OF EVENING GRACE

wardrobe

Parties are often preceded by ‘fun’ questions, like what to give? When to arrive? Who can accompany us? And, more importantly, what do we wear? Whether you’re dressing up for an acquaintance’s wedding or you’re headed to a dinner party, one can never be too sure of what might be the appropriate ‘dress code’ for the event. Even if there might be a specific one, most of us don’t just happen to have a floor-length silk gown or formal attire hanging around in our closet, waiting for the day our special invite arrives.

So, knowing what is appropriate can be a head-scratcher. What you wear to any of these occasions depends on so many factors: the venue, the formality of the invite, the weather, and often what everyone else plans to wear. But, fret not, there are still some general sartorial standards to look at for guidance. This week You! shares options, which may be perfect for every possible occasion on your social spring calendar…

Play it safe…

As Pakistanis, we are fortunate to have the shalwar kameez as our official dress. It works for everything, whether it’s casual, formal or festive. A proper, neat and well-stitched shalwar kameez can help you cover many events in go. It helps if you have a few well-stitched suits in different colours to keep you covered. For spring summer, your choice of fabric should be light so you’re not perspiring in the name of fashion. For formal events, your colour choice should some neutral colours, unless you want to stand out. And if you’re still confused, remember, ‘when in doubt, wear black’. The versatility of black makes it a safe choice when you just can’t make up your mind about the event. Black is artistic. It is classy and elegant. You can never go wrong with it because it never runs out of style.

Classy traditional cuts

We love the classy traditional attires because they exude a grace and beauty like no other. Ethnic clothing is all-inclusive as it flatters every body shape, size and colour – a pishwaas is one of them. The flowy dress is breezy, allows mobility and instantly makes a woman feel beautiful. This cut works for all kinds of festive events and you can adjust how bedazzling you want your pishwaas to be, accordingly. Whether it’s a party or any one of your wedding events, this cut is bound to work on you. Also, a white pishwaas can be utilised differently for separate occasions. You can wear all white once and change up the dupatta next time with any colour of your choosing.

The chic modern cuts

As we’re in a global village, our sartorial preferences have evolved. While many may feel comfortable in eastern cuts, many find themselves reaching for the ease of western attires, whereas there are some who find comfort and style in both. If you prefer western cuts and you are going to walk down a red carpet, this attire may be more up your street. Chic, clean-cut pants and top will be a nice addition to your wardrobe. To wear this outfit again, you can use it as separates and change it up. Pair the top with a different pair of pants and the pants with a different plain kurti. It will keep the outfit fresh and new.

Drape it with style

Last, but certainly not least, let’s talk about sarees. Draping a saree can bring a completely different charm to your look, where you don’t even have to do much. A humble saree is versatile and elegant, so keeping one or two in your wardrobe may come in handy. No matter what kind of event or occasion you have to attend, a beautiful piece of saree complemented with the right kind of accessories can make you look graceful.

If it’s something of an official event such as a meeting, a business presentation, a day event, a plain cotton saree in neutral tones may work well. For jewellery, you can keep it minimal – a pair of small studs, a pendant in a chain and a watch or a chic bracelet. For your hair, it’s professional to tie your hair back. For the makeup, remember that less is more.

Since a saree itself is a formal wear, so according to the event, we can move up to a more luxurious fabric, vibrant colours and embroidery. For instance, a heavily embellished saree – with works of sequins, traditional embroidery like zardozi, dabka, kora etc, thread work in metal – or a banaarsi is well suited for weddings and parties of close relatives. But, for a simple dinner function at a friend’s or a day wedding, a digitally printed saree in chiffon or even silk would look classy and ‘dressy’ and you can just pair accessories accordingly.

CREDITS: Text: A. Akmal Model: Mahirah Khan Makeup: Baber Zaheer Photography: Shahbaz Shazi Designer: Sania Maskatiya Collection: SaniaMaskatiyaxMashion