Keep it classy with Kasavu

Sari is an integral part of Indian festivities but festive fashion wasn’t a rage a couple of years ago. Though wearing new clothes, specially purchased for festivals, is an inevitable part of our culture, it was only restricted to buying a new dress as part of the celebrations. Recent Onam festivies too saw a variety of fashion statements. Affinity towards the kasavu sari and mundum neriyathum for ladies and kasavu mundu for gents always persuades people to buy them for festivals like Onam and Vishu. 

The fact of the matter is that kasavu sari or mundum neriyathum were not attires that were related only to festivals. A two-piece handwoven garment with thin borders (kara), mundum neriyathum used to be a daily wear for Malayali women. To make the attire look a bit lavish, the karas were woven with silver or golden threads. However, the kasavu sari is very much in demand today.

As fashion changes, various trends have surfaced in the market. People have adopted what is suitable for them in terms of comfort. As a result, kasavu saris and mundu come out of the closets only during festivals like Onam and Vishu.

Even though people prefer wearing kasavu clothing to showcase tradition, an element of freshness is demanded by the customers. Therefore, kasavu fashion has evolved a lot in the past few years. Fashion designer Sajani Pallath,  gave a detailed explanation on how kasavu fashion has evolved.

“The saying that simple and classy things never go out of fashion is apt for our kasavu clothes. As a fashion designer, I always feel that a kasavu sari or mundum neriyathum makes a Malayali woman look very beautiful and enhances her beauty to a next level. Gents too look very classy and stylish when they wear mundu teamed with a shirt or kurta. The major change that kasavu fashion has undergone is with the border. The thin border has evolved into borders of various widths. Those mixed with coloured borders are also liked by everyone. Teaming it up with a blouse that is of the same colour as the kara accentuates the look of the entire attire. For last two years, teaming the set sari or set mundu with a brocade blouse was in fashion. But with different low-quality brocade materials coming up in the market, many have refrained from that trend this year. Attaching an extra broad border of materials like kalamkari and ikat against the golden border is trending this  season. The blouse too is made with the same ma
terial. Kalamkari was already in fashion but  this season customers  have approached us with a demand of making handmade kalamkari paintings on the borders,” says Sajani, adding that these are just the basic things that both college students as well as middle-aged women prefer.

“Giving the blouse a trendy and rich look is what girls love. Different type of blouses in velvet, organza, chiffon, silk, etc. are in demand. Hand embroideries are also demanded by those who want to give their attire a unique look. Another section prefers hand paintings, which are also done on the sari or set 

mundu along with the blouse, so that they complement each other. Mural paintings are equally preferred by gents and ladies. These days, motifs are trending and both ladies as well as gents prefer elephant or mural motifs on the saris and mundus that gives a festive feeling yet can also be worn for other occasions as well,” adds Sajani, stressing on the fact that people, irrespective of their age, like to experiment with various trends.