A truly trendy year for Indian fashion (Flashback 2009)

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NEW DELHI - Fashion evolves every season. The year 2009 offered a melange of casuals and formals for that killer look, be it checkered shorts and Jodhpurs or velvet jackets and high waist skirts. IANS takes a peek at the Top 10 trends:

1. Checkered shorts: If you thought hot pants made a statement this season, think again! Knee-length checkered shorts - the kind Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif wore in the hit film “New York” - was the most common casual wear that young girls flaunted, especially the collegegoing gang.

2. Jodhpurs: Another easy-to-wear outfit that dominated the fashion scene was Jodhpurs. A cross between the salwar and churidar, they were made popular on the runway by designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Nitin Bal Chauhan. However, their wearability was restricted to the ramp despite top notch designers flaunting them at major fashion dos.

3. High waist: In the formal wear, this was the most popular fashion statement of the season. Actresses like Sonam Kapoor and Rani Mukerji were seen wearing high waist skirts and trousers with slim belts. It completely transformed these beauties, giving them the look of sophisticated corporate women. A fashion trend for slim girls.

4. Big shoulders: According to designer Nida Mahmood, the biggest feature this season has been big shoulders. The large padded and exaggerated shoulders and military styling on sleeves were quite popular.

5. Dresses: They made a fashion statement as usual and didn’t fade out. Free flowing, asymmetrical or knee-length dresses were hot favourites this season. Among top actresses, Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu were often spotted in knee length dresses on various occasions, while Aishwarya Rai and Deepika Padukone flaunted gowns. Depending on the occasion, one could easily slip into them and look like a million dollars.

6. Sari: The one thing that can never go out of style in India is the sari, which was reinvented this year by designers like Tarun Tahiliani and Nida Mahmood - they presented it in a more sassy avatar. The designers experimented with the sari by teaming it up with accessories like the belt to give it a modern look. The women were seen in traditional handwoven to cocktail wear to digitally-printed saris.

7. Velvet: In the fabric section, velvet was the most used. No matter what, one can simply not ignore the material that is a must for royal wardrobes. A favourite of designer Rohit Bal, velvet found a way into the closets in the form of jackets, bags and shoes.

8. Organic dyes and fabric: With saving the environment being the dominant theme, designers too did their bit by promoting the concept of going green with their garments. They have started using organic dyes and cotton through their collection. Supporting the environment seemed to top the agenda of many designers.

9. Big bangles: This accessory was a hot favourite among fashion followers. Just a mix and match with the attire and you are all set to head for a party. Wooden, metallic or plastic bangles fast disappeared from the shelves.

10. Biker’s dresses: A very unique thing this season was the demand for bikes and the accessories associated with speed. Dresses with zippers, motorcycle jackets, shiny pants and very funky accessories like belts, wallets and bracelets made a cool fashion statement for the guys this season.

Apart from this, shocking loud solid colours were very prominent juxtaposed with greys and blacks. Jumpsuits, yoke dresses, raglan sleeves, leg-o-mutton sleeves have also been very prominent this season.

(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in)