From Pussy Bow To Edgy Lapels, Quirky Collars That Will Be Your Conversation Starters This Festive Season
It is the season of festivities and everyone’s looking for the perfect fit. From festive wear silhouettes to jewellery, designer houses have prepared their shelves to match the glitz and glam of the festive season. But as we look into a wider spectrum in terms of occasion-special styles, the variety is endless. Catering to the needs of every consumer’s taste and trend, brands have already displayed a colourful platter for one and all. Besides dressing right for the event, the incorporation of style trends and a hint of the experiment is always a box that waits to be ticked off. Designers have taken the charge of bringing the change. In a category that remains a tricky territory for curators to experiment in, festive wear today has become more welcoming. With open arms, silhouettes, as we see them today, come in an array of fresh formats. Old-school techniques of thread work, tilla and tie-dye have found a modern-day fabric skeleton to fit in. This newly weaved change has indeed brought with it a new perspective and more takers in the younger generation. Attached to these elements is the idea of ‘one of a kind’ designs. As crowd-funded, multiply-produced styles leave the room, customers are hoping to dress differently and stand apart. With statement-making, wardrobes are hoping to curate a unique stack, that visually represents the wearer’s persona.
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A piece of it is what we witnessed on the runways as well. As modelled by celebrities as well, celebrated couturiers seem more open to the marriage of classic and modern-day contemporary. This unique fusion is dropping an array of silhouette opportunities that depict both India’s rich culture in clothing and the wearer’s persona. Besides sarees meeting feather hemlines, structured jackets and lehengas meeting the well-deserved pockets, and knotted shirts, the drill of shopping for festive wear is thankfully more relaxed and less of a ponderous task today. The idea of power play has also entered the chat, as office-staple pants and blazers are happily finding a match in sarees and suits. With that, blouses are taking style cues from cool-girl shirts and fancy tops. And what remains a common point in these two ends of the spectrum is the idea of collars.
Be it the French-favourite pussy bow, matched with 20th century-inspired bishop sleeves, or Harry Styles’ edgier-than-ever Gucci lapels finding a space in festive wear, occasion dressing is openly taking cues from the west. What interests us about this idiosyncratic collaboration is how smoothly it brings the idea of versatility into play. In the world of sustainable and conscious clothing, a garment is tailor-made to serve more than one purpose. Wear it for Diwali puja, or dress it down for a Sunday brunch, the options are limitless.
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This collaborative initiative taken by designers between fabric and patterns is also feeding the shopper’s quest for ageless clothing. A piece that can be worn over and over again, with equal charm and quality. Hence collars and their ever-evolving variety make up for a unique investment in terms of festive wear. These celebrity-styled looks will help you answer, how?
Sweet Pussy Bow
The 19th century brought Pussy bow collar has remained an occasion-friendly silhouette for French women. Synonymous with power dressing, Pussy bow became a friendly runway relative, through collection showcases by designers like Coco Chanel. An unlikely name for Indian ethnic silhouettes, the quirky collar was welcomed to our wardrobes by India’s favourite couturier–Sabyasachi. Beautifully modelled by actress Deepika Padukone, the saree made its spectacular debut in a starry closet, when the actress arrived for a panel discussion for BOF (Business Of Fashion) in Mumbai. The French way of displaying power through a voluminous ruffled collar can be a unique element in your festive look. Mix it with a blouse or find a shirt in the format and package it with long-trailing flared pants, or statement earrings, this collar won’t disappoint you.
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Shirt Collars With A Spin
For actress Taapsee Pannu, sarees seasoned with a spin are always a favourable pick. The actress is often spotted in a variety of drapes that are not just dipped in vibrant prints but find a match with quirky blouse designs and denim half-jackets. One of our favourite picks from Pannu’s highly-stylised ethnic wardrobe is her perspective towards collared blouses. With power play on display, Pannu’s technique of amalgamating a crisp shirt, light-washed denim and printed shirt collars are as versatile as the actor in her. For those looking to start their tryst with collared blouses, Taapsee’s style guide will help you.
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Loveable Lapels
The introduction of lapels in sarees has the potential to feed your imagination with awkward visuals, but trust us, it is not even close to bizarre in reality. A rather rare pick for even Bollywood’s fashion-forward celebrities, lapels combined with sarees are often fuelled by structured blazers. And striking the correct balance between the two are star sisters Rhea and Sonam Kapoor. With regards to Indian ethnic wear, the two celebrities have time and again proved their styling prowess in more than one way. Taking cues from the stylish sisters, experimenters can opt for edgier-than-ever lapels through zipper-blouse designs or velvet blazer blouses that equally work their magic with classic sarees and lehengas. For those who are open to a wider and more funky style can bring quirky lapels through straight-up pantsuits, as opted by Natasha Poonawalla.
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Dramatic Ruffles
Ruffles have always made a delightful addition to occasion dressing. Stitched well with drama, and a symbol of aristocracy in the 16th century, ruffled collars have trickled down from the men’s closet to the women’s wardrobe. For festive silhouettes, a ruffled collar can help you replace the weight of traditional jewellery without compromising on statement-making. Pair it with a saree, lehenga or a coordinated set, celebs like Mira Rajput, and Dia Mirza will help you wear the ruffles right.
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Also Read: Add A Dash Of Drama And Bling In Your Navratri Look With These Accessory Designs
Sealed Necklines
Turtlenecks stand synonymous with jumpers and winter-essential sweaters, but their introduction in occasional dressing is not a strange sight today. From being an imperative sartorial element to indicate status and royalty, to now being a member of occasion wear closet and ready-to-wear formals, turtle or high necks have found a special spot in festive closets, through blouse designs and kurtas, courtesy of our home-known bandhgalas. In this case, take style cues from celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, and Konkona Sen Sharma.
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Also Read: Navratri 2022: From Alia Bhatt’s Taste In Safed To Janhvi Kapoor’s Romance With White, Celebs Will Help You Wear The Colour Right
Detachable Collars
Detachable collars are slowly travelling from designer stores to celebrity wardrobes. The idea of replacing raani haar and heavy jewels with statement collars can be a unique addition to the festive closet. A great example of styling one was brought to our screens by actress Deepika Padukone, who arrived at Cannes Film Festival in a custom-saree look by designers Abu Jani, Sandeep Khosla. The pearly collar took the top spot in the ensemble and was a big nod to the year’s pearl core trend. For a less-statement pick, actress Jacquline Fernzndez’s ruffled-collar choker is another quirky addition to the look. This trend works well for indecisive buyers and moody shoppers, who wish to build a look from scratch.
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Which look are you recreating?
From Sassy Salwars To Festive Sets, Pick A Navratri Look That Is More Than Just A Lehenga!
