CHENNAI: Infused with intricate kolams, sugarcanes, decorated cows and the promise of a vibrant agrarian life… Pongal is here! While you might be familiar with the rituals done during this festival, your wardrobe to attend the pujas might be in need of a revamp. City Express gives you a low-down on what should be in your shopping bag.
This season is popularly all about ankle lengths and cold-shoulders, and there is definitely a way to incorporate this in your traditional outfits too. “If you’re looking for something out of the box and contemporary, wear a dhoti sari, or a cold-shoulder anarkali. Capes have been ruling the red carpets and are a good add-on to your sari too,” elaborates Arti Muthia, a stylist in the city.
Fashion designer Ritika Singh shifts our focus to hues like fuschia, orange, pista green and yellow. “Silk brocades with self patterns are fabrics which will go well. If you’re not in the mood for an elaborate pattu sari, go for a brocade silk with paisleys,” she says, elaborating that shades like blues, greens and greys are best avoided.
No South Indian festival is complete without a half-sari or a pavadai, and you can add a modern twist to your attire with new patterns, fabrics and designs.
“The main point is to retain the conventional silhouette, and you can mix a half sari with crop top, make it drape with shawls. Velvet fabrics are also in and go well with traditional fabrics like silk,” Ritika says. For women in the city who are always on the go with little time to devote to their outfits, chic straight-lined kurtas with block prints or digital prints are also an option. These can be paired with palazzos, culottes, scarves and kholapuris.
For festivals like Pongal, it is imperative that your accessories don’t overshadow your outfits. So it’s best to keep it unconventional with one piece of statement jewellery or temple jewellery. It’s best if you keep those stone chandbalis, waist belts and maangtikkas for another occasion. This should be your mantra with makeup too: keep it simple, with a winged liner, and blush lips. And hey, don’t forget the malli-poo around your bun!
For all the men who can’t tell the difference between white and ivory, it’s best to stick to a single tone pattu veshti with a gold zari border. “There is something about this which screams timeless elegance. New designers are cropping up variations in their veshtis with black borders and embroidered motifs, so that can always be an option as well,” Arti opines. The veshti can be paired with a shirt or kurta, with basic prints and colours. Have yourself a happy and fashionably fabulous Pongal!