In the 1970s, it was synonymous with the working man8217;s outfit. But if you thought jumpsuits were just plebeian coveralls for a plumber that a young YSL made fashionable...
In the 1970s, it was synonymous with the working man8217;s outfit. But if you thought jumpsuits were just plebeian coveralls for a plumber that a young YSL made fashionable, remember it hasn8217;t gone to grave with the fashion icon. The coming season will see the retro outfit making a comeback like never before 8212; and this time, it8217;s hardly going to be a no-frills attire.
For her show at the Lakme Fashion Week this year, Asmita Marwah dressed up in a flirty yellow jumpsuit with flared pants and a short, fitted top. 8220;Ideally, it8217;s suited for a person who is tall and has a lean body structure, but for someone like me, who is only of average height, it works quite as well, with a bit of restructuring,8221; says the Hyderabad-based designer. Accordingly, her collection has a range of jumpsuits with what she calls 8220;elephant pants8221; 8212; a takeoff of shararas 8212; while the tops resemble regular jumpsuit uppers. 8220;I worked on the theme of a whirling dervish and the flares worked for the theme,8221; she says. Marwah8217;s boho chic also comes from using fabrics like mulmuls and handwoven silks. Delhi-based designers Hemant Lalwani and Nandita Raipurani too have used the jumpsuit to put forward their eclectic design sensibility. The two have come up with a shorter version of the jumpsuit as well as full-length variations. Besides handpainting the pants, the duo have also generously used elements like silver and gold dabka work on the collars, and pintucks and flares on the pants. 8220;We wanted to fuse Indian elements with a western silhouette and this worked beautifully,8221; says Raipurani.
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Of course, several others have worked their way around the jumpsuit. Designers Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna have worked with off-shoulder pieces in essentially anti fits. 8220;We have used colours like fuchsia, lime, coral, cobalt and powder blue and purple because they automatically make the ensemble stand out. The look is essentially simple but there8217;s a hint of applique and fringe embroidery, tie-and-dye and sequins to give it an eveningwear approach,8221; says Khanna. Namrata Joshipura, meanwhile, has done a more casual, fitted look in lycra, with the trousers often shortened to knee-length. Sisters Gauri and Nainika, though, have chosen to stick to the classic silhouette, while designer Rakesh Agarvwal has come up with opulent pieces that are just perfect for an evening out, with silhouettes that resemble dresses and colours that range from bright yellows to dressy blacks.
8220;The thing to keep in mind is that the jumpsuit is no longer restricted to gym wear or casual wear. Choose one that suits your body type and accessorise it to get the perfect look,8221; says Atsu Sekhose. The Delhi designer has used linen and cotton to create a range of funky jumpsuits, which come with drawstrings and often resemble dungarees. He teams them with transparent jackets, uppers with shirt collars and cuffs, 8220;so that you can either dress up or down, depending on your mood8221;. Check out your own statement now.
Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends.
Professional Profile
With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life.
Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends.
Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary:
1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards
"2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace.
"Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year.
"Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance.
2. Gender & Workplace Policy
"Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions."
"Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game.
3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis
"The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children.
4. Author Interviews & Profiles
"Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.
"Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence.
Signature Beats
Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world.
Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More
