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Why Western Fashion is Getting More Tempting with Every Passing Day in India

Allen Solly. Hoffmen. Van Heusen. Sound familiar? Well, if you’re a western wear enthusiast just as much as I am, then you must have heard of these world-famous clothing brands. ‘AND’ (pun intended) you must’ve shopped from these and other stores till you dropped. Savvy, ladies? That said, the Indian apparel market is seeing a growing popularity for Western fashion, not only among women, but also amongst hombrés. Why? Read on to find out!

Such Trendy, Much Wow

Gone are the days when all an Indian woman preferred to clothe herself in was either a saree or a salwar kameez.  

With leaps and bounds, the Indian fashion industry has always managed to keep pace with the cultural influence of Western countries and that of Bollywood. From bell bottoms in the 1970s to denim jackets in the disco era of the ‘80s, from crop tops and short dresses in the ‘90s to halter necks in the early 2000s, the western wear stocks of fashion stores in India have constantly evolved over the decades. As Indian people now interact more online and watch foreign web series (‘Gossip Girl’, anyone?), they, in turn, have continued to adapt to the ever-changing fashion trends. And with new trends being set almost every season, whether it’s a party dress or formal wear, these sure do make you look snazzy!

Makes it Easier to Carry Yourself

With more and more Indian women joining the corporate workforce today, an increasing number of them find it easier to adapt to their white-collar and blue-collar roles while wearing Western attire.

Unless ethnic garb’s your thing, you surely don’t fancy spending half the time in your office trying to manage your saree. Or even prevent your dupatta from falling off either of your shoulders (or both), for that matter. You know how challenging the corporate world can be, you don’t want to have to deal with an extra burden! Nah, as far as professionalism goes, Indian women prefer to wear Western clothes like shirts, suits, and formal trousers to work.

Dhotis and Kurtas in the Office? NO!

As for the men in India, most of those belonging to the younger generation tend to wear T-Shirts, jeans, and shirts, with formal shirts while at work.

Imagine the look on your boss’ face if you turned up wearing a Sherwani! Stereotypical much, but, well, that’s how it is, whether you like it or not. While women may still wear a kurti, salwar kameez or a saree in the office, men don’t have much liberty to flaunt their ethnic wear except during festivities like weddings.

It all depends upon your choice, of course. Nevertheless, the fact that Western wear is slowly becoming more popular in India can’t be denied.

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Indian woman and changing fashion

Mughals to the British regime, India's history is weaved by different cultures and therefore, the Indian living style has been on constant reform and change. The appropriating have been happening in all verticals of Indian life. One of the major such appropriations that we all accept is the clothing and fashion sense of us, Indians. This change or accepting global fashion changes has been influenced inside almost every homes, especially for the women. The normal 9-yard saree has now become a statement more than normal wear.  Saree has been reserved for special occasions when women want to highlight the identity they hold. There was a time in which Indian women used to drape saree at home, during any occasions or maybe to say all the time. But today, the scenario has changed with women working in almost all sectors of the workforce.

Saree has been a signature Indian women’s clothing for centuries. But with cultural invasions, clothing style has changed over time. And one such clothing is the salwar-kameez which still stays with every Indian woman. Various derivatives from the initial salwar-kameez are still hitting the Indian fashion market. This clothing is suited for all age group of women which might be the reason for its acceptance as an alternative to the saree.

With the advent of media to common households, men and women alike were attracted to the clothing of other countries and culture. Now, Indian women don’t just stick to the once mainstream saree but adhere to more dressing styles which give them liberty, freedom, and modernity. With this, many Indian brands were born to cater to the changing fashion style of Indian women.

With the rise of cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, women started finding job opportunities and a better life than they dreamt of. Urbanization again added to Indian fashion, inviting fashion trends from America and Europe. What we see now is an amalgam of traditional with modern clothing, throughout the country. With the invasion of various social media, women are now given various channels to dress themselves up and create an identity through what they wear. They have easy access to various clothing through e-commerce portals that bring home world fashion.

The scenario is different in rural India where saree is still the main clothing for women and if a woman wears a top with a jean, it's considered cultureless. We hope to see a change over the long run as India is marching towards a developed country status. But evidently, there is a change that is welcoming, a change that won't tarnish what we behold as our clothing over the modern wears. For the women who are seeking greater frontiers in life, clothing definitely gives them the uniqueness they aspire for.

We can conclude this discussion by saying, women’s fashion environment is constantly changing in accordance with the international market while embracing the culture and clothing sense of our land.

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From Scotland Yard to Shimla – The Ultimate Men’s Fashion Statement

Many years back, when grandpa had a hipbone replacement, he was advised a walking stick by the doctor to help him walk.  The surgery went through without any complications, but the choice of the walking stick was as difficult as finding the right bride.  My grandpa would not settle for any piece of wood. He demanded a stick with ivory inlay work on it.  This set the people in the house scampering to meet his demand.  Grandpa now felt like the queen of Sheeba getting all his requirements fulfilled.  This ivory stick became a precious possession in his shelf.  

A few weeks later, his leg showed a lot of improvement and soon he began to take a few steps independently.  This did not deter him from making his next demand of a new walking stick made of mahogany with silver top. Annoyed with his new demand, the entire family sat together to find a convenient way of escaping this purchase.  As no plausible reason of excuse could be thought, the order was placed and the majestic stick made its way into the house.

A few months down, when his balance was restored and he could walk by himself, he came up with his next requirement, an ebony stick with a deer-like  handle made of brass, this set the household debating on the issue of its use and expenses towards it.  If Gandhi, could use merely a wooden staff to walk his way through Gujarat, why did grandpa, sitting at home, require such fancy sticks? The young and the old joined in the heated debate. The family got divided between the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ verdict. And finally, on his birthday the entire family stood together and gifted his third collectible.  He held it with a great sense of pride and thanked everyone.  He kept the same in his cupboard and was overjoyed to look at his other prized possessions time and again.

An array of beautiful walking sticks fashionably adorned his cupboard while he used none to help him walk.  He used them for weddings, get togethers, meetings and for special outings with family.  He would carefully choose his walking stick to suit the occasion.

It is almost a decade now since my grandpa passed away.  My children brought out an album and while flipping through the pages, I could recall the dramas and debates before each walking stick was purchased.  For grandpa, the stick was something more. It was a symbol of pride, stature, identity and a fashionable accessory in each of the photograph.  The pride with which held each one of them was evident in all pictures. A walking stick is no longer just a temporary support or medical help, but it is something more. It is a personal identity and is a pride possession.

The reason for using walking stick may vary depending on whether it is a shepherd, Churchill, Gandhi or my grandpa, but they all serve different purposes, each no less important than the other.

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Fashion in Indian Sense

In India, the land of Goddesses , fashion has been a synonym  for women . Since time immemorial , women with great beauty and a greater sense of fashionable  clothing,  have been successful  in luring the attention  of several saints who were in  their deep meditation .Tilottama, Urvashi and Menaka have been  ambassadorsof  women’s beauty  along with fashionable clothing . Indian fashion scenario  has seen vast changes as the country was ruled by several dynasties, who introduced different styles of clothing along with their suitable accessories to the local people. Clothings, along with the right accessories,  was important in identifying  the caste or creed of  people . Be it in Raja Ravi Varma’s paintings  or the life size statues of queens, the women were made to look no less than Gods whom all would look up to. Their fine clothings can still be seen at various museums across  the country .Fashion then,  was restricted  to the upper class only. The iconic ‘Saree’ which is the identity  of Indian clothing  through ages can be seen worn  in several different  styles across the country. Any which way the woman drapes it, she looks sensual . Fashion designers, at that time ,worked their way through  more convenient  ways to showcase it.

During the late sixties,  saree, which was the regular  attire for every fashion  runway, paved way to more comfortable clothing in the form of suits, skirts etc. This was a major drift as the affluence of the west was overpowering and people  too felt comfortable  adapting  to it. The role models were now the Bollywood  heroes and heroines . From their hairstyle, to the clothing, to the footwear, everything  became a statement.  The fans would blindly follow them. The  common men too followed their heroes and sported the same hairstyle. I remember my friends in school asking the salon guy to replicate their hero’s look. Fashion  had become viral in all classes of the society and being  fashionable  was certainly trendy .

  In today's scenario , everything  is fashion or ‘statement’ as they like to call it. Boys from affluent  families  sport tattoos and piercings.This along with a low waist jeans which  looks as if it could fall off at any moment symbolises the Cool attitude. This, combined with an undone hair was the look of a ragpicker  in yesteryears which is sporting the fashion  runways now. Girls in their torn jeans and torn t-shirts walk the streets with pride giving a complex to the municipality workers who have been wearing similar clothing owing to their economic  conditions.  People are blinded by the brand consciousness . The constantly changing  fashion world demands a lot more from the youth now to keep up with the race. Being educated  is not sufficient  to pull you up the performance  ladder. Along with it,  one needs to be aware of the fashion  trends too and the brands supporting  it.

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Hey there folks!

Hey there everyone, I’m Jawahar. This is my first foray into blogging and I thought I’d use this neat and tidy interface from Tumblr. I’m really passionate about Fashion and you can expect a lot of posts from me on that topic. So until next time, cheers!