The colours of Baishakh

Let's imagine a situation where a lady is wearing an ivory, tone on tone sari, paired with eggshell white blouse and bright makeup. Let's say, she has ruby lips, cherry cheeks and a brick eye shadow put on. Would she look attractive?

The answer may be unpredictable, because theoretically, her makeup should stand out, as she is otherwise plainly dressed. But reality might be a stark contrast, and her makeup may turn out to be gaudy and severely in contrast to her cool, and classy wardrobe!

So, whites can be tough to assess. They do not tread lightly over tacky combinations. However, if one learns to master the art of wearing a white, they are less likely to lean towards any other colour ever again.

To master the art of wearing a white, one has to realise and believe in the goodness of 'au naturel.' Hence, porcelain cheeks, caramel eyes and almond lips may be their best bet.

You want some colour added to your entire outlook? Try carrying pastel or coral shades as accessories such as bags and shoes. As for jewellery, silver pairs amazingly well with whites, but lightweight golds, particularly rose and white, blends astonishingly well with whites. If we are discussing jewellery, then oxidised metals, diamonds, pearls and rare stones also pair well with whites.

The next question that comes in mind is, does it always have to be a tone on tone?

Not necessarily. Whites can creatively incorporate art onto their surface. For instance, a lady wearing a white sari may have hand-painted motifs in light pastels all over the base. This will only enhance the beauty of the white and not overpower it.

Another trick of the white is to be able to use it in combination with other colours. A white blouse can easily be paired with a sari of any hue — from deep shades of red to a flamingo pink.

And what about the opposite sex? Is it the same for the gentlemen?

For as long as most of us in the subcontinent can remember, we have all seen our fathers wear the white panjabi at least quite a few times in our lives. The politicians also opt for the bright white when they are out on an election campaign. The white panjabi, lungi, dhoti or the traditional kurta are common wear for the Bengali man.

Pairing the traditional whites with slippers and stoles in colours like taupe, beige, brown, blue and even black seems to be in good taste when it comes to styling.

We have been seeing a recent trend in wearing geometric and floral prints on pants paired with the white uppers. While many can sport the look refreshingly, it is certainly not meant for the weak and the clueless.

The most popular reason why one does it is to be able to pair it with someone else — probably a significant other wearing the same prints on her lehenga or sari! The gist of the entire story is that 'white apparels' are superb and magnificent; only if one knows the tricks of the trade.

Remember, the mantra for whites is embracing simplicity.

Photo: Kaushik Iqbal

Styling: Sonia Yeasmin Isha

Models: Sonia Yeasmin Isha, Tabinda, Maruf, Thamid

Wardrobe (Men): Warez

Wardrobe (Sari): Chondon