Dig into grandma’s closet

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Raiding or cleaning out grandma’s wardrobe and trunks has never been more exciting. Thanks to the continuing popularity of retro. Who doesn’t conform to trends these days, but only if you know how to wear something that’s distinctly your individual style do you set yourself out apart from the crowd. And vintage pieces do the trick and come handy for this.
Navjeet, 19, loves incorporating a few vintage pieces in her attire. “These time-honoured pieces come from my grandmother’s cupboard,” she says. Flaunting her bright pink knee-length skirt, Navjeet says, “You won’t get another such piece in the entire world, even if you are ready to shell out a bomb for it. It’s made from my granny’s old sari. And I team it up with designer tops. It’s my favourite look these days.”
For the hip and happening youngsters, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift from Hollywood are the muses. If the former often shows up with thick eyeliner, huge colourful belt and outfits in pure primary colours, the latter slips back in time with floral minis and knee-high socks, inspiring our youngsters to try the look. Even Katherine Heigl has taken to wearing her hair in a wavy updo, reminiscent of 50s glamour girls, in her red-carpet appearances.
Bollywood has also been flirting with the look for quite some time now. Aishwarya Rai sported high-waist bellbottoms with tuck-in shirts in Action Replayy. “As the saying goes, old, style created by vintage pieces is never outdated,” says fashion student at NIFT Rayshita Sachdev. “Not that Aishwarya has a style to die for, but that she’s been given a retro look for the film speaks a lot about fashion sense of the 50s and 60s. It was an incredibly fashion-forward era, even internationally,” she says.
Rayshita adds that her perfect look is incomplete without grandmother’s earrings or a neckpiece.
Though it doesn’t end at jewellery, she adds. “I have a collection of her dupattas, mojris and saris. These are a must-have for all my college parties. No only that, I like to add one or two of these pieces in my daily attire,” she says.
Retro trademarks like polka dots and oversized sunglasses have always been there. Even bright, bubblegum frames are a rage among youngsters, and it can’t get better when you actually have them from the bygone era, says Simran Desai, 19, a DU student. “I am in love with the past. I created a dress out of my mother’s old embroidered shawl. It has short sleeves and mid-hemline cut. I wear it with a red belt and a matching top with Peter Pan collar,” Simran adds.