It’s been decades since urban Indian women first adopted trousers, shirts, T-shirts, skirts, and other western articles of clothing as part of daily-wear. Things have undoubtedly changed a great deal since that first diffident foray into western fashion and Indian women today are getting bolder and better than ever before. Skirt hemlines are getting higher, regular pants getting replaced by culottes, and long blouses giving way to halter-neck ones. And while most Indian women have already mastered the Indo-western look, the classic western look can be a little tricky to pull off. If you too always wanted to sport an unalloyed western look but never knew how to, here are fiveclassic western looks thatare easy to achieve and guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd:
Vintage:The vintage look has an exotic ring to it but is, ironically, the easiest to achieve. A knee-length bodycon dress in a solid colour – black, burgundy, yellow, or powder pink – and matching pumps are just about all you need to get this look right. Complement the elegance with a pair of pearl drop earrings and a clutch purse. Wear your hair into a neat, low bun and you are good to go. What a way to exude some old-school glamour!
Contemporary:This is the most frequently sported western look and typically includes a pair of trousers or skirt and a top. You could, however, make it edgier by pairing a polka dotted waist tie-up top with high-waist palazzos. If you are game for something more flamboyant, you could go for a snake print or leopard print waist tie-up top. Tie your hair into a French braid and finish the look with oversized hoops or a large, chunky cuff bracelet, a slouchy hobo bag and peep-toe heels.
Formal: Most women in India do not wear western clothes on formal occasions at all. Traditional sarees and heavy suit sets are preferred. Nevertheless, the sartorial charm of formal western outfits can hardly be disputed even by those by steer clear of them. For a classic party-wear look, choose a pleated A-line cocktail dress in a solid colour. To add a measure of delicateness to your look, go for a dress that has sheer sleeves with embroidery. Love knot earrings or a choker necklace, a minaudière bagand glass stilettoes are all you need to complete this look.
Work-wear: Workspaces no longer call for overtly formal clothing. Nonetheless, formal western attire is the first thing that crosses one’s mind when one thinks of work-wear clothing for women. For a classic western work-wear look, you could pair a midi-skirt or pencil skirt with a full-sleeve ruffle collar shirt.Packed with old-world appeal, balloon sleeve ruffle collar shirts look equally great with formal trousers. Perfect the look with a bucket bag and open-toed high-heeled sandals. Don’t forget to tie your hair back into a high bun for that no-nonsense air.
Casual: Casual need not always mean denims and T-shirts, right? That is one of the overused casual styles but you could always do with some innovation. Make a statement in black leather pants and a plaid shirt. Throw in a pair of booties and a black leather ladies’ jacket for added punch.
Alternately, the plaid shirt could be paired with denims and a denim jacket for women.Keep thelook conspicuously casual with a visor cap and a large, funky watch.
Try out these five different looks, get more innovative if you like, but don’t forget to top it all up with plenty of panache.