With summer getting hotter, you need cool and comfortable clothes to withstand the heat. If you are looking for cues, Indo-Western fashion can be one of the great options. Also, it does not require much effort to put it all together. Just rummage through your wardrobe and you will find plenty of options, which you can mix and match and come up with your own Indo-Western fusion wear. Most importantly, you will be contributing towards green fashion by recycling the clothes.
Swapnali Kulkarni, HoD, Fashion Design, Times and Trends Academy Deccan, says, “Today apart from kurti, tunic and pants, Indo-Western fashion offers a lot more new fusion trends that appeal to both men and women. For example, a pair of leggings with a half-draped saree looks elegant and smart as well as easy to carry off. A year ago, when Ranveer Singh wore a sherwani with drape, he was the talk of the town for his innovative fashion sense. An asymmetrical or overlap kurta will look equally attractive in summer. The combination of Western wear with Indian fabric and the touch of ethnicity has appealed to people worldwide.”
However, Kulkarni says that Indo-Western clothing should not be restricted to weddings or traditional ceremonies or festivals. An ethnic jacket paired with denims can create an eye-catching casual look. A jacket with embroidery and mirror work paired with ripped denims and mirror work hand bag can create a jaw dropping look for a college-going student. “If you want a pure desi bohemian look, go for a pair of panel-embroidered denims, a white tunic and an oxidised neckpiece, and make heads turn,” she says.
Deepa Surekha, designer, Be Indi, says that from salwars to cigarette pants, and kurtas to crop tops, Indian fashion has undergone significant transformation through the decades. “To create a fusion look, you can try kurtis with long ghagra, palazzo or dhoti, more importantly, you can carry it off with ease,” says Surekha adding that dupattas can also be used as an accessory to style fusion wear by wearing it as a scarf. Also, also since many Indian dupattas have a touch of Western fabric you can use it like a stole.
Surekha adds that the mix and match concept easily offers a complete range of fusion wear. “Some of the fusion styles that are making the rounds in the fashion industry are pairing a flared palazzo or dhoti pants with an embellished crop top, draping a saree with an off-shoulder blouse, or teaming up a lehenga with a jacket and wearing a kurti as a dress,” she says.
Giving us a few ideas on how to recycle or reinvent fashion, Surekha says one can easily give their kurtis a new look simply by pairing them with palazzos or trousers in contrast colour. “They give a chic appeal,” she says.
A fun way to give an Indo-Western spin to your clothes is by using good old scarves and stoles and draping them like a saree to add an edgy appeal to your look. Saree look draped bottoms and dresses are trending these days.
When it comes to skirts, wear them with pretty crop tops, jackets, and kurtas. Jackets over your kurta, spaghetti top, tank top or blouse are also in vogue.
Mehak Murpana, designer, Label Mehak Murpana, says that a short kurta with dhoti pants or an embroidered crop top with a draped dhoti skirt make a great Indo-Western look. She believes that one can easily reinvent their old clothes and create an Indo-Western style. “Wear your traditional lehengas with a different crop top and ditch the dupatta or wear an embellished choli with a pair of draped pants to give it the Indo-Western touch.”
Murpana says that stylish separates embellished with a mix of Indian and Western embroidery, like draped pants and a crop top, layered lehengas with embellished cholis or even cholis with an attached drape or dupatta will look innovative and stylish.
PRETTY SIMPLE
You can reinvent your old clothes to create Indo-Western styles. Here are a few ideas:
- Jacket with Lehenga
Play with the length and fit of the jacket that you pair with your lehenga- choli.
- Drapes
Even if you choose a simple dress, kurta, or a skirt, go for something with unique draping. You can even get it tailored if you like. Opt for Western accessories, be it shoes or jewellery.
- Fusion saree
Drape it like a dhoti, belt it, or just play with the pallu to wear the good old saree with a twist.
- Kurta as a dress
Since the print and cut of the kurta will be very Indian, balance it out by adding Western accessories.