Teaming comfort with style

Palazzo panache

Fashion on the streets of the capital these days is dominated by palazzos and pyjamas, given that these two ‘Ps’ are the best options to beat the oppressive heat. Lifting the lower by the crease, as it is a tad difficult to manage the broad width palazzos, young girls can be spotted running around to catch the Metro or bus. The other, more manageable alternative to these broad, flowy lowers are the straight cut pyjamas, fast gaining popularity for their cool chic.

“The pyjamas were discovered from a Hindi word Paejama meaning leg-covering, which have been existing since 1870’s. Coco Chanel’s lounging pyjamas convinced women in the early 20th century that pyjamas could be a stylish garment too,” says fashion designer Rajni K Sethi from Surgam.
Encapsulating the history of the pyjamas, Sethi says over time the flare increased and decreased as per the need of the era. “In 1960’s Irene Galitzine (Georgean princess) launched her Plazoo Pyjamas. Soon one could spot palazzos, flared out evenly from waist to ankle, being brought into the Indian market from Pakistan. One of the reasons for palazzos to get so popular is because their styling was completely fresh, unlike any of the design seen in the Indian market.”

As goes the unsaid rule, ‘the market sells what is demanded’, the palazzos not just became popular but also pushed fashionistas to try pyjamas, since Delhi is notorious for its extreme climatic conditions. “Comfort level is good in palazzos or pyjamas. As the days get short and summer seems a long way off, a palazzo with crop top combo will gain more popularity!” predicts fashion designer Pooja Motwani. And there are all the reasons to believe that this will be true.
Where there is fashion, there is faux pas too. Even amidst a hoard of women flaunting the nondescript pyjama, the one that grabs attention is a stark pink and yellow combo zigzag vertical print that allows an eyeful of the muffin top and the flab, when not worn with a longer tunic.

“A palazzo or pyjama should not be transparent. This is the main thing we have to note while choosing these lowers! And if the elastic is not broad by at least two inches, it looks weird,” warns Motwani. According to her, the safest fabric to choose is “Lycra since it gives a slim look. Plain colours and black are all time favourites while one can go for fuchsia, shimmery look for parties.” Sethi, also adds that “Pear-shaped girls can go for cotton, polyester blends and viscose while avoiding heavier fabrics.”

Leopard print is another common in these lowers, though the experts advise that one should instead opt for floral designs in pink and turquoise. A choice of print or plain palazzos could be made for lean or heavy body type respectively.
“Colours like black leave a slimming effect, while all dark colours like navy, chocolate browns, dark greens, charcoal grey etc flatten the body type. If obese, then one should avoid overly busy prints because they make you look like a mass of fabric. Prints like polka dots, horizontal stripes suit them best,” says Sethi.

After all, fashion is all about making oneself look beautiful and conceal what is unpleasant. It is therefore important to team these lowers innovatively.Sethi suggests that palazzos and pyjamas can be worn with a lace shirt for a “pretty feminine look or with a basic white Tee with a nice neckpiece to keep it stylish. For professional meetings, they can be teamed up with a blazer and wedges to impress, while for beach they can be worn comfortably with bikini top, belting up the lower and a deep cut blouse or tank top adding to the style quotient.”

Surprisingly, these lowers looks stunning even when the top is tucked in, though the rage for pairing them with crop top cannot be overlooked at present.