#DurgaPuja2020: Spruce Up Your Wardrobe This Puja Season
There is never a better time to go for a wardrobe makeover than Durga Puja. Festive season is all about looking your best and adding oomph to your outfits. My City Links lists out the fashion trends that will give your traditional wear a trendy and sparkling look.
Fashion and lifestyle outlets like Fab India, Pantaloons and The Central are now promoting ‘Vocal for Local’ and ‘Made in India’ campaigns as well as fusion fashion with their brand new collections. Cotton is the most highlighted fabric of this season. Designs with cotton-silk hand block prints, linen-cotton blouses, cotton chanderi sarees, pure cotton kurta with foil print, silk viscose brocade kurta sets, cotton mull crinkled trousers, skirts and palazzos are in vogue.
Traditional hand embroidery, chikankari, bandhani, ajrakh printing with natural dye, ikat and indigo are some experiments that will add sparkle to the authentic Indian wear.
Apart from malls and stores, fashion boutiques are also promoting ethnic wear in a stylish way. Multi-designer clothing outlet Grisa, Bhubaneswar has come out with a wide range of designs. Beginning from lightweight fabrics to bold ones, Grisa is all set to quirk up the Puja fashion vibes.
Be it any occasion, handloom is always in the trend. After Bollywood diva Vidya Balan draped a mathematical pattern handwoven saree, handloom has become an important part of every Odia’s wardrobe. Of the total GI tags accorded to Odisha, most are for handloom including kotpad. Other famous ones are Berhampuri Patto, Sambalpuri, Habspuri, Khandua, Bomkai, and Pattachitra. Outlets like Utkalika, Boyanika, Priyadarshini and a few independent designer shops have a varied collection of handloom textiles in different designs.
Needless to mention, puja revellers are already on a shopping spree. Rozalin Parija, an undergraduate student says, “Every year, Durga Puja used to be a huge affair and I used to hop around the pandals in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack with my family and friends and of course, new dresses are a given for Puja. Although this time everything is uncertain, that has not stopped me from shopping though I am more comfortable doing it online. Recently, Myntra launched their ‘House of Pataudi’ collection which has some real elegant ethnic outfits and I have bought a beautiful outfit from the collection. I have also invested in a saree called Verbena Lines from the famous label Suta Bombay. Of course, it cannot be all ethnic so I have also bought a gown from Berrylush. It’s a real storehouse of trendy slit gowns in a reasonable price range.”
While decking up for Puja, how can one skip the ornaments? Ornaments from expensive metals like gold, silver, and platinum are commonly chosen during such occasions. But if you want something traditionally stylish yet pocket-friendly, then oxidised metal pieces of jewellery are the best. There are many websites and workshops that deliver personalised and hand-crafted pieces of jewellery to customers. Tribal ornaments and meenakari are also in vogue. Coin necklaces, tribal work hasili, Kada Payal, broad neck clasp, dome rings and chokers are some designs inspired from indigenous cultures and are available at online shopping sites. For a contemporary look, go for cluttered hoops, Moroccan gold plated rings, pearl danglers and cocktail rings which express the festive mood in the best way.
Shivangi Agrawal, a homemaker in Bhubaneswar says, “In Marwari families, Navratri is a very important festival and besides the puja rituals, we all love getting decked up. In my in-laws’ family, almost all female members are fond of jewellery. We mostly prefer buying gold ornaments. This year also, we have started our shopping for the whole family. Due to the Covid situation, we are not heading out much so for outfits, we are relying on shopping websites and apps while for ornaments, our known merchants send their executives to our place with all the designs. So, the puja shopping for sure is in full swing.”
Pictures Credits: Grisa Bhubaneswar | Fab India | Potli.com | Voylla.com | Tribes by Amrapalli | Kalakaristreet.com
October 2020 Issue
Author: Debamitra mishra
A journalist by profession and a fanatic of liberal arts, Debamitra is a reporter and carves her niche in human interest stories. An artist in solitude and wannabe writer.
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