The influence of Bengali Fashion in India since the

1900s
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“ What Bengal
thinks today
India thinks
tomorrow”

• Bengali people, also known as
Bangalees, Bangalis or Bengalis,
are the world’s third-biggest
ethnic community right after
the Arabs and the Han Chinese
Brief background
• emerged from the convergence of several
ethnic groups that entered the Bengal area
over the course of numerous centuries.
• Bengalis are an Indo-Aryan
• The Vedda people were the first community
ethnic group of South Asia to inhabit the region, followed by the
Mediterranean community.
• The Persians, Arabs and Turkish started
entering the area in the eighth century, and
eventually, these communities merged and
became the Bengalis.
 Bengal is a 4,000 year old
civilization that thrived
between the banks of
Ganges to Brahmaputra and
sustained itself with the
riches of Gangetic Delta.
• Bheel
• Santhal
• Pulinda
• Shabar
• Kola
Because of East India Company….

• Western-style
• English Language
• Scientific approach
• Institutional
Education
• Social reforms

Renaissance from Europe first came to Bengal`

01
Womenswear
The Bengali Drape

For many Bengalis, fashion is a crucial part of Bengali

culture and pride. From the intellectual drape of Bengali
Brahmins to the silky, chiffon saris of ‘60s film stars, 150
years of Bengali fashion tells us a fascinating story of
reform, resistance, revolution and, ultimately, redirection.
• Traditional Bengali women
seen wearing a single piece of
clothing draped around their
body without undergarments

• British Raj brought with itself

changing trend in draping the
sari.
• Earlier way of draping sari
without blouse was seen as
inappropriate, so Bengali
women started wearing sari
with a blouse or an
undershirt (Jama) and
petticoat (Shaya).
 This way of wearing the sari popularized as Brahmika
Sari (most popularly donned bywomen of Brahmin
households).

Brahmika sari originally

popularized by Jnanadanandini
tagore, wife of Satyendranath
Tagore, elder brother of
Rabindranath Tagore.
The Brahmiki Sari was originally inspired by the
Parsi Gari sari donned by Gujarati and Parsi
Women.
Another new trend started to emerge among
Bengali women to wear a mantilla, which
was most commonly of lace along with the
sari as seen in the picture above.

This trend was inspired by the European style

of draping a mantilla over their heads by
upper class British women.
New trends of wearing saris emerged
coupled with stockings, bodice (Angiya
Cachali)with short skirt like petticoat
and shawl (Chador) draped over the
shoulders. Bengali women started personalize
the style of wearing saris by
pinning the anchol over the
shoulder with a pin or brooch
to secure it.
• In the early 20th
century, saris were
delicate muslin or
chiffon, beaded and
embroidered lightly
along the borders.
• Blouses were tailored
in Edwardian style
with lapels on the
front and embroidered
details on slightly
puffed sleeves.
• This was the start of
Bengali fusion-wear.
 • Roaring 20s -Imagine
short cropped hair,
straight lines, dark lips,
and lots of gold. The
Roaring 20s in was a
time of daring fashion
choices.

• Upper-class young
women started donning
sleeveless blouses and
bobbed hair. They would
wear gorgeous chiffon
sari with gold/silver zari
borders or drape rich
chanderi silks over their
shoulders.
The gorgeous Indira Devi promoted the
provocative flapper aesthetic to the Bengal
region.
 The partition era bought forward the 'it' girl
aesthetic of Bollywood. Hailing from Kolkata
classic, timeless style became iconic for West
Bengali women. Women wore high-neck blouses,
chiffon saris and white saris to celebrate her
aesthetics and sensuality.
 Beehives and BodyCon
The 60s were a time of exploration and
experimentation. Modernism paved the way
for couture innovation. voluminous puffy
hair, intricate French braids and teased
beehives with soft curls decorating at the
temples.

As women started to go out and work,
another type of dress that has suited the
Bengali women due to its comfort and ease
is the Salwar Kameez, mainly inspired by
the Mughals and Pathans.
• earthy tones of the late 70s
bled into the early 80s with
browns, oranges and tan hues
becoming commonplace.
• Polka dot salwar kameez with
velvet jackets became a much
loved combination
• Fashion flowed with energy
and eccentricity. Saris became
more and more occasional
from everyday wear.
Although the main dressing style of
Bengali women i.e. sari, did not
change over the years but subtle
changes in styles of blouses could
be seen in early 20th century. As
can be seen in this picture – the
woman is wearing tight-fitted
sleeves up to the wrists.
The upper class women of Bengal were seen wearing rich and
expensive Jamdani and Benarasi saris as worn by Vidya Balan in the
movie Parineeta. Puff sleeves were widely popular among Bengali
women as worn by Raima Sen.
• In the turn of the
millennium, we
notice an
increase in
denim, western-
style tops and
shirts. Fusion-
wear brought an
explicit duality to
Bengali culture.

• and we are
currently
witnessing an
increased
appreciation of
Bengali
craftsmanship.
02
Menswear
 MEN’S FASHION

● Bangladesh and West Bengal are like

sisters. The two regions share many
similarities including language,
music, art and literature.

● But they also share a history of

fashion that has evolved from the
time of the Bengali Renaissance to
the Liberation War of 1971.
 For many Bengalis, fashion is a
crucial part of Bengali culture
and pride. From the intellectual
drape of Bengali Brahmins to the
silky, chiffon saris of ‘60s film
stars, 150 years of Bengali
fashion tells us a fascinating
story of reform, resistance,
revolution and, ultimately,
redirection.
 The Turn of the Century

In the 1890s, Men would

wear a white cotton dhoti
with a white cotton kurta
and leather sandals.

The Edwardian Era

• English culture and reform have impacted
Bengali fashion since the Renaissance and the
effect of Edwardian trends were no different.

• Men would wear Edwardian style suits when

interacting with the British and the kurta-dhoti
when lounging at their ancestral havelis.
1930s: When Devdas met Paro

• Devdas (1936) guided most the .

fashion choices of the 1930s
Kundan Lal Saigal, the eponymous
Devdas, became one of the earliest
icons of Indian cinema.

• Men across Bengal would copy his

style by donning a shirt kameez with
airy dhotis or lungi. They would also
wear a wide-bottomed pajama-salwar
with shoes or morjis.
1970s: Bangladesh Liberation War

The joy of liberation and

self-actualization was soon
reflected in the fashion.
Vibrant polyester and
glossy materials were all
the rage.
Bengali clothing exists in
a liminal state between
heritage and
contemporaneity, as the
community has
embraced new trends
and learnt from travels
and exposure to other
cultures. The aesthetic
today is quite varied.
03
Children-wear
 Children’s
costume

• Boys wore dhoti

draped usually with
no shirt
• Girls wore saree
draped without any
blouse
• For girls belonging to a family a
little upper class the draped
saree would be in expensive
fabrics
• Boys would be seen sporting a
kurta or a shirt alongside the
usual dhoti
• For girls belong to higher class the saree was in
expensive fabrics and they also adorned
themselves with jewelry like their mothers
• And boys clothing remained the same
Hairstyles
 Makeup

Dramatic, smouldering eyes, bright red lipstick , red bindi , sindoor , etc
04
Jewellery
Traditional Jewellery of Bengal
Relations &
references
From McQueen to Gaultier
Charulata by Satyajit Ray
The textiles and cuts are also visible in the
everyday wardrobes of Bengalis.
Charulata’s popularity illustrates an ethereal
quality intrinsic to the clothing culture of the
Bengali community.
Garments worn over a century ago and
recreated by Ray over five decades ago are
reiterated not merely as costumes or for its
nostalgic value, but rather because they are
woven with a sartorial sensibility that remains
relevant till date.

the ensembles worn by protagonist Charulata

(Madhabi Mukherjee)—continue to appear as
leitmotifs in the community’s clothing till
date
• The blouses she wore,
the ruffles around her
neckline and sleeves,
• the ghoti puff sleeves
• dhanekali and jamdani sa
ris
• to the handkerchiefs
she embroiders for her
husband
• handloom kurtas
and dhoti
Mahanagar by Satyajit Ray
Arati (Madhabi Mukherjee) is first introduced
as a housewife. In the first part of the film, she
is in a sari styled Bengali style. This is worn
with a blouse with little ruffles on the sleeve
which is a little old fashioned. The sari is
draped over the head in the presence of elders
and this is true even for the later parts of the
film where Arati is in a sari worn in the modern
pan-Indian style.

Arati’s garments have a journey of their own

• Not matching sarees
with dotted blouses,
bordered & sleeveless
blouses
• the sleeveless blouse on
various minor characters
who play well off
upscale housewives in
the film
• The coiled hair at the
nape
• The same earrings and
chain feature
throughout the movie.
Amar Prem
From its opening montage of a young rustic
girl watching her callous husband bring home
another wife to the dying moments when the
woman, now in her twilight years, is taken
away to the relative comfort of her foster-son’s
home as the festivities of Durga Puja break out
on the streets of Kolkata

… Amar Prem is a glorious homage to

that favourite Bollywood archetype:
the golden-hearted prostitute.
• Sharmila’s character, a
homeless childless
woman who is tricked
into a life of
prostitution, is a
mother-figure to the
lonely neglected near-
divorcee Anand Babu.
• The shift of costume
and details is same as
the journey of the
character.
Devdas
It’s been 20 years since Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s masterpiece Devdas made a grand entry into cinema
and our hearts. His magnum opus brought a kind of grandiosity and extravagance that is breathtaking
even two decades later. From the sets to the costumes, everything in this movie is opulent and a visual
treat that we can’t get enough of. Here are some of the most iconic outfits from Devdas.
• One of the best outfits from
Devdas was this elegant
white chikankari kurta set
on the charming SRK who
played the titular role of
Devdas. This outfit was
paired with
an angavastra (men’s
shawl) and churidar to give
him a more vintage and
traditional look.
• When Shah Rukh Khan
returns from London in the
film, his outfits have that
vintage modern look
associated with the English
elite
Parineeta

Bollywood Style Notebook is a feature in

Boldsky that looks into the style trends
inspired by Bollywood films. Today, as
you might have guessed, we're looking
into the movie Parineeta. Vidya Balan is
the lead actress on the feature film. She
plays a woman of dignity with
unflinching love for Shekhar. A lovely
singer, who's resigned to the
circumstances, upholding her respect
when she faces insult. This young lady
also has an impeccable taste for sarees
and Indian clothes
Chokher Bali
Bulbul
In Bulbbul through the women’s
rich, floral-patterned, Banarasi
saris with some in mill-made
yellow-gold zaris, ruffled
blouses, long, dark tresses, red
polas (bangles) with fish
motifs and paisley jhumkas.
Costume designer Veera Kapur’s
styling draws much from the
sartorial repertoire of Jorasanko
Thakur Bari’s women, belonging
to the extended family of poet
laureate Rabindranath Tagore—
women who were educated and
educators, read and wrote poetry,
and wore Victorian-style petticoats
and blouses
A suitable boy
Lootera
here is Suchitra
Sen in the 1953
Sharey Chuattar

In the above set, a number of saris have gold/zari borders. While very much a trend in the 1920s
and 1930s, they are of course seen in every decade after. And in a number of non-film
photographs of the 1950s, many of the handlooms with which we are now familiar appear
Inspiration

A Pattachitra Tradition painting

by Akshay Kumar Bariki
Pattachitra paintings on palm leaf, canvas and tussar silk for a
touch of divinity Save
Theme
Arindom’s
Look Board
Client Profile
Profession- Jewellery Designer
Category- Occasion wear

Client needs- Essence of Bengali colours

Preferences- form fitting

Design 1
Baluchuri silk mixed with zardozi
Design 2
Jamdani mixed with Zaari work