The Hindu Business Line : Packing class and comfort

What do you call mercilessly scorching, energy-sapping heat that leaves you feeling dispirited and dazed? Well, there really is no word for it. Why, at a sweltering 41 degrees Celsius even boredom is exhausting. That's why the play of cool cotton amidst the suffocating humidity comes as a breath of fresh air.

Then again cotton and summer, what's so new about that? Here's what. Soft Jaipur cottons, ribbed pin tucks, the finest of Mangalgiris, minimums that come alive in a riot of vibrant colours, the most intricately worked goodris and block printed kalamkaris, the tissue thin creations in cotton voile and the live-in comfort of tensel wood pulp wonders. Cotton is not just a summer shield, but a fabric that packs class and comfort in a single weave. As Asha Mohan of Amethyst, Chennai, succinctly puts it, "you can be carefully careless."

There's no better explanation to that than the ethereal white cotton tops with Lucknow chicken and appliqué work by Avadh, khadi shirts sporting fine pati detailing or the block printed blouses and T-shirts by People Tree, gauzy cotton tops and shapely bell sleeved tops by Citrus.

"I think the great joy of cotton is that it's the only fabric that lets you breathe. There's no limit to innovation, it's such a versatile fabric. And here people have always tried to make cotton relevant even if out of sheer dogged attachment to natural fabric," says Kiran Rao, owner.

So, does this mean that cotton is catching on big time in terms of trends? Asha and Kiran definitely think so. "We find more and more people asking for sleevelss blouses or kurtas and even the transparency of the material is not a bother any more, as opposed to earlier," says Kiran.

At work, the scene is no less cottony, with indo-western khadi creations, twills — the entire works — showing up even on the most die-hard wearers of synthetic. "Natural fabrics are the in thing now and people tend to prefer them because they are understated," adds Asha. In other words, its power dressing with a small `p', Kiran promptly cuts in.

"I think there's nothing to beat a cotton saree that's starched and ironed," says Devika Achuthan, Assistant Manager of Fab India. She and Charu Belle, Manager, take you on a touch and feel tour of the store and you are almost besieged by the variety of textures and prints. There's the slightly pronounced texture of the Mangalgiri against the yielding suppleness of minimum prints on Jaipur cotton. Immediately after that, run your fingers over the full-bodied fineness of the Ikat weave as against the minimalist gudiri detailing on Jaipur cotton. The latter will cost you Rs 615 for just a kurta, "because the fabric is expensive". The others fall anywhere between Rs 310 and Rs 450.

The cotton trysts get more intricate with every shelf holding forth in sublime ethnicity and refreshing comfort. You would run into super soft Moghul printed stoles, kurtas done leharia style (tiny cross checks), kota dupattas from Rajasthan, khadi prints, shibori wrap-arounds and A-line skirts, Mangalgiri in short colours with simple zari work along the edges, really roomy cotton pants, patch-work kurtas, kurtas with minute badla work, khari prints and shirts in ethnic prints.

"What is really in right now is our super short kurtas, especially among the youngsters," Devika holds up a kurta that lands several inches above the knee, an ideal match for jeans. But what are customers looking for?

She adds, "In Chennai, we are seeing a trend of light weight cotton as people realise that with our weather conditions, cotton is the most comfortable. There's a large section of customers that want sleeveless kurtas and some of them do come looking for full sleeves too. Some of them prefer Indo-Western clothes so we keep a stock of that too."

Colours are also muted and mellow, mostly earthy tones of rust, orange, aqua blue and burnished browns. Styles and designs harp at the usual. "We have a very broad based range of styles though we do try and be a little innovative by adding small embellishments," says Devika.

More intricacy and variety beckoned at Kalpadruma on RK Salai in Chennai. Here cotton spun its comforting charm in an assortment of sarees. There seemed to be no cotton variety that was left out at Kalpadruma and the ranges ran into Bengal cotton, Kerala cotton, Maharastra cotton, Madurai cotton, the famed Kanchipuram cotton, terri voile, Chettinad block printed cotton sarees, bagru prints.

There's lots more to come, as Lakshmi Devi, owner will tell you. "We have developed a range of pastels and two tone colours for kurtas. For sarees, we've improved on design and print." These would include woven borders, silver zari, kantha (hand stitched) borders and bandhni styles.

"What is becoming really popular are the natural dyes. Especially now, with more people realising that vegetable dyes are also eco friendly," says Asha. At both Amethyst and Kalpadruma, you will find an ample ensemble of bark, indigo and turmeric lacquered cottons of varying designs.

Lakshmi Devi has identified "a growing awareness for cotton" and from experience tells you that it's mostly the working woman who patronises the store. "We have a good response to the sarees, which we are also expanding in terms of numbers and choice," she says.

Going by what Arundhati Menon, Director, Shilpi, says, there's bound to be quite a cotton carnival at both their outlets. "We are doing a lot of prints and kalamkari on cambric and mulmul both for blouses as well as salwars. In Madras especially, the trend for cotton blends is picking up. We are seeing a lot of demand for strappy tops and sleevless blouses. First it's trendy, then it's cotton," she says.

How about, first it's cotton then it's trendy? "To some people cotton is not always in fashion and there is still the conception that synthetic is trendy," Arundhati says.

Not at Shilpi though, and the shelves once again assail you with variety and freshness. You will be certain to pick up a saree with zari or hand embroidery that could be evening wear. And you will find those nifty cotton blouses with super fine detailing and linen trousers ideal for a sundowner.

"We have a huge foreign clientele for our blouses and sarees. There's even a demand that these be turned into tops," says Arundhati.

She promises more of the cotton fest come June, when Shilpi will be hosting an exclusive kota exhibition. Discharge printed and printed salwars in kota that is feather light is what you should be looking out for.

Slap on some extra sass and class to your cotton collection, for that's exactly what Cotton World is offering this summer. Putting up a feisty show are super soft cotton knit tops, shirts with minimal detailing — maybe a spindly sash around a round collar or a deep, sneaky slit along the neckline — plain necked men's kurtas and an over spill of checks. A must have for the ladies are the full length cotton skirts that look like silk but are woven with simple cotton comfort.

"Popular among guys at the moment are the three-fourth trousers. What is also moving these days are the chinos and patented fabrics like wood pulp and tensel. In fact, from the time we started the store we have noticed an improvement in our sales and our customers have been expanding to college students and working youth," says Suresh Sajnani, store Manager.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go get yourself some of those cool cottons!

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