on all.
The age-old salwar (shalwar) kameez can look both trendy and conservative at the same time. Be it
a glamorous evening or a poolside soiree, a party occasion or a daily office wear, a salwar kameez never looks out of place. |
Introduced by the Moghuls in India, the salwar kameez has successfully managed to enchant even
Western fashion houses. The West, which is known to herald fashion trends and create a benchmark for others, is now besotted with the elegantly feminine Indian salwar-kameez so much that many Hollywood beauties and socialites have taken to it.
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Successfully managing to tuck in all those unpleasant and unseemly bulges, unlike a sari or western wear, salwar-kameezes with their all-sizes-welcome fit, stands apart as a dress of convenience and comfort. Besides allowing free movement while boarding a bus, a local train or even a BMW, this is one outfit which wraps up the entire body, without the fear of any body part popping out at the most inopportune time.
This two-piece attire can be worn in different styles – in the traditional way that older Punjabi women still wear with a simple kameez or kurta with tight churidar pajama or a parallel/ trouser type salwar very popular in Islamic countries with a short kurtastyle top or the Afghani style which has a large pleated salwar with a longish kameez.
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Now if you want to look trendy in this age-old dress all you have to do is look up what several top fashion designers have to offer, with their haute couture magic on this simple traditional dress. Retail outlets like Westside, Shopper’s Stop, Fab India, Pantaloons, Lifestyle, and boutiques like Aza, Ensemble, Samsaara, Ogaan, Amara, Melange, Zoya and several others also stock up on stylish pieces.
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The best part about salwaar kameez is that it lends itself to be moulded in a wide range of fabrics like cotton, silk, brocade, tussar, crepe, tissue, net and georgette. The neck of the kameez can be shaped in any way – round, square, boatshaped, high neck to plunging, halter neck, backless kameez – or any other
way that one’s imagination can give shape to.
It can be worn plain, printed with vegetable dye or any other print. The material can be hand-printed, block or machine-printed. Different variations in embroidery can be used to enhance the |
| beauty of the salwar kameez. One can go for simple embroidery with reshmi thread or use zari, sequins, zardoshi, embroi-dery with semi to precious stones or opt for traditional embroidery like Kutchi, Kasuti,
Taka, etc. Even quilted or patch work kameez look great. |
What’s more, you can change your entire appearance by the way you drape the dupatta. You can look all coy, traditional and conservative by covering the dupatta in the age-old style; sport an Indian look by twisting it around your neck and accessorising with silver jewellery and long bindi to go with the hand-printed, vegetable-dyed kameez. For further effect, step your pedicured feet into Kolhapuri chappals. Knot the dupatta around your waist for a young hippy look or tie it around your head like a turban, if you want to look real trendy.
Whichever way you style it, this most popular Indian attire is good value for money, fashion and tradition.
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