Walk into any party social gathering or simply out on the streets today and you’ll notice people moving around in attires that are in vogue, trendy and stunning in every sense. Today, fashion is no longer about looking your best. Instead, we use fashionable outfits, jewelry and accessories to create our very own style statement. Women’s fashion, however, has evolved over the years and today we have more options in comparison to what we had a couple of decades ago. With new designers venturing into the world of fashion and local and international stores introducing ready to wear, figure hugging, made to measure clothing and a range of other styles and designs, the women’s fashion industry is on a different level altogether. Here, we’ve highlighted the manner in which the yesteryear styles and patterns have evolved in the past couple of years. We also bring to you some of the most popular and trendy outfits that can be easily worn to any party, weddings and celebrations.
Fashion of the 50s
During the 50s, India had almost nothing in the name of fashion. However, despite the lack of fashion designers and manufacturing companies, women focused much on owning outfits carved out of quality fabric.
The 60s Style
Women in India started embracing fashion in the 60s. From donning tight and colourful kurtas to chudidars, they began making sense of fashion and styling.
The bold and colourful 70s
The 70s saw Indian women moving around bold and colourful attires. The highly fashionable and unique bell bottoms became a popular trend after an increasing number of Bollywood actors such as Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna and other female actresses started wearing the same. The 70s also saw the advent of disco culture and style.
Fashion on a new High in 80s and 90s
Fashion in India took to another level in the 80s and 90s. With new fashion trends and stores opening in Mumbai and elsewhere, women’s fashion was witnessing a new beginning altogether. However, it was in the 90s when most of the changes took place. A number of models, designers and fashion outlets were launched around the same time.
Fashion Now
The past couple of years have been amazing for the Indian fashion industry. With world famous brands such as Armani, Prada, Dior, Versace etc. finding their way into the country and more and more Indian designers like Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi, Ritu Kumar, Ritu Beri and others introducing both traditional and modern range of luxury, traditional and branded outfits for the Indian women, the women’s apparel and fashion industry has witnessed massive transformation lately.
Styles You Can Embrace
- Chokers, Pants and Off Shoulder tops: Back in the 90s Zeenat Aman made chokers much popular and now every other Bollywood actress including Sonam Kapoor and Jacqueliene Fernandez is sporting this trendy accessory to give their modern outfits a peppy and funky look. So, if you’re planning a night out with friends, don’t forget to wear the choker to give your outfit the jazzy feel and look. Similarly, off-shoulder tops are ideal for birthday parties and celebrations. Get the high-waist pant if you want to look leaner and taller. You could also do well with skimmy pants, cropped up pant styles, wide leg pants and even the plazzos that is being worn by women of all age groups and walks of life.
- Lehengas: Also known as Ghagra in Urdua, Hindi and other Indian languages, Lehenga is one outfit that has been widely experimented with in the past few decades. In the 80s or 90s, women wore heavily embroidered lehengas with long cholis and fully or partially covered back designs. However, today women wear all kinds of lehengas including Mermaid or Fishtail lehengas, Circular and flared lehengas and Panelled, A-Line, Straight Cut, Sharara Cut, Half Saree as well as Lehengas with trendy jackets. Lehengas are perfect for weddings, mehandi, reception and similar other functions.
- Salwar kameez and Anarkalis: Salwar kameez, popularly referred to as Salwar suits across India has been donned by the Indian women for many years now. The style has evolved with every passing year to feature the latest fashion trend and styling. Right from chudidar salwars to dhoti style salwar kameez, patiala style salwar suit, harem salwar kurti, aladin salwars, plazzo salwars, parallel salwar kurti, cigarette pant style salwar kameez and even designer salwar kameez have become common today. Anarkalis too have found their way into the Indian women’s wardrobe and some popular styles include jacket anarkalis, cape style anarkalis, layered anarkalis, tail cut and floor length anarkali among others.
-Puja Bhardwaj
