A garment for every woman

Style Quotient

“It is a classic garment. Though it was not expected to stay in the market for more than

7-8 years but it has survived,” says Pria. She informs that it is a very comfortable garment and perfect for Asian women who are little on the heavier side. “It is free flowing, luxurious and has a royal feel to it,” she says.

The outfit was very popular in the 70s after which it vanished for a while. It was mostly worn by women as night gowns. “But it is not restricted to just nightwear. You can wear the garment to a mehendi ceremony, a relaxed cocktail party, for lunches and even Derby matches,” says Pria. Her collection of kaftan is inspired from the royal jewels which have been photographed and printed on the fabric.

“I have done them in jewel tones like sapphire, emerald, topaz, coral and ruby,” she says. She informs that for daywear, one can spot colours like off-white, yellow and lime. For evenings one can go for deeper colours like red.

Pria says that there is a variety of kaftans available in the market. “It can come in different patterns depending on the cut and the drape. There are maxi kaftans, blouse kaftans, dress kaftans, tunic style kaftans and jacket-styled kaftans,” she says. Each of these can be worn in a casual as well as a formal manner depending on the slits, knots and pleats on them.

“The possibilities are endless when it comes to this garment. The dress style kaftan can be worn with jeans and the blouse style kaftan can be worn with tights. The jacket styled, which is normally till the hip length and can be paired with jeans too,” she says.
As far as fabrics are concerned, kaftans are available in chiffon, georgette, silk and satin.

“If you are buying a kaftan for casual wear then go for chiffon, while a more formal occasion would require something like crepe silk,” says Pria. “It is for women of every size – from size 0 to over size 10. But most importantly, you have to be comfortable in the garment to look great in it. Try a few kaftans and if you don’t feel comfortable in them then don’t buy them,” she adds.

Accessories should be kept to a minimum while wearing a kaftan. “The kaftan is such a dramatic garment that you don’t really require too much along with it. Just carry a nice clutch bag and pair it with metallic heels,” says Pria.