Download as PDF, PPTX
36
- 1. jacketteamedwithasheathdressinhis Woolmark womenswear collection,be- lieves that the best thing about anti-fit clothingisthatitsuitsallbodytypes. Now, you might think that the anti- fit fad has been around for decades going by the oversized sweatshirts and baggy boyfriend jeans of the ’80s. But designers say that what then was merely termed as loose clothing strict- ly meant for comfort has come back in achicandmodernavatar. “Today’s anti-fit silhouettes effort- lesslycombinestylewithcomfortwhich was not the case earlier,” says Aneeth Arora whose fashion brand Péro is ac- claimedforitsversatileanti-fitclothing. When Arora first started making anti-fit designs it was with the inten- tion of creating comfortable day cloth- ing that could also transition into evening wear. “Although it was tough to sell initially, we stuck to it and today there’sadefiniteshiftinthewaypeople wear clothes as they want to feel com- fortable rather than just squeeze into smallersizes,”shenotes. Fromboxycroptopspairedwithfit- ted trousers to wide-legged jumpsuits and free-flowing dresses — anti-fit is being pegged as an ageless and classic style that’s also symbolic of one’s confi- denceandnaturalbodylanguage. “Getting into an anti-fit outfit that’s cut to one’s size feels good and can be quite liberating,” says Ruchika Sachdeva whose label Bodice aims to reinvent the classics with the use of indigenoustextiles. According to Sachdeva, anti-fit designs are all about striking the right balance between fitted and loose. “If you know the right places to incorpo- ratethenipsandtucks,thenagarment can be fitted where you want it to be and away from the body in other parts,” she says. For instance, the designer likes keeping the shoulders fitted and the rest of the outfit flowy, while also playing generously with volume and pattern-making to give theanti-fitsilhouettetherightfall. Asymmetricalcutsanddrapesarea common feature in designer Swati Vijaivargie’s anti-fit silhouettes that give her designs an unstructured look. “With anti-fit I like incorporating a lot of design variations while also keeping amplebreathingroom,”shesays. Designers believe that anti-fit is not justforcurvierwomenbutworksequal- lywellonsuper-tonedbodiesandpetite forms. Maithili Ahluwalia, designer and ownerofcelebrity-favouritefashionand lifestyle concept store Bungalow 8 in Mumbai, points out that anti-fit gar- G one are the days when ‘figure flattering’ was synonymous with body-hugging, tummy-tucking, take a deep-breath-before-putting- on clothing. And the Lakmé Fashion Week runways or even your most trusted style blogs have clearly declared that size zero is dead. Comfort reigns supreme with anti-fit silhou- ettesreplacingform-fittedones. Fashion designer Nachiket Barve, who recently bagged the prestigious International Woolmark Prize India, Pakistan and Middle East Regional Final award in the womenswear category,believesthatanti-fitisastylethat’snot bound by body structure but aims to redefine shape.“Thebiggestmisconceptionsurrounding anti-fit clothing is that it’s just an oversized garment that fits like a sack. On the contrary, anti-fit is relaxed and easy clothing that has a specificformandstructure,”henotes. Barve, who showcased a slouchy, anti-fit g r a p h i t i 1918 g r a p h i t i STYLE CALCUTTA ● SUNDAY 14 AUGUST 2016 (From left) A cropped, anti-fit jumpsuit by Maithili Ahluwalia is played up with a two-toned reversible jacket; Nachiket Barve’s award- winning reversible Merino wool jacket in a slouchy fit is paired with a sheath dress; Kangana Ranaut sets the anti-fit trend in a handwoven cotton-silk and zari dress from Péro’s latest line Young gun Dhruv Kapoor has created cutting-edge, anti-fit designs like this cotton-silk convertible double skirt called Doppio Comfort FaSHioN Anti-fitisallabout easybreezyoutfits thathavebeengiven achicspin,says RadhikaSen zone Payal Khandwala teams a one- shoulder, anti-fit poncho with silver brocade palazzo pants for a chic look
- 2. ments give wearersthe luxury of high- lighting parts they want to while also camouflagingcertainproblemareas. “Fitted garments can be quite con- straining, whereas with anti-fit you can mix-and-match to accentuate a narrow waistline with a high-waist belt, or go with baggier sleeves to take the attention away from flabby arms,” suggestsAhluwalia. Sheattributesthegrowingpopular- ityofanti-fitstylestowell-tonedactors Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut and Anushka Sharma who have been flaunting this relaxed look. “Anti-fit is changing the whole size dialogue and is all about owning fashion in an effortless manner,” saysAhluwalia. Fashion’s daring new designerDhruvKapooris makingwavesforhiscut- ting-edge anti-fit designs showcased under his label DRVV. “The whole idea behind anti-fit is to make ensembles that can be fitted on a box and then be putonpeople.So,whenImakeanti- fitclothes,Itailorthemkeepinginmind variousboxproportionsratherthanthe humanbody,”hesays. From triangular dresses to cubic tops and trapeze maxis, the young de- signerisaimingtoelevatestreet-smart clothingtogiveitastatementlook. While most designers prefer using lightweight natural fabrics like cotton, silk and soft handlooms that fall easy, otherslikePranavMishraofHeumnare experimenting with synthetic fabrics like neoprene.“Neoprene gives anti-fit silhouettes a balloonish shape and moves the garment away from the body,” says Mishra who makes anti-fit shiftdresses,jacketsandshirts. Minimal is the buzzword for anti-fit silhouettes. Mumbai-based designer Payal Khandwala thinks that heavy embellishments on anti-fit clothes can make the garment quite heavy and sometimes lopsided. “The lighter the outfittheeasieritistowear,asthewhole point of anti-fit clothing is to not make palette neutral prevents the look frombeingtoojarring. When it comes to accessoris- ing, it’s all about expressing your personal style and to take the outfit from casual to formal, Barve suggests statement jewel- lery,whileMaithiliAhluwaliarec- ommendsawaistbeltoradressy jackettocompletetheoutfit. There’s no denying it. With anti-fit clothing complement- ing the body it’s the perfect reason to send our bodycons and skinny jeans into hiberna- tion for a while. As Ahluwalia sums it up: “Anti-fit is a coming of age movement and a paradigm shift in dressing with c o n f i d e n c e . ” R e a d y t o l o o k c h i c while breath- ingeasy? u youbody-conscious,”saysKhandwala. Ifyou’restilldebatingonwhetherto try the trend, designer Dhruv Kapoor suggeststhatyoufirstraidyourfather/ husband/ boyfriend’s closet, try on their oversized shirts with chunky beltsandseehowtheymakeyoufeel. Others suggest that the secret to working this trend is playing the bal- ancing act with proportions. So wear slouchy sweaters with skinny jeans or a crop top with wide-legged culottes andV-neckrectangulardresses. For adventurous dressers, a loose shirt dress, or a free-flowing blouse over an A-line skirt is one way of em- bracing the trend from head-to- toe. Designers say that keeping the colour Today’santi-fit silhouettes effortlesslycombine stylewithcomfort (Above right) Designer Ruchika Sachdeva creates a trendy anti-fit look with this cotton boxy top layered over a cotton- silk-panelled shirt dress; (Right) Swati Vijaivargie teams a flowy maxi dress with a floral anti-fit embroidered jacket in her latest collection STYLE 20 g r a p h i t i CALCUTTA ● SUNDAY 14 AUGUST 2016