Time to Doll up

This festive season,ethnic wear is not just for grown-ups

This festive season,ethnic wear is not just for grown-ups
Originality and imagination count for a lot in childrens clothing. So when a three-year-old girls mom spots a tiny lehenga,complete with gota trimming and zardozi on a red shiny silk base in a shop window,the adorableness becomes impossible to resist. But when it comes to childrens clothing,combining practicality with aesthetics is equally important. A deep blue,striped kurta for a toddler worn with sleeves rolled up might look incredibly cool but only as long as the fabric is not harsh and abrasive on a childs skin and strong enough to withstand an energetic bout of cricket. This Diwali,theres a fabulous variety of ethnic clothing available for children,addressing issues of fashion and comfort.

India is a land of festivals. Kids love wearing salwar kameezs or kurtas because they see adults wearing them all the time, says Seema Puri,vice-president,design,Lilliput,a popular kidswear brand that started an ethnic line over three years ago. Lilliput already has 214 points of sale across India and is now gearing up for the launch of Lilliput World,a new set of stores where a very large section will be devoted to childrens ethnic and party wear. We plan three separate lines in childrens ethnic wear, says Puri. Casual ethnic,wedding and everyday ethnic. Were also working on a concept of fusion ethnic. Their range will begin at Rs 600 and go up to Rs 3,000.

Slowdown or no slowdown,parents dont seem to want to ease up on indulging their kids,or maybe themselves. So,in the festive season,when shopping for finery is back on your list,childrens wardrobe can hardly be ignored. That explains the sudden explosion in stores stocking kids ethnic wear with many new entrants who have figured out that occasion dressing has potential for growth.
Namrata Dutt of 2 Feet,a popular Indian wear store for children in Delhi,recommends a casual cool look for children this season. For boys,I like the kurta to end above the knees and it should be teamed with jeans rather than churidars, says Dutt.

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Over the years,Dutt has painstakingly tried to understand different builds among Indian children. Kids sizes change so quickly; its more cost effective for parents if the lifecycle of a garment can be increased, she says.
However,the price doesnt seem to be much of a deterrent when parents are shopping for that one occasion outfit. A variety of factors have contributed to the sudden surge of interest in ethnic wear. Kids are heavily influenced by Bollywood and with many schools promoting traditional clothing on festivals or Independence Day,there are many more occasions in a year when children can get all dressed up. This is a seasonal business. We see more sales between Raakhi and Diwali though we know children wear Indian on at least 8-10 different days a year, says Dutt. Departmental stores like Shoppers Stop and Fab India now offer a standardised range of childrens ethnic clothing so there is regular penetration into newer markets.

After working on the kids wear line in Fab India,Sangeeta Davis branched off on her own to start Pappu,a range of India-inspired clothes for kids. Davis uses old English styles like smocking and lace and integrates them into her ethnic designs. Most of the Indian wear available for kids is just too fussy and elaborate, says Davis.

She rues the fact that childrens fashion in India is so heavily influenced by American styles,long shorts and clichéd ideas like pink for girls and blue for boys,and is all for promoting innocence in children clothing. Im fighting the whole Barbie-Hannah Montana culture, says Davis. So her clothes are made of pure natural fabrics like cotton or muslin and her ghaghra cholis are delicately embroidered in shades of plum and deep red. Keep it traditional but not child-bride like, she advises. Fashion has finally begun to pay attention to all categories of age.