Summer is all about comfort dressing, ditching body-hugging silhouettes and opting for flowy ones. An ideal season for pulling out the kaftans from the wardrobe that spell comfort like no other. If the kaftan comfort is what you are swearing by this summer, The Telegraph gets you a lookbook of versatile styles to keep your kaftan style game going strong, from casual daywear to a glam look for a party night. Actress Ridhima Ghosh donned the outfits for us, and here’s how she aced the looks with her charm.
Ideal for a day look or a brunch, this smart and simple lime green handkerchief-style kaftan from Aranya is given a stylish touch with dark green hue on the eyes, complemented with brown lips and side-parted messy pony.
Keep the summer cocktail night look easy-breezy and classy in this Bishnapuri resham silk golden-yellow kaftan from Bandhabi, designed with Indonesian batik work. The statement kundan neckpiece, thick yellow liner, muted lips and messy top bun elevate the elegant look.
From an afternoon brunch and evening birthday party to letting your hair down at night at a pub, this kalamkari hand-painted silk kaftan short dress from Nameg is a versatile party wear.Smokey eyes, nude lips and beach waves complete the look.
If draping saris for attending occasions is not your thing, keep the look glam in a stylish embroidered kaftan. The colour red enhances the glam factor in this comfortable khadi matka kaftan from Divya Sheth, detailed with hand-embroidered gota, emulating an age-old style. The sleeves are interestingly shaped, embellished with embroidery work. Messy bun, nude shades on the eyes and red lipstick complete the look.
If that LBD in your wardrobe looks boring to your eyes, opt for a relaxed kaftan look for a lazy drinking night with your friends to unwind. The black handwoven soft cotton kaftan from Roshe is detailed with a touch of hand embroidery. The hair tied into a fuss-free pony, nude make-up and silver jewellery from Aranya complete the look.
With The Telegraph, I have had many of my first fashion experiments, starting from red lipstick to blue lipstick! Usually people wear kaftan at home but to glam it up was a new thing for me. I have not tried wearing a kaftan before. My summer style is all about shorts, cotton shirts and summer dresses. I am definitely going to try more kaftans now. I also tried the yellow liner and green eyeshadow for the first time! I was a little nervous about trying these colours but later felt it was not looking bad. I really enjoyed doing this shoot
Ridhima Ghosh
STYLIST SPEAK
When we created the moodboard, we thought of using different shades and silhouettes of kaftans to show how to try kaftans for different occasions. I loved styling the outfit from Aranya, the fabric is Indian but the cut is very modern. The printed yellow silk kaftan could be easily glammed up for a party look. I loved the asymmetric sleeves of the short kaftan and the embellishments of the red kaftan — Anupam Chatterjee, styllist
HAIR AND MAKE-UP NOTES
Since kaftans are simple, easy-breezy outfits, the hairstyles and make-up were also kept simple. We used some pop colours like yellow and green to make the looks more fun and summery. The hair and make-up were also kept simple, keeping the weather in mind — Bhaskar Biswas, make-up artiste
Pictures: Pabitra Das
Styling: Anupam Chatterjee; Make-up: Bhaskar Biswas; Jewellery:Aranya
Location courtesy: Sly Fox, Sector V
Store addresses: Divya Sheth (5,Camac Street); Aranya (Dakshinapan Shopping Complex, shop no. F-47,48,49); Roshe (4, Lower Rawdon Street, Block B, 5th floor); Nameg (56A,Raja Basanta Ray Road); Bandhabi (12,Garfa Main Road, P3 East End Row, Sushila Appartment)
