Patriotic fashion: Khadi, dhoti pants in vogue

It’s not often that you think of incorporating organic fabrics in your wardrobe or get decked up in something truly Indian. But on an occasion like Independence Day, most youngsters too wish to flaunt a fashion statement that exudes patriotism.

With the growing popularity of organic fabrics, Khadi has come into the limelight once again. Though it has been there in India since its Gandhain roots, it has seen a revival in the early 20th century.

Gandhi, the father of the nation spun Khadi — a fabric that made an ascetic statement about one’s lifestyle and moral value system. This fabric is symbolic of our freedom movement and stands for everything indigenous.

Khadi is like a metaphor of patriotism and what our freedom fighters stood for. This Independence day, we get our fashion gurus to elucidate on how Khadi continues to be the glam garb.

High end fashion fabric
Khadi is chic thanks to its environment friendly properties and handcrafted texture. Designer Anjalee Kapoor states, “Being a breathable and comfortable fabric, Khadi has several distinct characteristics. It has a very rustic feel infused with a modern sensibility and one can play with it in different concepts. Khadi is a no fuss, wearable fabric and very easy to maintain.”

Designer Ashish Parikh agrees, “Khadi is haute because every process of its formation is handcrafted and handspun. This human touch at every stage of its weaving makes it exclusive and high end. It gives more breathing space to the body and has a unique thermal effect, which lends greater warmth in winter and cooling in summer.”

“Made from hand spun threads, Khadi is a truly beautiful, hand woven, textured fabric. It has been accepted worldwide by international designers as well because of its beauty, touch and feel, uniqueness and texture,” adds designer duo Parvesh and Jai who recently showcased their beachwear collection inspired by the theme “Diana meets Gandhi” where the duo presented a glamorous resort wear using Khadi.
Designer Amrish Kumar shares, “There are certain types of very fine Khadi — such as mulmul, which has a translucent quality and this fabric is expensive and considered special. Some variants of the fabric are light and cool and ideal for our climate. Also these can be molded into chic ensembles.”

Cool style statement
Mumbai-based designer Nisha Jamvwal upholds the usage of Khadi, “In this day of turmoil and terrorism, it is cool to be patriotic and uphold the values of our nation’s fathers. In a world facing the ‘inconvenient truth’ about the breakdown of the environment, Khadi is an eco-friendly, organic fabric that is a hand spun yarn. Khadi gives a livelihood to weavers and it looks chic and textured.”

Upcoming designer Nida Mahmood adds, “Khadi has a story around it, which spells charm and fascination, history and legacy. The comfort it lends to the wearer is unmatched. Youngsters too can relate to its unique attributes.”

“Youngsters today are more experimental and they keep themselves updated on global issues. They are aware how well Khadi has been accepted globally, so they prefer making a cool style statement flaunting it. It is such a beautiful textured fabric, which does not need any extra surface ornamentation.”

Dhoti pants in vogue
After Khadi, the next best patriotic garb this Independence Day is the humble dhoti pants that’s a haute fashion fad. Nisha, however, adds, “Dhoti pants have an OTT feel (over the top), extraordinary silhouette that not everyone can don.”
The recent Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks saw an exodus of dhotis. Anjalee says, “Dhoti inspired pants called balloon pants in lush satin can be teamed well with a short sherwani giving it a glam look. Also, it gives a fusion blend which works great with our Indian sensibilities.”
“Dhoti pants are a throwback to a cultural connotation. They tend to be chic because they are actually so not fashion. They are easily adapted in India and are often teamed up with a fitted top which makes for a interesting silhouette,” concludes Amrish.

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