When the Saree Meets the Sarong

One doesn’t have to catch up with the latest Bollywood movies anymore to get a glimpse into current desi fads and trends. Although, if one did, chances are one might see very little in terms of attire. It is not au courant anymore for desi women to dress in bikinis, or the men folk to walk around in embroidered shirts, and equally ornamental trousers. The rage these days, as the local grapevine has it, is for the women to be dressed in the traditional Indian saree, which, as opposed to making them look like divine divas, makes them look like bare-all babes; and for the men to be seen in front-open “kurtis” and ragged-jagged-edged denims.

I believe that the main problem with some desis living in America is their inability to hold their own - be it culture, appearance, food habits, or even fine arts, like music and dance. Fusion is their newest fashion, or so it seems. One visit to a desi party, and you’ll know what I mean. I personally end up being the odd one out, many a time. I have an almost freakish tendency to misunderstand the significance of such gatherings. For instance, there was this time when I went to a desi teen’s graduation party (although why I was asked to is yet an unanswered question) dressed in a pair of jeans and a semi-formal shirt, to find all eyes fixed on me from the moment I set foot in there. All the desi women there were clad in glitzy ghagharas with the tops held precariously in place by a flimsy pair of cords, or sheeny, translucent sarees with little to no sign of a blouse to go with. They seemed to make up for the lack of clothing with heavy accessories though. The poor teenager, in whose honor the party was being held, was slouching away in a corner, his face buried under a book. There were beers and cheers all around, and that only seemed to add to his misery. How did all that razzmatazz matter to a young, intelligent boy who had just finished school, and was looking forward to a scholarly stint in college?

And then there are the Pujo celebrations, where showing off jewelry and sporting the fanciest silk sarees, paired, more often than not, with strappy, lacy, knit tops from Macy’s that pass off as blouses, is a religiously followed routine, for some of the womenfolk. The men, of course are burdened with the task of taking pictures of the damsels, and can be seen more actively perfecting angles and flash screens, than partaking in the festivities. How does, one wonders, all this lavishness contribute to the devotion and spiritual essence of the festival?

I took my little one to an early kids-all Christmas party last evening. Even though the crowd was fairly cosmopolitan, the majority were Indians. While I went casually dressed, I was rather baffled to witness hordes of desi moms show up in formal party wear - which is a relative term, actually. Most of them were dressed in sparkly lehengas topped with sheeny, second-skin-like blouses, which they paraded off as “formal Indian skirts-and-tops.” Did Santa even notice their glimmer and shimmer, or was he more interested in handing out gifts to eager little toddlers who had braved the chill just for that?

It may also be noted that these are the same women who go to the temple clad in leather jackets, skinny pants and tall boots. Of course, that may not be permissible anymore, what with the new bulletin up at the temple these days, requesting devotees to be appropriately attired for their visit to the sacred shrine.

I wonder if they’d dress similarly when at home in India. Fashion seems to have taken a new connotation - and amidst all the hoopla, even the identities seem to have gotten contorted, just like the typical Bollywood actress who changes clothes and roles with each new release. For instance, when Preity Zinta sports long, mirrored, appliquéd, embroidered skirts with jazzy tops, the lehenga becomes the most sought-after dress. But when she dumps that look for a more glamorous one, with a halter neck, micro-mini, silk dress in a bigger box-office hit, the lehenga gets frowned upon.

With the New Year around the corner, I can only imagine how the desi fashion scene could be exploding with new styles. Dupattas coiled around slender, bare necks that seem ready to choke as the New Year is ushered in, or worse, a saree wrapped tautly around the waist to make up for the absence of a band to hold a teensy, delicate sarong, or nonesuch. As for me, I guess I’ll slip into my most comfortable pair of PJs. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if I trigger off a hot new rage with them in the coming year. After all, they’re snug, soft, and they’ve had their share of Bollywood limelight, thanks to Rani Mukherjee, or someone equally famous.