More WFH fashion options

[anna_wing]

Palazzo pants and straight-cut trousers appear to be back. Thank goodness, I loathe tight-fitting trousers, even if I'm now slim enough to look decent in them.

As WFH continues for those of us lucky enough to have that sort of job, nice loungewear that can also double as respectable workwear continues to be useful. I can highly recommend Indian fashion websites for both comfort and style. Kurta sets (basically palazzo pants and a knee or calf-length tunic) for instance, are really good for summer (coming soon in the Southern Hemisphere), and since India has plenty of cold weather, there will also be clothes that can be used for winter as well. You can wear a silk or cotton turtleneck underneath or add a toning cardigan or shawl for the layered look.

Most Indian websites will either make to order using your measurements, or send their clothes semi-sewn, so that the buyer can adjust the fit exactly. Since Indian fashion comes in every conceivable colour (Diana "pink is the navy blue of India" Vreeland wasn't wrong), there will be something that suits any humanly possible skin tone, hair colour (whether real or artificial), body shape, or size.

Here are some totally random examples off the internet:

https://www.lashkaraa.com/collections/palazzo-suits

https://www.mirraw.com/

http://rumascollection.com.sg/

https://www.inddus.com/palazzo-suits/l/fabric:cotton


And just for fun, an article I found about an exhibition of Norman Parkinson's fashion photography, which was apparently what prompted Vreeland's observation.

https://perchontheweb.com/pink-is-the-navy-blue-of-india/

Comments

[sartorias]

What gorgeous clothes!!!!!

[flemmings]

Those outfits look intriguing but years back I bought some salwar kameez from a Punjabi store here in Toronto and found that cotton can't cope with our humidity unless it's practically gauze. I wonder if open trousers work better? since I assume you know a thing or two about humidity.

Also, Indian sites sure do love their pop-ups.

[asakiyume]

Yeah, I really like the salwar-kameez look (and I gather that salwar is just a female-specific word for a type of kurta?? Not sure, but I'm guessing you will know). I prefer trousers that are either more form fitting or that come in at the ankles, but all the different styles are attractive.

[anna_wing]

In many respects modern synthetics cope better with humidity, because they have better wicking than cotton, especially fabrics intended for sportswear. Cotton tends to absorb sweat and hold onto it, which is why you don't use it as an underlayer even in cold temperatures. Linen is pretty good, and has the advantage, so to speak, of looking no worse at the end of the day than five minutes after you put it on...

Palazzo pants do help with the ventilation, but provide no protection against mosquitoes...you pays your money and you takes your choice...

[anna_wing]

I'm actually not familiar with the specifics of each style; also, Indians in India call things by different names from Indians in different parts of Southeast Asia, quite often, depending on where they're from.

[anna_wing]

Aren't they? And I was looking for stuff for daily wear, not party clothes.

[asakiyume]

In a way that's a relief to hear--it means that it's not a matter of being clueless (well, actually it is that too, but) as just a variety of terms being out there, like with all the different Englishes in the world. Is it a pullover or is it a jumper? Is it a vest or a waistcoat? And so on.

[peripety]

I love that set of Norman Parkinson photos

[anna_wing]

Yes. Salwar Kameez is an acceptable generic term used by non-Indians for the whole tunic-and-trousers concept. You aren't expected to know the finer points of differentiation between say, an anarkali dress/suit and a lehenga...

[anna_wing]

Aren't they gorgeous? Cecil Beaton's photos for Vogue are the most fabulous ever, and "The Glass of Fashion" is a treasure trove of information about the Art Deco era, but Parkinson came close.