If pencil heels were all that good — American private investigator Kinsey Millhone once reasoned — men would be wearing them. Crime writer Sue Grafton’s in-your-face detective was never asked about the sari. But she would have argued that if those six yards of cloth were so comfortable, men would have been draping them.

Many, though, still hold the sari up as the epitome of feminine grace. Maheshtala’s Akra Krishnanagar Girls’ High School has been insisting that its teachers wear saris instead of the salwar-kameez to school. Last week, one of its teachers, Kasturi Sen, hit the headlines when she announced that she preferred her salwar-kameezes, thank you.

Clearly, the young women of Calcutta are with her. A survey conducted among 90 women in the 18-30 age group for The Telegraph by GFK-Mode reveals that salwar kameezes and trousers have overtaken the sari, which a mere six per cent of the respondents say they usually wear. The salwar kameez, on the other hand, is worn by 68 per cent of the respondents, and trousers by 27 per cent. In fact, not one woman in the 18-25 age group normally wears a sari, says the survey.

Strikingly too, the survey hints at the possibility of another sartorial revolution that may be round the corner. Right now, the salwar kameez rules. But according to the survey, a majority of women in the 18-25 age group believes that trousers are more modern (72 per cent), comfortable (51 per cent) and hip (77 per cent) than salwars.

There was a time when you conjured up an image of a woman in a crisp taanter sari the moment you said Bengali woman. Now, the streets of Calcutta are full of women in salwar kameezes, and colleges with young girls in jeans.

Not surprisingly, retail studies reveal that western clothes account for half the money Indian women spend on clothes. “Earlier just a handful of women wore business suits. Today the numbers have definitely shot up. And so has the demand for western formals for women. This in turn has led to the evolution of a totally new category catering to the demands of the economically liberated Indian women,” says Zahid Shaikh, chief of marketing, Pantaloons Retail India Ltd.

Local shop owners feel the same way. “Young working women have been opting for trousers and formal shirts. I guess it’s the growing corporate culture that’s behind the growth of formal suits,” says Md. Rehan Yousuf, a dealer in western formals.

Toral Sanghavai, 30, is among those who would rather don a pair of trousers than wear a salwar kameez. “I prefer wearing trousers or denims teamed with shirts or tops as it suits my work profile and gives me a smart look,” says the director of a public relations firm.

Sanghavai is not happy when asked if she ever wears a salwar kameez to work. “It imparts a fuddy-duddy image. I think it is no longer considered to be smart enough to be worn,” she exclaims.

Hindi films are doing their bit to promote western wear. There was a time when the heroine wore a tight churidar kameez, but today’s female fashion statements in cinema revolve around skirts and jeans. Or if a heroine does wear a kurta, it is usually the short kurti — which Kareena Kapoor popularised by teeming with jeans in Jab We Met. Recent Bollywood films such as Corporate, Life in a Metro and Sarkaar Raj had female protagonists clad in western formals.

“When I am not shooting, I take a break from the salwar kameez mode,” attests television actor Reshmi Sengupta. “Being young, I prefer short dresses and denims teamed with a kurti,” she says.

Fashion pundits too feel that with every passing day, the salwaar kameez is losing its edge. Abhishek Dutta, a Calcutta-based fashion designer, contends that the ethnic outfit has lost its sheen. “Taking a cue from Bollywood movies, quite a number of women are opting for western formal outfits.

The percentage may not be that high, but it’s definitely increasing,” he says. “Today a salwar kameez is seen as semi-formal party wear. Youngsters prefer teaming kurtis with denims or leggings to get a semi-ethnic look,” he adds.

Of course, women have their own reasons for preferring a particular mode of apparel — whether it is the sari, the salwar kameez or jeans. Most wear what they do because they find it comfortable, though some believe it is because the dress is “sexy” or gives them greater mobility.

What you wear, no doubt, depends on where you work, or live — and how you commute to work, or party. “Working women may not wear the three-piece suit to work. Most would opt for the more manageable trousers and shirts, especially if they are travelling by local trains, rickshaws and so on,” says Mumbai-based designer Arshiya Fakih Eappen of Araiya. “A western outfit is just a much easier option to go with,” she feels.

Some Calcutta designers feel that fusion wear is now in vogue. “When not working, some women prefer wearing harem pants or low-crotched dhoti pants teamed with T-shirts, while in office they prefer sombre western formals. Straight cuts go well with a corporate work profile,' says Neil of the designer duo Dev r Neil, referring to their clients.

To each, her own — some will argue. But the young Calcutta woman has given her verdict — roll up your sari, and roll over salwars, she says.