What will you be wearing this Holi? That faded T-shirt you’ve been saving for one last outing? Or have you been browsing online stores for a crisp white kurta that best shows off the bright streaks of abir?
Holi, today, is as much about colours as it is about how the colours look on our clothes — and on camera. In the age of online “reels” and “stories”, fun often doesn’t feel real till it is put up for the world to see. So before discarding the T-shirt worn on Holi and before scrubbing the colour off one’s cheeks, the pictures must go online — colourful enough to capture the spirit, but light enough for faces to still be recognisable.
White is right
New Town resident Namitha R. Dalmia believes in making a celebrity-style entrance at Holi parties — and she is not alone.
“Four or five friends plan in advance and go Holi shopping together. We usually pick white kurtas. The size and cut must be okayed by everyone, but the colour is usually white as it looks the most colourful once the celebrations begin,” says the designer who lives near Biswa Bangla gate.
Namitha makes no bones about the fact that everything is about social media now. “First, you click selfies with tika and streaks of gulal on your face. Then you start full-fledged play,” smiles the lady with hip-length blond-tinted hair.
Namitha once created a reel by tossing all that hair forward, powdering gulal on it and then flipping it over. “It looked gorgeous and garnered hundreds of likes,” she laughs.
At CK–CL Block, Ananya De Das joins about15 women who wear identical saris for their Holi bash. “We prefer saris as one size fits all. We choose synthetic ones so they dry quickly despite playing with water and keep the budget within Rs 500 as they will have to be discarded after play,” she says.
Men in the group are encouraged to wear white panjabis. “It’s a colour most people already own, and even if people deviate from the dress code, I’ve never seen anyone wear shabby clothes at block events. They go for outfits that they rarely wear but are still presentable,” Ananya notes.
When Bhawna Shah was a child, her elders insisted on wearing old clothes for Holi and donating them afterwards. “I’ve moved away from that practice. If I want to donate now, I do so with new clothes. As for Holi, I dress to match the vibrancy of the festival,” says the Vedic Village resident.
Her choices range from white chikankari kurtas and multicoloured dupattas to white T-shirt and jeans. “With organic colours widely used now, she feels whites can be restored post-play. They can always be bleached, too,” she says. To protect her hair, Bhawna styles it in a bun, accessorised with multicoloured dreadlocks. But it’s her footwear that is really out of the box. “Sometimes I wear mismatched shoes — one green and one yellow — or white canvas shoes with colourful laces. If the stains are stubborn later, I cover them with gota laces and keep walking.”
Swagata Paul recalls attending a Holi celebration at Hyatt Regency in a white T-shirt and denims. “The colours showed up so beautifully on it that a photographer from The Telegraph clicked me and the picture later appeared in the paper,” she smiles. “Of course, the top had to be discarded, but there’s really no substitute for white. Every colour stands out against it.”
Swagata, who lives at The Residency adjoining City Centre, is a make-up artiste but says make-up is best avoided on Holi. “Else, it could mix with the colours and clog pores, leading to eruptions. Just apply sunscreen, waterproof mascara if needed, and petroleum jelly under the nails to protect gel-finished nail extensions that are so popular now,” she advises.
Custom-made
Also gaining ground are specially-made designed Holi outfits. “Even if people have old clothes these days, they don’t want to wear them. Holi deserves its own wardrobe, so families or groups of friends order customised T-shirts with printed messages like ‘Happy Holi’ or with colourful hand motifs,” says Amit Poddar, secretary of Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad, that is preparing to host a colourful bash at Central Park next week.
For our committee members, we suggest the colour white and particularly, a white safa pagdi-like headgear.
Sohini Datta of Rail Vihar has switched to co-ordinated family outfits too. “We bought Holi-themed T-shirts two years ago, and since the colours are washable, we’ve been reusing them every year,” she says. “In fact, the rain dance organised in our complex usually washes away much of the colour during the celebrations.”
Their mornings begin with prabhat pheri, where women follow a red-and-orange sari dress code, followed by cultural shows. “Thereafter, it’s over to playing with abir, colours, and most people look for photo-ops — coloured enough, yet still recognisable.”
Sohini’s only concern is footwear. “Once I wore a juti and had to throw it away. Crocs are practical because they’re waterproof, but the ugly stains stay on.”
Torn, tattered — and proud
Not everyone cares about dressing up on Holi. “I wear my oldest clothes — faded, torn…” laughs Aratrika Chakraborty, a college student from DL Block. “I see no point in buying new outfits just for Instagram pictures that viewers will forget anyway.”
Another resident admits to wearing the same black T-shirt and pants for some 20 years now. “They’re shapeless and completely out of fashion, but since we play with abir, the colours wash off, and I can reuse them. They come out of my closet once a year, in March,” laughs the Sector II resident, unwilling to share his name. “I see pictures of revellers wearing whites at high-profile Holi bashes, but I only play with friends, who will not judge me despite being two decades behind the times.”