Fashion is something that is ever changing. It is never stagnant. Fashion today is not just a mix of tastes with trend. It has actually become a blend of various cultures and creativity in trends. The definition of fashion was not the same a century ago in India. Fashion was associated with ideology. Saree was one thing that reflects the tradition as well as contemporary fashion. Floral prints, stripes and polka dots were trendiest of all. Also there was a kind of division of fashion among the royalty and the commoners.
The influence of the western wear played a significant role in changing the fashion ideals. Firstly there emerged some sort of fusion trend with Indian and western clothing. The clothing trends which were apparently ‘feminine’ were preferred. Heavy authentic Indian jewellery was the choice of most women who could afford it. Indian women stuck to their traditional regional attires with a slight touch of modernity till the mid twentieth century. With the emergence of Indian Cinema, fashion reached new heights. Indian actresses become the inspiration source for women in terms of clothing, make up, jewellery etc. New styles of draping sarees and fresh salwar suit looks became trendy. Body hugging clothing came into fashion. Along with this change, the traditional clothing like Maharashtrian sari, ghagra, odhni, salwar Kameez, kurtas etc never became outdated. The shift in the choice of fabrics has always been a crucial part of these changing styles and trends.
After a decade or so, fashion became a vital part of our lives. Institutes to study fashion and technology and creative designers emerged in India. In the 1970’s came the retro fashion which encouraged bold colours, head gears, sunglasses etc. It gave a new definition to Indian fashion. This trend faded away in a decade. The fashion industry of India has been highly influenced by foreign designer after that period. The corporate dressing also came into being after that in India. With all these fashion trends, Indian ethnic trend never died. It survives even till now with an added element of modernity which we call fusion wear.
