Anondo in a Dev R Nil creation. Location: City centre

After struggling with the dhoti on Ashtami, you can let down your guard on Navami without compromising on style — or being uncomfortable.

Ashtami is spent with family. It’s the day for tradition and custom. Navami, on the other hand, is reserved for pals, pandal hopping, eating out and maybe even a visit to the nightclub. “In today’s world, men wear ethnic attire only when absolutely required. The Pujas are definitely one occasion for it, but most will still probably buy only one ethnic ensemble. So for the other days, it will be a mixed bag of denims, shirts and T-shirts, which they can subsequently wear more regularly,” says Dev, of the Dev R Nil design duo.

For the final night of the Pujas, Dev suggests a more Western look. “Wear a stylish fitted jacket, something between a sherwani and a kurta. But go very light on the embellishment to save it from getting an overtly ethnic look,” he says. Such a jacket need not be worn with a shirt or T-shirt underneath, unless it is short.

Now for the quirky touch. “Don’t team it with a churidar if you don’t want an ethnic look. Rather, go for skinny denims, which gives a boyish, trendy and Western look,” adds Dev. For the fabric for the jacket, Dev recommends silk and silk lurex for their shine, which is the ‘it’ look of the season. And while black is an eternal favourite when it comes to colour, the designer would rather see jewel tones and metallics, once again for their glow. Wear it with boots or even a pair of sandals. Very stylish, very chic.

Bidita in a Nupur Kanoi creation

Navami is the night when you dress to kill. This is when you are likely to wear your best outfit, prettiest accessories and most detailed make-up. Since you have worn a sari on Ashtami and will probably do so again for Bijoya, tonight is perfect for innovations on an ethnic base. “Since this is the last real day of celebrations, it is the time to really dress up and try a little twist,” says designer Nupur Kanoi. She suggests a bright salwar-kurta ensemble for Navami. Soumitra Mondal agrees. “If you wear saris on all three days, your look becomes a little flat. A nice salwar kurta on Navami acts as a nice break,” he says.

Soumitra prefers to team his kurtas with a churidar. But Nupur suggests you chuck your regular churidar for a salwar. “The thing to go for is a patiala salwar — actually not even a proper patiala, but something more like harem pants. Team it with a knee-length kurta and a stole for a chic look.” For the Pujas, Nupur suggests a lot of bright, happy colours like yellows and reds. And pile on the embellishments too — nothing simple for the Pujas. “I like a lot of thread embroidery, but shimmer and sequins also work well. Try them in off-beat colours like off-white black and yellow. If it’s thread embroidery, multi-coloured work looks best,” says the designer. Soumitra prefers colours like orange — “bright orange for the fair, a duller tone for the dusky. Contrasts are in, so let the churidar and dupatta be a tone different from the hue of the kurta,” he suggests. And antique embroidery.

The fabrics to go for are woven cotton and lighter silks like chanderi. “And do wear gold. Dull gold and jadau pieces work very well. I also like single stone pieces set in gold,” says Nupur. For pandal-hopping though, Soumitra suggests costume jewellery to feel safe. “But let that too be of a dull gold and antique finish,” he says.

“The stress,” says Chandrakanta Roy Chowdhury of M.P. Jewellers, “should be on the apparel and not on the accessory. The jewellery should complement the clothes. With a salwar kurta, one can wear a small necklace with a pendant finished with brown, red and green stone work. Wear a matching bracelet and small danglers set with stones. The piece should have a matte-gold jadau look,” he says.

For the make-up, Aniruddha Chakladar suggests a minimal base with dark eyes. “With ethnic wear, you can try smoky eyes. Put some black kohl on the upper lid and lots of mascara. Apply a fresh shade of blush and keep the lips nude. Those who want to experiment can add a touch of nude shimmer on the eyes in shades of gold or bronze. Add some mascara, some blush and keep the mouth dark — wine or fuschia wine.”

Poulomi Banerjee
Picture by Pabitra Das