Go for the basics
Fashion
By Pinky Adil

REMEMBER the time when basics meant black trousers, to be worn with a white or printed top? Substitute trousers for skirt. .. but black it had to be. For that was the easiest and most economical way to mix and match trendy essentials and create the correct look for an occasion.

Today, fashion has become so much more demanding. Just black won’t do. And yet, there are factors like mobility, pricing and convenience that determine what and when to wear. As women increasingly turn career-oriented, the need for basic dressing becomes an important issue.

This, however, does not mean dressing-down for the sake of making a fashion statement. Most designers these days are clear about what constitutes key basics in the wardrobe and are even suggesting the look to match personality types — romantic, sexy, classic, sporty, plain fun...

At the core of all this, are two common elements: one, the outfit is generally western in keeping with international trends, and two, it must be inexpensive. Anything that is Indian and costs a bomb does not qualify for basic dressing.

Unstructured clothes with dashes of sparkle and lots of style are regarded as just "cool" by this definition. For men, the roll of the sleeve, the size of the jacket lapels, the length of the collar point indicate the style options of the wearer.

For women, the possibilities are far greater. On formal occasions, the basics usually constitute a four-piece business suit — trouser or skirt teamed with a matching blouse, with or without sleeves, waistcoat and jacket.

Here the wearer can go for a mix-‘n’-match option. The best accessory is, of course, the scarf. But there are many young women executives who favour cross-dressing, teaming up a tie or cravat with the jacket and even choosing suspenders.

Linen is ideal for such business suits, though Italian crepe is more popular for its wash -‘n’-wear and crease-proof qualities. Jackets with lapels are fine for a slim woman, but for those with a fuller figure, a round or simple V-neck is perfect.

The best trouser style for a suit is undoubtedly pleated with side vent pockets for comfort. And the most preferred colours are dark beige, blue, white and grey. Navy and black pinstripes are the latest to enter the Indian wardrobe.

For an altogether different look in casuals, the hottest items are tight black jeans (though blue seems to be making a comeback), figure-hugging T-shirts, Doc Martens or similar chunky shoes, lots of eye make-up and little gold-rimmed oval sunglasses placed strategically over the nose.

Fashion pundits would say there’s very little difference in the way the sexes dress these days. So it’s the same tight black jeans, T-shirt, chunky shoes and oval sunglasses routine for the guys, minus that scruffy look, The dress code is: "Notice me: I’m worth looking at!"

The tendency towards making the most of minimum has a lot to do with both sexes turning increasingly health conscious and wanting to project a well-maintained body. What they dress in may look like a uniform, to the extent that skirts are now beginning to fall out of favour.

But there are exceptions as well. A woman’s wardrobe would be incomplete without some velvets, embroidered knits, an interplay of sheer and shine in French taffeta and imported tissue, besides, of course, nets and laces.

Long jackets and long chemises, unhindered by design and clutter, have also become part of basic wear. The drama in these outfits is in the cut, the fall and sheerness of the fabric. In fact, the sheer has become more the norm than an exception.

Some designers are even trying to draw linkages with the traditionally Indian, by suggesting that the hair be tassled and bindis be worn on the forehead to create a cross-cultural look in western wear. Such fusion of fashion elements could well set off a new trend, trade pundits say.

The old part is that much of what comes as basic wear are not tagged to a designer label. Even teenagers know that it is not worth investing heavily on what anybody and everybody is wearing. The stuff being stocked is good enough. The dresses are almost identical, cheap and trendy. (MF)