Styling is all about channelling your inner spirit and letting it guide you; that's a welcome message in 2023! Designers everywhere would agree wholeheartedly as they seem to be inspired by the past and we are here for it. Fashion experts are predicting that retro vibes are hot and going away they are not!

Fashion always comes full circle. During the pandemic when our lives became tumultuous with Covid's eerie omnipresence, the future seemed gloomy. Many of us believed that it was the end and humanity had reached the penultimate, inevitable doom. 

Sitting in our homes for months fearing disease and death we all looked back at the decades gone by, reminiscing about the beautiful, carefree times with hope in our hearts that there might be a future for us after all. 

Those sepia-tinged pictures of our parents and family members in their oversized sunglasses, bell bottoms, and kaftans, footloose and fancy-free took us down memory lane, envious of their sense of freedom. 

The onslaught of the Hippie culture in the '60s and '70s meant there were no rules and humanity rejoiced in all its heady, hedonistic haze! Fashion always is a reflection of society's mindset at a point in time. Is it surprising that following the ravages of Covid, we now want to embrace the future while taking the past along?

Photo: Adnan Rahman

One is spoilt for choice when indulging in retro fashion. Bell bottoms are easy, breezy, and perfect for summer. Pair them with a loose, short kurta during the day and it will see you through classes, meetings, and what have you! 

For nighttime, a sequined blouse in bright pink or orange with black bell bottoms will look appealing and glamorous. Kaftans are a fashion staple; it embodies the very essence of retro style. Designers everywhere have celebrated this unique outfit; any colour, combination, length, or design your heart desires there is a kaftan to appease your fashion sensibilities! 

In 2023 kaftans will take you from day to night, from office to party. There are endless variations of it in every material imaginable. Think of legendary style icons like Elizabeth Taylor in her Emilio Pucci kaftans, and Zeenat Aman in her saffron cotton number crooning Hare Krishna Hare Rama! 

Photo: Adnan Rahman

Cotton ensembles are perfect for daytime and nights call for luxurious materials like chiffon, georgette, velvet, and silk. Play around with accessories as they are retro-fashion staples. Think oversized, coloured sunglasses, hoop earrings, chunky bangles, and colourful scarves. Don a metallic turban with your kaftan to truly channel your inner retro diva.

Retro saris do not really receive the love and adoration that they deserve. Bollywood queens like Dimple Kapadia and Parveen Babi set the silver screen on fire in their polka dot and bright, bold-printed saris. 

In 2023 reimagine psychedelia with a Pucci-inspired cocktail sari, or a slinky, sequined and polka-dotted number! Complete the look with loose curls and dewy, soft makeup. And while you are at it do not forget to let your whims and fancies take over!

Photo: Star Lifestyle