By Rajoshree Das
Remember the Oogum Boogum Song from the sixties? Brenton Wood can once again tap his feet and sing, “When you wear those big earrings, long hair, and things/You got style, girl, that sure is wild/And you wear that cute trench coat and you’re standin’ and posin’/You got soul, you got too much soul” if he encounters the young fashionistas of Shillong.
For college goers, dressing should be effortless and fabulous. But most of them suffer from “I-can’t-find-anything-to-wear” syndrome as their wardrobes turn boring every alternate day. Peer pressure or not, most teens love to stand out in the crowd and enjoy the compliments for their sartorial splendour.
Shillong is an evolving fashion hub and youngsters love to experiment by blending the old with the new.
Yesteryear’s fashion trends like crop tops and pleated pants continue to be the blue riband in colleges. Besides, the ever stylish cold-shoulders and rompers add to the versatility of summer fashion.
Summer is the season for pastel colours, monochromes and floral prints.
“Colours come and go but flowers are clearly eternal which can be seen in many collections in stores,” Nishani, a 19-year-old first-year student, says.
Print-on-print fashion is trending in colleges here. “Mixing of different prints and patterns in the same outfit is easy to follow and execute,” adds Nishani.
Asymmetry has also fully blossomed this season, unique cuts, overlapping silhouettes and high low formations are must haves for fashion enthusiasts.
Athleisure is an all-time favourite for college goers as it is the hottest fashion trend and has become the perfect hack for modern clothing.
Poonam, a student of Mass Communications at St Anthony’s, says her ideal summer outfit is a printed cotton dress that is light and breathable.
For her friend Diksha, “nothing can be more comfortable than a pair of joggers and kicks to do the trick for being casual and styled”.
Cold and off-shoulders and culottes, which are in addition to palazzos, are the newest trend in Shillong. Jumpsuits and dungarees are popular picks in the market for quite a long time.
For boys, shirts with fancy patterns and T-shirts with bold statements or comic characters on them are in vogue. Capris, baggy pants, cotton jeans, joggers and shorts are also trending. For the serious types, T-shirts, both in solid colours and prints, remain the favourite pick. Chambrays men slim-fit shirts are also in.
Most of the college goers say they go for budget shopping at local markets. Swayam, a first-year BCA student, says one does not need rows of branded stores to dress fashionably. “It can be pocket-friendly yet unique. We can simply go to MUDA Complex or Glory’s Plaza for the trendiest dresses. And for people who are brand-brainwashed can simply find a great collection of jeans at Levi’s, shoes at DC, Puma and Adidas, shirts at United Colours of Benetton and Only,” he quips.
Students do have limited pocket money and it’s hard for them to go for branded clothes. Rahul, a first-year student of St Anthony’s, is among them who bet big on Bhutia Market in Bara Bazar, small shops in Police Bazar and second-hand clothes.
The local markets have a wide collection of clothes, for men and women, which are reasonably priced. “We get our clothes from Bangkok and Thailand,” says Komal, a shop owner at Glory’s Plaza.
Komal says she always keeps a tab on current trends and makes sure the trending clothes come to her shop first. “Look around, I have the latest trendy wears in the market which you won’t find in any other shops,” she says with pride.
Clothes, however, is only a part of the fashion that is not complete if not paired with the right footwear. Most youngsters say they prefer flip-flops, ballerinas, tip-toes or floaters for comfort as well as to avoid overdo in college. Linda, a first-year English Honours student, says she loves kolhapuris which go well both with western and eastern clothes. “And they are comfortable, simple and graceful,” she shows the pair on her feet.
Desi twist
Though Shillong is mostly influenced by the western world, eastern apparel too has many takers. Many students either go for complete desi look or opt for fusion fashion. For instance, Bohemian dresses with Indian designs are often teamed with jeans or shorts.
Khadi, with its new creations, has picked up the pace. Gracy, who loves experimenting with Indo-western styles, says Khadi gives a wide option and one can use the fabric to create the most fashionable apparels.
Anju, a second-year BCom student from St Anthony’s, prefers eastern wear. “I love the fact that kurtas can give a traditional as well as contemporary look so you don’t miss out on fashion. And for me, nothing is as comfortable as kurtas. I also love experimenting with Indo-western attire,” she says.
Those who are into fusion fashion go for accessories like chandeliers, necklaces and bracelets.
Inspiration
Many youngsters follow fashion magazines like Vogue India, Cosmopolitan and Vanity Fair to know about the current trend.
Instagram is another source of information for tech-savvy youngsters who take tips from fashion bloggers. It has also encouraged many from Shillong to express their talent and flaunt their nous for fashion. One such Instagram page is @shillongstreetstyle where youths tell their stories through clothes.