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Scope in women work wear

Soon after the Lakme India Fashion week with Liberty in Mumbai, a survey was conducted to find out as to what the working women prefer to wear for work. While the survey cannot be regarded as scientific, it certainly helps to focus attention on designing the future wears based on the findings which could be expanded, extrapolated and extended to a wider cross section across the country.

The study itself emerged in the context of the claims that this year’s focus at the fashion week was on trousers for women rather than the skirts which ruled the game last year. “An impression was made that almost every designer did something to suit his or her skill in designing comfort for the women when they wear pants. An impression was also left that this year woman was stronger than last year,” the person who did the survey told this columnist. Nevertheless, she said, the trousers and the pants worn by the women were fashioned to possess a feminine character. So, it is a case of the pants being feminine but functional,” she explained. And, she added that her study also proved that working women considered it advantageous to about in comfortable pants. That means, the pants are not just for the models on the ramp but the women in the offices as well.

This has already been proved by Madura Coats. The company discovered that there were some useful enquiries for the Allen Solly pants of 26 to 28 inches hip width. On probing, it found that this preference was for the women who found to fashionable and comfortable to wear Allen Solly readymade pants for work. The result was that the company extended its range to women’s wear. But, the company has done a lot of useful homework in designing the pants for women keeping the western fashion and the Indian preference in view. The pants are relatively expensive at Rs 800 plus. But, then, that is what makes them exclusive wears for the executive look. It is not the pants are the only in-thing in formal wears for the women now. In the Indian market estimated to be Rs 6,000 crore for the women’s wears, the western style comes to only about 10 per cent. So, sarees, kurtas, chudidars, salwars, tops, blouses, flowing skirts etc all account for a sizable share and are also preferred by the women at large. That means, the discovery of the study is confined to this canvas.

The work wear is certainly different from the evening wears. Women of higher income brackets are known to be wearing dresses priced over Rs 10,000 for the evening or party occasions. But, not one of them is prepared to use such a dress for the work. And, that is what makes work wear a totally different niche in the women dresses market. On the one hand, women do wear the men pattern in the west. Good pants, blazers, ties or suit and tie. These do give an elegant look to the executive or the industrialist or business person. But, some how, in India, women executives are comfortable in sarees and salwars etc matching the age and occasion, but certainly, the dresses are elegant and present a very rich and confident look on these executives. So, the study aimed to discovering if there would be a preference for pants as it was made out in the recent fashion show. The acceptable message is that women are happy to go for good pair of pants. Even in Asian countries like China, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia, it is common for women of all ages and strata of society to wear pants. In India, however, pants have not been the regular wear for a long time. For that matter, even churidar and salwar were not popular in south India where half saree (also called pavadai and thavani) was the prescribed dress in the traditional homes for the unmarried girls. So, the acceptable of pants in India should be viewed against this unique backdrop.

Dress makers are certainly aware of the preference for dresses by the various age groups keeping the social customs in mind. Thus, even those who manufacture the western wear for the women in India, there is a clear cut demarcation - 22 to 35-year age group formal wear, 36 to 45 age group and over 46 etc. The claim is that such western wear segment is posting a 35 per cent annual growth in turnover. There is also a mix of the casual wear with the formal wear. In some cases, women are seen to prefer checked and striped dresses for both work and casual wear. Knowing this, some dress makers have capitalised on this selection. There also claims that some of these dresses are not only comfortable but ethnic in look and eco-friendly in character. Many women dresses for office wear are sold for around Rs 500.

That gives hope to the dress makers that there is a definite scope in exploring the nuances of the women formal wears. On the one hand, more and more women are taking to jobs like their western sisters. On the other, good wears are compulsory for all of them. So, any dress maker who mixes the affordability of these women with the choices that make their dresses look elegant but different can certainly hope to do fairly good business.

- P S Sundar