The Chandigarh swim wear scene says Money dictates style

CHANDIGARH, April 5: Till two years back, they used to be closeted in dowdy boxes, came only in adventurous colour combinations such as b...

CHANDIGARH, April 5: Till two years back, they used to be closeted in dowdy boxes, came only in adventurous colour combinations such as bottle green and pink cabbages on a blue background and cost less than Rs 300. Now, the colour combinations are still adventurous but they hang proudly on hangers in nameless collectivity and cost anywhere from Rs 200 to Rs 2,000.

We are talking about fashionable wisps of lycra and polyester designed for swimmers … or at least splashers.

While the town’s pools are being readied for summer, shops are already overflowing with swimming costumes to suit all sizes and pockets. A hot, stretchy material, possibly polyester, being touted as "imported lycra" is seen in all shops, in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 350. Girls have the option of going in for either plain or frilly costumes, with stress laid on "body kum se kum dhikhni chahiye."

Says a stoic Rajender Kumar of Sector 7’s Prime Sports: "theek thak" (read docile, shy) females want frilly costumes that cover the thighs and "doosri" (read modern) girls take V-shaped ones. He has both varieties, with colours to put a Las Vegas casino to shame.

Another invention, an unmistakably Punjabi touch to the outfit, is the addition of legging where the frill ends! These can be had in both plain and prints from Rs 250 to Rs 450, respectively.

Mostly, girls choose prints with a frill while the ladies go in for plain, V-shaped or costumes with shorts – a style once known as "teddy-bears". The two-piece swimming costumes have also made their entry for the first time in town this year for the dare-to-bare girls. You pay anywhere between Rs 300 to 400 for the nameless variety and Rs 2,000 for a brand.

However, the very upmarket Lacoste Chemise has already sent back its polymid stuff swimming costumes costing Rs 1,400 and trunks (Rs 950), for "they were a bit too Western for Chandigarh." In the same vein, Emm Ell Garments has also stopped stocking swimming costumes.

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At Adidas too, with the average price of a costume being Rs 1,500, the manager predicts the high price will be a bigger constraint than Chandigarhians’ blind passion for brand names. Although at Reebok, life’s looking up in spite of the high prices. Come Summer and we shall know. The city boys seem to be most comfortable in cycling shorts than swimming trunks, leaving the task of setting the pool on fire to the fashion-conscious girls.

There is nothing very new on the accesories front. Speedo, the leader in swimming caps and goggles, has introduced anti-fog goggles for seasoned swimmers and divers, which at Rs 350, do seem a bit on the high side. Salesboy Raju predicts a good response from ladies for the plain goggles and silicon caps, costing Rs 95 and Rs 120, respectively. Ear plugs will continue being everyone’s favourite accessory, at Rs 15 for a pair.

For children, there are "wet sets" available for Rs 450, which have rubber fish and other animals that reach 2.5 feet when inflated.

Sanskriti, the new designer store in town, has no chic swimwear, but promises to get some good sarongs, to be worn by the poolside.