Costumes of Pre and Post Independence Era

COSTUMES OF PRE AND POST INDEPENDENCE ERA
INTRODUCTION
As India celebrates more than seven decades of Independence from the British Raj, let’s go through the changing
fashion tastes of free Indians over the last seven decades.
Independence Day 2021: What we choose to wear every day says far more about our culture than we realise. Just
like our politics, occupations and way of life, our clothing styles have also evolved over the years.
As India celebrates more than seven decades of Independence from the British Raj, let’s go through the changing
fashion tastes of free Indians over the last seven decades.
Simplicity of the ‘50s
Consumed by the fresh scent of freedom, the 1950s had a strong flavour of patriotism. The hand-spun khadi
symbolised the swadeshi movement. Cloth sarees draped in different styles or simple salwar suits dominated the
scene.
The fashion was largely functional and hints of European influences, especially in menswear, could also be
observed. Women like Maharani Gayatri Devi, and Hindi cinema’s Nargis, Nutan, Suraiya and Meena Kumari were
the fashion icons of this era.
Colourful spirit of the ‘60s
The 1960s was the decade that brought us Madhubala’s Anarkali suit and the tiered orange saree on Mumtaz.
Moving into a new decade, women’s clothing became more fashionable and everyone embraced bright colours
and prints.
With body-hugging churidar suits, shorter blouses and a hint of skin on display, the ‘60s were also big on
embracing curves. Not to forget, the poufy hairdos, winged eyeliner and the uber-popular Sadhna cut were also
from this decade.
Hippie trippy vibe of the ‘70s
Dubbed the ‘decade of decadence’, the 1970s were huge for fashion. The decade gave us Dimple Kapadia's
iconic polka-dotted blouse in Bobby, Zeenat Aman's hippie look from Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Parveen Babi’s
scant bikini and Helen’s iconic Cabaret feathers. Bell-bottoms, cropped shirts, oversized glasses, platform heels
and polka dots were just some of the most memorable trends from this era.
Vivid creativity of the ‘80s
The 1980s were all about the over the top (or OTT) vibe. Blingy ornamentation, big shoulder pads, gaudy colours,
metallics, unruly hair and leg warmers – there was a lot happening in this decade. But this decade also birthed
the first generation of Indian fashion designers like Rohit Khosla and Satya Paul.
Bhanu Athaiya won India’s first and only Oscar for costume design in 1983 and the National Institute of Fashion
Technology was set up in 1986. In Bollywood, Sri Devi and Rekha were the heroines leading the fashion scene.
Cool girls & boys of the ‘90s
The decade that birthed Indipop stars like Alisha Chinai and cult films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dil Toh Pagal
Hai, the 1990s created trends that are still big today. From denim shirts, crop tops, chokers, co-ordinates and
overalls to chiffon sarees and oversized shirts, we saw it all in the ‘90s. And leading ladies like Karisma Kapoor,
Madhuri Dixit and Kajol, often styled by Manish Malhotra, became the style icons of this period.
Fashion forward face of the ‘00s
The aughts or the 2000s saw many international fashion brands opening up stores in India. Sporting the latest
styles and trends was no longer limited to people who had connections abroad. Following in her sister’s
footsteps, Kareena Kapoor warmed things up with characters like Poo and Jab We Met’s Geet.
Super-fitted pieces like tube tops and micro-minis as well as desi fusion outfits defined this overtly sexy decade.
Comfortable mood of the ‘10s
Moving on to the most recent period, the 2010s gave us social media and influencers! We slowly said goodbye
to super sexy clothes and welcomed athleisure with open arms. The focus shifted away from celebrity trends and
street style gained more steam.
Micro bags, sheer tops, oversized sweatshirts and cycling shorts were the viral trends from the period. Bloggers
and Instagram-famous supermodels were the biggest trendsetters.
As the last decade comes to a close amidst a full-blown pandemic, the focus remains on comfort and clothes
that look good on social media. The next decade in fashion is poised to be more inclusive and focussed on
technological advancements such as smart fabrics and digital-only clothes.

Costumes of Pre and Post Independence Era

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Costumes of Pre and Post Independence Era

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Costumes of Pre and Post Independence Era

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

COSTUMES OF PRE AND POST INDEPENDENCE ERA

Simplicity of the ‘50s

Colourful spirit of the ‘60s

Hippie trippy vibe of the ‘70s

Vivid creativity of the ‘80s

Cool girls & boys of the ‘90s

Fashion forward face of the ‘00s

Comfortable mood of the ‘10s

You might also like