Remember the retro bell bottoms and the quaint pedal pushers you spotted your Ma wearing in those sepia-toned albums? From drainpipes to straight cuts to slightly flared to super flared, legwear has undergone all kinds of makeovers down the years. Some styles have stayed the course while some have lapsed into time. Here’s a look at what’s haute right now.
According to designer Varun Bahl, it’s straight pants or those with flared cuts. “Their comfort make them cool. Culottes and palazzos are popular as well as they bring in a beautiful blend of ethnicity and modernity,” he says. As for the material, he adds, “Khadi pants have been the spiffiest reinvention of late, owing to the sheer versatility of the fit.”
As for Indianwear, churidars will never really go out of fashion, but there are plenty of other styles as well that look just as good. Says fashion designer Manish Arora, whose eclectic creations as part of his label “Indian” have won rave reviews, “Dhoti pants and cuts are contemporary without being over the top. Palazzos and Patialas ring in evergreen elegance, especially at weddings. My favourite pick in bottoms for prêt would be printed leggings, and for couture, it would be wide-legged bottoms.”
Long, flowing cuts and dramatic silhouettes are making their presence felt across wardrobes. While we are a glorious mix of apples and pears, most of us are generously endowed down under. “Wide-legged, palazzo trousers suit the Indian body shape best as we traditionally have broad hips and thighs that do not bode well for skinny pants or pencil cuts. For prêt, I would opt for mulmul military green palazzos. For couture, I would opt for an embellished sharara,” says fashion designer Saaksha, of the label Saaksha and Kinny.
Also, those boring leggings and jeggings are passé. Eye-popping sorbet hues are making a comeback. “Sassy renditions in pinks are dominating runways. Denim has made a comeback,” says Saaksha.
Arora believes vibrant colours, classic cuts and silhouettes are in. “The length of the lower depends on the function: for the cocktail and sangeet night you can go a little shorter,” he says.
For Bahl, raw silk is an evergreen classic fabric. He says that “another classic option would be katan silk or silk net. According to me, the next big thing in fashion includes experimental fabrics and designs”.
In wedding wear, straight cut black trousers paired with embellished tops and capes are in vogue this season. For a semi formal look, opt for chanderi. “Brocade trousers simply exude luxury,” says Saaksha.