The rise of humble Kurti

Indian fashion landscape has evolved drastically over the years, yet the humble Kurti remains a staple silhouette among Indian women. As monsoon is the best time to experiment with daily wear, one can find the A-line, tail-cut, flared, angarakha, and maxi Kurtis trending for the season. Available in vibrant hues and prints, these comfy Kurtis let women hustle all day long and can be paired with multiple options.

Unusual cuts and designs

Anti-fit Kurti is in at the moment, some interesting ways to style them is with slouchy pants, layered pants, dhoti style pants and bell-bottom pants, suggests designer Adarsh Makharia. He points out, “When it comes to Kurtis you can use any kind of fabric from fluid to not fluid fabrics, it is up to the designer. To make a Kurti look interesting for a festive event, stylish cuts and interesting sleeve detailing can take your look up a notch. Some other ways to glam up your Kurti look is to wear Kurtis with cold shoulders, off-shoulders, noodle straps and pair them with fluid skirt styles.”

Wear Kurtis with your fitted pants to look hot or pair an A-line or kali Kurti with a brocade gharara or lehenga to give a glamourous look with an Indian touch. Sreyashee Halder, design head at a brand, informs that Indian silhouettes have seen a rapid transformation in the last few years due to which fusion mix is quite popular now. “The length of the Kurti has gradually reduced in the past few seasons and the contemporary way to team up a knee-length Kurti is with draped pants, salwar variations or dhoti pants -- an apt look for contemporary as well as festive occasions. With minimal styling, light accessories and complementing the footwear, one can create some very stylish looks.”

Pink round neck flared kurta by Sreeyashi Haldar

Mix it up

While traditional salwar and leggings can be ditched for palazzos, culottes, and cigarette pants, dupattas can be replaced with denim or embroidered jackets and shrugs. Nidhi Yadav, creative head and founder of a brand, mentions that a decade back, Patiala suits were the must-have dress for special occasions, but now, a Patiala salwar is worn best with flared Kurti and a body-clinging Kurti with sharara or palazzo. “While quarter sleeves, bells sleeves, and flared sleeves are quite feminine, try and avoid noodle straps Kurtis for festive wear. A noodle strap maxi Kurti can really look glamourous and sporty if worn with denim and shoes or mojris. Reserve splashy colours for occasion wear and flaunt earthy and eye-pleasing colours for causal dos.”

In terms of fabric, for casual wear, cotton, chiffon, and khadi are the most suitable fabrics because these are lightweight, easy to wash, and breathable. Whereas, for party wear fabrics like silk, organza, georgette, and sequin are the best. Choose the silhouette wisely based on your body type and colour that suits you the best, style it the way you like and you are good to go, opines Pearl Uppal, creative director of a brand. “The tunics/Kurtis can be styled with your favorite pair of jeans or dhoti pants for an Indo Western look. You can also pair them with pencil fit pants or palazzos to suit your personal style. Being comfortable is a priority, and always go for a minimalistic look while styling a tunic Kurti,” adds Uppal.

Style it right

While soild colours with minimal embroidery are usually popular, a lot of girls also prefer prints such as cityscapes, overgrown trees, florals are the fashionable motifs on Kurtis. Fashion experts and designers Puneet Jain and Yatin Jain, advice on how to style them. “An oversized or loose Kurti instantly can be turned into a remarkable outfit by adding a waist belt to it. Never overdress with formal wear Kurtis, especially with printed ones. Do not wear dupatta over collared Kurtis and do not ditch dupatta when wearing V-neckline or deep necklines. To add that extra dash of style to the outfit, sport a trendy pair of sneakers over it. For special wear, avoid wearing too much jewellery on heavy embroidered Kurtis. Keep your makeup, jewellery and footwear simple to let your dress speak aloud,” suggests the duo.

Whereas, designer Sweta Tantia lists the latest trends in this segment and says, “The latest trends in Kurtis are Kite shaped, side layered, umbrella cut, crepe double layered, brocade layered and high-low Kurti. If you have an apple-shaped body, then pick long Kurtis with A-line style and broad necklines. If you have a pear-shaped body type, Anarkali silhouettes are the best bet for you. Wear dark colour hues on your bottom area. If you’re a rectangle body type, then layer it up and try kaftan style to add some character to your Indian wear. If you’re a petite body type then the only foolproof trick is to layer and layer. Wear a lehenga or an ethnic skirt with a Kurti to make your figure appear fuller. An hourglass body type can literally flaunt any outfit.”