Sabrina N Bhuiyan

The inglorious Bangladeshi summer is here with a drumroll, or rather, heatwaves! Call it what you will, but summers do allow us a lot of liberty in terms of fashion. One can experiment with sleeves, cuts, colours and most importantly, silhouettes. Sundresses are an eternal favourite for summer. Easy, breezy and beautiful — what’s not to like? In fact, a survey had proven that women wearing sundresses exude more confidence and appear chic and pulled together.

While ombre hair and hefty extensions are the order of the day, there used to be a time when hairstyles were considered artistic. In the ‘20s and ‘30s stylish flapper girls and fashionistas favoured bold but sculpted styles. It was the age of great change, women could vote and were slowly gaining independence, so they did not shy away from embracing new styles.

Curls have long been touted as a statement of sorts. When a woman refuses to fall into pre-existing tropes of Western beauty standards and flaunts her curls in their natural glory, she may come across as somewhat rebellious; someone who does not and will not squeeze herself thin into society’s narrow definitions of beauty. Her curls, strong and gravity-defying, is a reflection of her own self that refuses to be contained into rigid notions of femininity.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of polka dots? Minnie mouse? Or the cute frocks you wore as a little girl? Those are not wrongful associations but polka dots are trendy now and cooler than ever before. Leaving their childish past behind, polka dots are having a stylish time they so rightly deserve. Stalwart designers are embracing this print and making it their own, putting their unique spin and creating incredible designs.

In its humble six yards, the sari is steeped with centuries of history, culture, and tradition. To that end, Jamdani saris are in a league of their own. When wrapped in its gracious folds a woman can explore diverse aspects of her personality — she can be elegant, demure, attractive, practical, and more.

A shirt-style kurta, which has the collar and sleeves of a shirt but the length and cut of a traditional kurta is incredibly fashionable as well as comfortable. Pair it with tights, jeans, jeggings, or straight-cut pants; the shirt-style kurta is versatile in more ways than one. Wear it to work, to run errands, to meet friends for coffee, or later at night to dinner — this style will see you through life’s many different situations while keeping you fashionable!

Another season has arrived in a grand style, shaking us out of a drowsy stupor. Spring holds so much promise of better days, better possibilities, more opportunities, and another grand chance to do things in life. The season also calls for major fashion changes, but before tiptoeing towards newer styles, here is a list of fashion ideas that one must avoid.

Giving heavy velvets and brocades a miss, this year’s trends are veering towards softer, delicate fabrics that highlight the feminine silhouette in all its glory. Amidst the flurry of trends that turn up on the runways every season, lace seems to have made a comeback. There’s something about the wispy nature of it that is just so beautiful; its delicate weaves adorn a woman’s form most exquisitely.

Flared pants are all that your heart (and sometimes waistline!) hopes and wishes for! Known more widely as bell-bottom pants, pretty much all of our parents flaunted these for the greater part of the ‘70s. It has two varieties, the classic bell-bottoms were tapered at the top, around the hips, and spread out like a bell (hence the moniker) at the ankle. Flared pants are loose from the top, and flare out like a hand fan at the bottom. Both are equally stylish. Relaxed and very comfortable, these pants are your best friend, especially now that fashion has become forgiving and generous compared to the past.

So, you are well-known to be a fashionista. Friends always consult you before any fashion purchase, running their decision through you because heaven forbid should you make a wrong choice and suffer for a lifetime!

How often have you been stuck in one of those moments where you want to wear something casual yet cool? A piece of clothing that’s easy, breezy, and stylish too? Well, look no further than the epitome of nonchalant chic — the boyfriend shirt! You are welcome to raid your significant other’s closet and choose his Friday best! But in reality, it’s the lived-in, soft-as-cotton candy variety we are lusting after!

At long last, the arduous days of summer are slowly but surely creeping away. Albeit at a snail’s pace, but we are happy nonetheless and the possibilities of winter days filled with celebrations are getting us excited and rightly so! A party on a winter day is cherry on the cake! Think romance, elegance, sparkle and sophistication! Your winter daytime event wardrobe must combine all of the aforementioned elements and then some. Subtlety is the name of the game, and yet it should stand out as well.

What comes to your mind at the mention of the word, blouse? The image that conjures up may be of your granny’s staid, starched kind that was essentially a glorified jacket or your mother’s modest kind with a high neckline and straight and mid-length sleeves! In 2022 however, blouses have gotten a serious, much-needed makeover because let’s face it, they totally make or break a sari!

A Hollywood legend, Monroe passed away at the age of 36 in 1962. Sixty years on, our interest and fascination with her life is at an all-time high. In the age of viral TikToks and Instagram stories that disappear in 24 hours, we are constantly bombarded with endless content, Marilyn Monroe has held her own like the superstar she will always be. Glamorous and sensuous, her on-screen persona is iconic in its own right.

Haters will hate and naysayers will dismiss it as frivolous and shallow but we women love our bags. And what’s not love about bags? They instantly bring sophistication and elegance to a look, help us carry our essentials in élan and add polish to an ordinary ensemble. Every season, exciting new trends emerge in the world of handbags, some more game-changing than others. While existing shapes and designs reign supreme, new shapes and designs are equally cool and deserve a spot in every stylish woman’s bag wardrobe.

To beat the summer heat in style, kurtis are a real godsend! A cross between kameez and shirt, kurtis can be anything you want and more. Our eternal love affair with kurtis is one for the books, and as a tribute to the comfort and joy they bring in our lives every day while making us look effortlessly stylish, let us rejoice in the countless ways we can fashion them!

All women everywhere are magpies at heart! Give us anything shiny, bright and brilliant and we are sold in a heartbeat! Glitter makes our hearts sing and sequins with all their sparkling glory hits right at the pleasure centres of our brains! For the longest time though sequins and all this shiny have been on the receiving end of relentless flak from naysayers who dismissed it as tacky and inelegant. Anything sequined would be deemed crass and unfashionable, unfit for polite society even where it’d raise many eyebrows and draw inevitable frowns from purists!

While every flower is special in its own right, roses are indeed exceptionally beautiful! It is no wonder then that Rojina Akhter, owner of Rose by Nizhu, chose to name her boutique after this extraordinary flower!

Bangladeshi fashion had hit a stalemate towards the beginning of the new millennium. Save for a handful of designers who were passionate about their craft, there was a massive dearth of high-quality clothes with original designs. 

Festive season this year is more special than ever before, for it arrives after the dreadful two years we spent in isolation. The spirit of Eid, which is celebrated in company of friends and family was lost completely.