Dressing for summer

Summer is probably the lengthiest of all the seasons in Bangladesh, and thus, whenever we buy clothes we sway towards colours, designs and materials that are most suitable for sultry summer climes, but which we can also wear during other seasons. Vibrant colours always complement summer-wears and this year, Bangladeshi designers have mainly opted for lightweight cottons, coupled with the lightest and brightest colours.
If you take a walk around the Deshi Dosh corner at Bashundhara City shopping mall, or their branch in Niketon, you will find 10 popular local brands displaying their unique styles and designs with flair. It is an excellent stop if you are in the lookout for the latest designs inspired by Bengali traditional styles and motifs. And if you are on a budget, stores like Srishti and Deshal have a lot to offer. From colourful saris to interesting outfits for the tiny tots, you are most likely to find something to suit your taste and pocket.
The collections of exclusive saris are quite stunning in stores like Kay Kraft, Bibiana, Anjans and Rang. If you like simple cotton saris with plain borders, Deshal has a wonderful array of those available for about Tk1,200 only. Printed cotton shirts are quite big nowadays, and you will find a wide array in shops like Banglar Mela, Srishti and of course, Aarong. Printed silks are also quite popular among young women.
This week, Weekend Independent caught up with some shoppers, and designers, visiting different outlets to learn about their preferences.
“I keep on buying new dresses for my daughter quite often, and I just love the little girls’ clothes Deshal has to offer. I think these are awesome summer wear and the cotton materials are comfortable for my five-year-old. I also shop from Famkam, near Niketon, as the shop has both local and imported clothes and I find it to be quite reasonable,” said Mehruba Reza, a 31-year-old banker.
Sumi, a university student, shared: “I love wearing saris to class in the summer, especially if I have to make a presentation of assignments. Deshal’s simple cotton saris are very nice. I also love Shada Kalo, and it is also very popular among my friends as you can hardly go wrong with black or white. I also find their prices within reach. The batik dupattas are also very popular among girls in my class and I find them here all the time.”
If you are a student on a tight leash in monetary terms, take a swing at the famous Aziz Supermarket at Shahbag near the Dhaka University campus. The place is a treasure trove of local designs, mostly created by art students who sell their designs to small boutiques there. From stylish short and long kurtis for the ladies to punjabis and trendy t-shirts for the men, it is an excellent budget-friendly place to find local flavours that you can marry with a pair of jeans, or even a dhuti, to make a fashion statement.
“Did you see the sayings and designs on the t-shirts here? I think they are very unique, and whenever I wear them to class, my classmates all compliment me for the drawings and writings on the shirts,” said
Fahmee, a teenager shopping for t-shirts at Nitya Upahar. “The best part is, whenever I really like a design, I buy the same t-shirt in a small size for my nephew, who is four, as they have children’s sizes for most of the designs,” he added.
Aziz Supermarket is also popular for a number of panjabi shops. You can find panjabis for as little as Tk500 here, and you would be mistaken to think they are of poor quality. The reason behind such reasonable prices is probably the market’s location and clientele, it’s just a 10-minute walk from the DU campus and the shops mostly cater to students.
About his summer collection, Emdad Ullah Badal, a freelance designer working for Banglar Mela, said: “We will be focusing mainly on cotton this summer. It has probably become a redundant choice for the season, but let’s face it, we have to design clothes keeping the heat and humidity of summertime in mind. And with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees, cotton is simply the best choice. I have opted for light and soothing shades for my designs. Bright colours will also be trending this season.”
About trending summer hues and fabrics, Nadira Ferdousi Misty, a designer for Kay Kraft, said: “I have worked with different shades of white and soothing pastel colours. I also like pink, sky blue and peach for summertime as such colours are relaxing and easy to carry. These clothes are complemented with supporting dark colours, which have been incorporated into the designs to make the patterns more eye-catching. Cotton, of course, is the favourite for summertime, and for party wear, we have worked with kota muslin, which looks elegant and is comfortable to wear as well.”
And no outfit, of course, would be complete without appropriate footwear. Popular franchises like Bata, Apex and Jenny’s have already stocked their shelves with strappy sandals in bold colours, adorned with floral or bejewelled designs. Some styles even come with matching handbags! There is also a wide range of comfy canvas shoes, for those of us who hate to get our feet muddied when the rains hit.

 

Dressing for summer

Summer is probably the lengthiest of all the seasons in Bangladesh, and thus, whenever we buy clothes we sway towards colours, designs and materials that are most suitable for sultry summer climes, but which we can also wear during other seasons. Vibrant colours always complement summer-wears and this year, Bangladeshi designers have mainly opted for lightweight cottons, coupled with the lightest and brightest colours. If you take a walk around the Deshi Dosh corner at Bashundhara City shopping mall, or their branch in Niketon, you will find 10 popular local brands displaying their unique styles and designs with flair. It is an excellent stop if you are in the lookout for the latest designs inspired by Bengali traditional styles and motifs. And if you are on a budget, stores like Srishti and Deshal have a lot to offer. From colourful saris to interesting outfits for the tiny tots, you are most likely to find something to suit your taste and pocket. The collections of exclusive saris are quite stunning in stores like Kay Kraft, Bibiana, Anjans and Rang. If you like simple cotton saris with plain borders, Deshal has a wonderful array of those available for about Tk1,200 only. Printed cotton shirts are quite big nowadays, and you will find a wide array in shops like Banglar Mela, Srishti and of course, Aarong. Printed silks are also quite popular among young women. This week, Weekend Independent caught up with some shoppers, and designers, visiting different outlets to learn about their preferences. I keep on buying new dresses for my daughter quite often, and I just love the little girls clothes Deshal has to offer. I think these are awesome summer wear and the cotton materials are comfortable for my five-year-old. I also shop from Famkam, near Niketon, as the shop has both local and imported clothes and I find it to be quite reasonable, said Mehruba Reza, a 31-year-old banker. Sumi, a university student, shared: I love wearing saris to class in the summer, especially if I have to make a presentation of assignments. Deshals simple cotton saris are very nice. I also love Shada Kalo, and it is also very popular among my friends as you can hardly go wrong with black or white. I also find their prices within reach. The batik dupattas are also very popular among girls in my class and I find them here all the time. If you are a student on a tight leash in monetary terms, take a swing at the famous Aziz Supermarket at Shahbag near the Dhaka University campus. The place is a treasure trove of local designs, mostly created by art students who sell their designs to small boutiques there. From stylish short and long kurtis for the ladies to punjabis and trendy t-shirts for the men, it is an excellent budget-friendly place to find local flavours that you can marry with a pair of jeans, or even a dhuti, to make a fashion statement. Did you see the sayings and designs on the t-shirts here? I think they are very unique, and whenever I wear them to class, my classmates all compliment me for the drawings and writings on the shirts, said Fahmee, a teenager shopping for t-shirts at Nitya Upahar. The best part is, whenever I really like a design, I buy the same t-shirt in a small size for my nephew, who is four, as they have childrens sizes for most of the designs, he added. Aziz Supermarket is also popular for a number of panjabi shops. You can find panjabis for as little as Tk500 here, and you would be mistaken to think they are of poor quality. The reason behind such reasonable prices is probably the markets location and clientele, its just a 10-minute walk from the DU campus and the shops mostly cater to students. About his summer collection, Emdad Ullah Badal, a freelance designer working for Banglar Mela, said: We will be focusing mainly on cotton this summer. It has probably become a redundant choice for the season, but lets face it, we have to design clothes keeping the heat and humidity of summertime in mind. And with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees, cotton is simply the best choice. I have opted for light and soothing shades for my designs. Bright colours will also be trending this season. About trending summer hues and fabrics, Nadira Ferdousi Misty, a designer for Kay Kraft, said: I have worked with different shades of white and soothing pastel colours. I also like pink, sky blue and peach for summertime as such colours are relaxing and easy to carry. These clothes are complemented with supporting dark colours, which have been incorporated into the designs to make the patterns more eye-catching. Cotton, of course, is the favourite for summertime, and for party wear, we have worked with kota muslin, which looks elegant and is comfortable to wear as well. And no outfit, of course, would be complete without appropriate footwear. Popular franchises like Bata, Apex and Jennys have already stocked their shelves with strappy sandals in bold colours, adorned with floral or bejewelled designs. Some styles even come with matching handbags! There is also a wide range of comfy canvas shoes, for those of us who hate to get our feet muddied when the rains hit.