Traditional to trendy: Evolving sartorial sense of student leaders in PU polls

Gone are the days when the traditional kurta-pyjama was in vogue among young leaders and their supporters during the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) elections.

With the passage of time, stylish clothes, branded shoes and attractive wrist watches have replaced the simple, yet elegant attire — which is a favourite among the region’s seasoned political leaders.

Over the years, the campus has witnessed a drastic change in ‘poll flavour’, and the change in attire is one of the elements. The youth leaders, in order to match the vibe with student voters — who come from different parts of the country — have also changed their dressing style.

“There’s no harm in wearing kurta-pyjama, but one must follow the trend. During previous years, voters would also dress simple, but one can’t go back to an era gone by,” said Khushboo, a poll strategist with a group in the university.

The trend of wearing kurta-pyjama is not only diminishing among the new leaders in the university, but also among their seniors. There was a time when tailors on the campus and hostel shops were flooded with orders during the election season. However, the business is lean now. “I remember a young batch of students ordering tailored kurta-pyjamas during the elections. Their inspiration would come from seniors, who would also place special orders. The time has changed now. The students no longer follow their seniors when it comes to dressing sense and the latter have also have changed their style,” said Sameer, a tailor who now works part-time on the university campus.

Besides housing students from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the university has pupils from Ladakh, Uttar Pradesh, Northeast and even from the country’s southern parts. “Over the years, there has been an eclectic mix of students in the university. So, to wear a particular attire may be deemed as an effort to please a particular unit or group. To strike a balance, the political groups have changed their approach. Even the former university leaders, who once played an important part in the campus politics, have taken to modern stylish clothes. The change is not harmful, it is a modification,” said Harnoor Singh Randhawa, a student of the Department of Laws.

“The cult of students on the university campus is known for setting fashion trends. Not only the university campus, the local colleges have also witnessed the trend of aspiring leaders matching with the voters’ vibe,” added Preeti, another campus student.