With the Pujos on the horizon, it’s time to start considering your festival wardrobe. From palazzos to saris with tees, here are five simple tips for stand-out looks (and where to get them) from city designer Paromita Banerjee.
LFW Designer Paromita Banerjee Tells You How To Stand Out This Pujo With 5 Simple Hacks
The information in this post might be outdated
Sarees With Tees
Simple woven sarees for morning occasions. Sarees like the dhonekhali are perfect for a morning trip to the pandal and one can always team them up with trendy, offbeat tops or t-shirts. Meera Basu on Sarat Banerjee road has a great range of these.
Relaxed Palazzos With Layered Tunics
On the personal front, I have always been a very picky shopper. I like my garments to be very simple and classic with attention on the base fabric. My natural inclination is towards handloom cottons or similar organic or breathable fabrics but unfortunately simple options are most difficult to find. Print palazzos for layering with solid kurtas or tunics.
Anokhi at Forum Mall always has many options in these. And so does Cotton World – I love their solid linens and pajamas. You can always mix and match these palazzos with multiple items in your closet.
The Whole Nine Yards
Jamdanis in dark festive colours with traditional woven buta and in base fabrics like fine cotton or linen are great for bringing out the ‘Bangaliana’ in you. You can check out my line if you are looking for something unique but traditional and pure handloom. Our price range is between INR 12,000 to INR 18,000.
‘Art in Life’ - the annual pre-Pujo exhibition at CIMA Art Gallery at Sunny Towers has been my go-to place for years now.
I also pick up handloom cotton sarees from the multitude of handloom exhibitions around Kolkata. Handloom cotton saree from my neighbourhood khadi bhandar, that is my simple fox for days I want to wear a sari to work.
DIY Your Dress
Sasha’s annual Fair Trade Exhibition in the winter is a great place to stock up on fabric bases that you can convert into outfits. Their store on Free School Street is also great for causal everyday clothes. While on Sasha, I have to mention this reversible quilted jacket from an old upcycled saree from Sasha’s forum which is perfect for light winters in Kolkata and also to carry while travelling.
And I must say that weavers in and around West Bengal have the finest quality of handloom fabrics which puts any machine-made items to shame. There are some kurtas and shirts I had tailored in-house at my studio from very fine khadi and muslin that we had woven. They have become torn and worn out after multiple wears, but I still love them to bits.
Accessorise To Round Off The Look
Chamba Lama, that old and delectable silver shop a stone’s throw from Nahoum’s in New Market, is perhaps the only reason why I still go to New Market! It has a great heritage and has some very unique silver items that are sure to become classics in your wardrobe. I have a big silver bali that my husband gifted me a while back from Chamba Lama that is my go-to silver earring for special occasions for years now. It is traditional and has gone ‘black’ and antique-looking with age, and still works its charm with any outfit.
I also like Amrapali for jewellery items, especially silver ones.
A traditional gold bali from A. Sirkar that my father gifted to me during my marriage is still my most favourite, expensive item everytime there is a wedding I have to attend.
Otherwise I am mostly happy with simple things.
I also love this antique, banjaran heavily-embroidered tote bag that I picked up from CIMA Art Gallery’s Art in Life exhibition. It is huge, carries my world and is a headturner everytime I use it. My other big bags are most useful and functional.