The salwar is not dead

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. During a recent Iftar get-together at Old Delhi’s grand Jama Masjid, a pair of pants caught my attention: the floor-sweeping farshi salwar, which borrows its name from the Urdu word for floor, farsh. It wasn’t just the bright pink colour that stood out in a sea of heavily embroidered palazzos and slim dhoti- pants; its presence indicated that celebrities and content creators flaunting their love for salwars online is more than just a social media trend.

For the past few years, the salwar hadn’t been on top of the list of looks for labels and designer brands. Palazzos, cigarette pants, dhoti-pants, harem pants, wide-legged pants and skinny pants ruled, and continue to do so on runways, streets and fast-fashion racks. The salwar has been part of the Indian dress code from the Mughal era and is traditional wear in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Kashmir, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Some said it had lost its sheen because it didn’t fit into the modern wardrobe. Others said it had evolved into the palazzo or straight, wide trousers to be worn with kurtas. It had evolved much like the kameez, which became short, long, fitted, oversized, asymmetrical and everything in between.

The only thing is that the kameez, or the kurta, no matter how it was shaped or styled, still looked like a kameez. The same couldn’t be said for the salwar. The pleated salwar, presented at the recent spring-summer collection show by Bodice in Delhi, however, instantly evoked the classic silhouette in shades of ecru and black.