A pantsuit is the metaphor for power dressing, and at the same time, lends itself to some rakish street cred, if worn with a sliver of insouciance. Isn’t modern-dressing about owning every look and making it truly unique and personal? And it’s refreshing to see our actresses, who’ve time and again nailed the classic pantsuit look on the red carpet and also off it. From Sonakshi Sinha, who strutted down the runway in an embellished Falguni & Shane Peacock twinset at the recently-concluded Lakme Fashion Week to Vaani Kapoor, who totally rocked the hell out of a partially sequinned Nikhil Thampi pantsuit last month.
One’s got to credit Sonam Kapoor who made this sartorial wonder a conversation topic among the glamouratti when she showed up in a pin-striped Jean Paul Gaultier pantsuit four years ago. Since then, the pantsuit has been the go-to pick for stars. For instance, Athiya Shetty looked chic in a lace jumpsuit recently and Kangana Ranaut has never had a less-than-wow moment whenever she’s donned it. Also, the fact that this garment has been perceived as masculine, makes women look more feminine when they wear it.
Stylist Eshaa Amiin says, “Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone and Athiya Shetty have that ‘x’ quality to pull off androgyny. The pantsuit looks great when you have long legs. Stylist Eshaa Amiin says, “Also, Aditi Rao Hydari, Kalki Koechlin, Esha Gupta and Shilpa Shetty Kundra are worth mentioning, who’ve done great justice to the pantsuit silhouette.”
THE ATTITUDE AND SASS
While the pantsuit may look fab on leggy lasses but it has more to do with the wearer’s attitude and personality which elevates it to the next level. Designer Suhani Parekh of Misho Designs is quick to mention Victoria Beckham, who always looks inexcusably fabulous in her softly-tailored and languid pantsuits.
“Kangana nails it well. It’s a combination of attitude and personality and I believe that anyone can embrace it. Of course, one’s body type has a lot to do with it and if one has a slender frame, it definitely works,” says Suhani.
Stylist Isha Bhansali seconds that, “You need to have a strong personality like Sonam’s. Also, she is cheeky and doesn’t give a damn. Given the fact that she’s a feminist, adds to her sartorial prowess.”
SONAM: PIN-UP FOR ANDROGYNY
The soon-to-be-married Miss Kapoor has time and again been hailed as the true original who’s set style examples for others to follow. “She was one of the first actresses to bring back the focus on androgyny in Indian fashion,” says designer Nadine Dhody. With designers experimenting with deconstructed style and broken tailoring formats, the pantsuit with its reinvented avatar today has assumed more accessible and wearable proportions. All one needs is a bit of spunk and polish to carry it off.
