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Return of the glamorous choli
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Embroidery, sequins, crystals, kundan stones, zardosi, aari, thread work... nothing is too good for the blouse in its new avatars, writes SHILPA NAIR ANAND
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ABOUT THE CHOLI The Sari blouse is making waves in the fashion circuit
The choli or the blouse is back in news and this time for all the right reasons. And it is not a song, but the blouse (that goes with the sari) that is back in a re-invented avatar or rather many avatars. It is said of fashion that it is cyclical, that nothing really goes out of fashion. Right from the heavily embroidered ones to short puff sleeves to closed neck to backless and even halter necks and bustiers... they are all back. As far as cholis go, all past fashions and some new ones are in vogue all at once.
It is the resurgence of the humble blouse. Saris with attached blouses are passé, the blouse has assumed a personality of its own. In fact designers and boutique owners now take orders of blouses. "I once had an NRI client who came to me directly with a printout of a blouse that she wanted replicated. I assured her that I could do something similar, and I did. There is an interest in the blouse, and the accent is indeed on the blouse," says Sheela James of Czarina.
Dressing the sari
Avers another designer Shanti Ram, "At times what happens is that a sari may be understated, the best way to dress up a sari is with the blouse, do any kind of surface embellishment and it changes the way a sari looks."
Often, the best and easy way to resurrect that old sari is by going in for a new blouse.
Says Indu Radhakrishan of Studio Mrinalini, "A new blouse dramatically changes the way a sari looks, the treatment makes all the difference. Getting a new blouse for an old sari is almost as good as getting a new sari."
The style and work on the blouses however vary, in fact to a great extent it is the sari that decides the treatment. For instance for light silks such as crepes, chiffons and georgettes, the embroidery tends to be light and the blouse makes up for the saris' understated effect. It is not limited to just the sari's blouse, even blouses for set-mundu are heavily embroidered.
Says Gopika Varma, who designs blouses, "The beauty of a heavily embroidered blouse comes out even more when worn with a set-mundu. Set against the simplicity of the set-mundu, an embroidered blouse looks beautiful."
In terms of designs on the blouses, the options are plenty - embroidery, sequins, crystals, kundan stones, zardosi, aari, thread work... the list is endless. The popular fabrics however are either light like crepe, georgette, chiffon or cotton silks. Heavier fabrics such as silks or velvets are generally no-no. However there are women who still like brocade blouses. As far as the embroidery goes, it is either tonal to complement the sari or contrast to set off the sari.
That is not to say that everyone is as sporty as Mandira Bedi when it comes to blouses or cholis. The trend in Kerala at least leans towards the conservative.
"Deep neck blouses are quite popular, but backless? No way. Women in Kerala do not go that far as far as necklines go," says Gopika.
Adds Shalini Joseph of Mantra, "There are some girls and NRIs who ask for blouses with halter necks and the backless kind. But on the whole there is a certain amount of inhibition where the blouse is concerned. For instance, a blouse will be sleeveless for all practical purposes, but for some reason, girls want one-and-a-half inch sleeves. The blouse is never sleeveless then, even though the sleeve is there in name only."
Shalini does not take individual orders for blouses, they have to be part of the sari-blouse set.
Getting just blouses made is a trend that is catching up, but, says Sudha Suresh of Ashima, "I stock embroidered saris that have similarly embroidered blouses to go with them. If the sari is lightly embroidered then the blouse is heavily embroidered. It is still blouses to match saris, and the trend may get popular, but as of now it appears that the sari decides the blouse."
As long as the sari rules the Indian woman's wardrobe, the blouse will always be in the news.
On par with the sari
Noodle straps, strapless or all shining and embroidered: The choli reinvented is invading wardrobes and the small screen, conquering hearts. It has gained equal stature with the sari.
The cholis that Urvashi wears for a programme on Surya TV had people wondering what the hell she adorned. After the flush of laughter, wonder and comments that the cholis evoked, nobody felt they looked odd. In fact for so small a garment as the choli, new designs are difficult to attract attention. But Urvashi's cholis sure attract attention, whatever the reactions.
"Some of them are so strange that they defy the description usually attributed to a choli. Some have collars coming from nowhere and at other times the sleeves have strings or long straps attached. Even when the show is over, we are not finished with commenting on it," says Lakshmy, who watches the weekend show regularly.
By looking at the choli a woman wore one can easily guess the period she lived in. The puffs, its size, the length of the sleeve and whether it was front or back buttoned gives away the period.
The cholis that Indira Gandhi wore, long and dignified have passed into history too.
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