Subtly Glam ~ Utkarshini Singh

1.East or West – Who’s the Best Dressed

When Vasco da Gama touched the Indian soil, he carried praises of our rich silk & spices across the sea. History witnessed the invaders looting & hoarding our rich fabrics, trading it & eventually monopolising it. Indian royalties have forever boasted of heirlooms & rich & wide wardrobe filled with rolls of all hues & fabrics. Newly introduced GI tags too boast of over 65 handlooms. While Indian habiliment remained rooted to the rich past, the western fashion changed tremendously. This is reflected in our current wedding season outfits too. Take the example of Mr. Anant Ambani’s lavish wedding. With stars across globe flying down to Jamnagar, the theme remained classic with all true essence of traditional Indian sarees, lehengas, Kurt’s, etc. While westerners have got no other than gowns, frocks & suits to wear in weddings, funerals, birthdays, etc. Indians have wide options open according to the situation. While our clothing remained same despite war era sanctions during the 20th century, Europe saw change in both men’s & women’s garb due to shortage in supplies.

2.Comfy is the New Luxury – Hallways & Ballrooms

Post-Pandemic saw an advent of WFH, stacationing, etc. era which led us to staying in our comfort zone & eventually showed up in dressing. While the matters of an official meetings remained so, the apparel restrictions took a backseat. Indians took complete liberty of this & transformed the usually glam & chic ramps into classic hallways with introduction of homey couture. On the other hand, the west took post-pandemic wardrobe out of their bedrooms to open it to more elegant dressing. Ties might have taken a backseat during COVID period, but they’re on fire with the revival of business dinners paired with sauvé tie pins & matching cufflinks & lapels. The heritage & ancestral heirlooms too are flaunted more openly in the reel-making & vlogging generation.

3.Nailed it !!- Textile

With a wide tapestry of woven culture & colours. India attracted invaders centuries back. Today our garments are worn world wide, often featuring on popular magazines & events. The traditional Indian wear, never ceases to become the talk of the town.

4.India today, stands as the world’s largest textile exporter. Our textiles spread all over the world controlling the world’s drape. Cotton, silk, jute, nylon, wool, etc. all weaved into beautiful colourful fibres enchant the designers, inspiring them to create a beautiful woven wonderland. The various in-sectors in the Textile industry are enough to empty & feed millions. Each state in India have it’s own way of spinning, printing, dyeing, knitting, etc. These exquisite handlooms raise the bar of fabric, thereby increasing it’s cost & giving profit to the artisans.