NEW DELHI: Among the college-going youth, especially men, khadi clothes are quite popular. But for them, it’s just a fashion statement. “The students are not aware of the history of khadi,” says a third-year student of Delhi University’s Hans Raj College.
“I see khadi kurtas, pants and shawls worn by people on the campus. Most of the people wear it because it looks cool and trendy. They actually don’t know the history of the textile,” said Apoorva Sehgal, who herself does not have any particular liking for khadi clothes.
Harshita, a member of Ramjas College fashion society Rampage, agrees that the the youth has welcomed khadi and has been experimenting with it in different forms such as kurtas, pants or sling bags. However, according to her, the fabric has always been in trend. “Khadi has not become trendy now, it’s always been popular among youth,” she said.
“Apart from kurtas, there are many other clothes such as shirts and trousers which are being made of khadi now. This keeps the spirit of the khadi alive in fashion,” added Asif, another member of the Ramjas fashion society.On the campus itself, khadi has received a mixed response. To some, the fabric is comfortable while many others find it otherwise.
Like Sehgal, Sandhya Bakshi, a third-year student of Shri Ram College of Commerce, has never tried wearing Khadi. She finds the fabric uncomfortable. But Rashmi Mishra of Hans Raj College considers it a good alternative to cotton in winters as “it is equally comfortable”.
“People have become more aware about the availability of khadi, and thus opt for it as an alternative to cotton. When khadi has started getting its due around the globe, then should India stay behind?” said Navita Bajaj (21), a fashion student.