Every now and then I come across outfits I see in magazines, on celebrities and even on other bloggers that I absolutely love, but I know I cannot carry it off. Maybe it’s too short, or the color slightly different from what I want, or it just needs a few slight modifications to suit my style. The same happens when I see some of the latest collections of my favourite designers. When you are someone who is very sure about your sense of style and what looks good on you, and what makes you feel comfortable, you are stuck in this position where you want that outfit but with modifications. The best thing to do in such cases is to source the fabric yourself and go to a local tailor who will help you design your outfit. I am no designer and I have no idea about the technicalities of the process of designing. But with the limited knowledge that I have, a lot of creativity and youtube tutorials at my hand, I have tried my hand and getting what I want using a lot of sources of inspiration. The first question that I get when people see my DIY designs are “Where do you source the fabric from?”. Be it for a simple kurta or a skirt or a dress, finding the right kind of fabric that will make sure the dress has a good fit and fall is very important.
Skirts
It’s easy to choose fabrics for skirts. If you want a maxi skirt, materials like chiffon fabric would be your best bet. The fall of the fabric is something that flatters every body type and it’s easy to add different kinds of pleats to it. Materials like cotton might be a bit more heavy and will not give you the kind of volume that you will get with chiffon. Light floral prints also make a good option when you want a summery maxi skirt.
If you are going for something shorter like a knee-length skirt or a circle skirt, a material like cotton or neoprene would be a good choice as it would retain the shape of the skirt. The options are endless, and based on the length and the silhouette you can make a choice of the material
Dresses
The same goes for dresses as well. But I feel there is so much more scope to experiment with fabrics here from chiffon, to cotton to silk. If you want to go for an indo-fusion look, you can even turn your mum’s old silk sarees into dresses. That would lend a lovely and traditional touch to an otherwise western outfit.
Pants
For pants I would definitely opt for Linen. Linen is a medium-weight fabric with little elasticity (hence the wrinkles). But it conducts heat very well, which is why it’s a popular choice for warm-weather anything. Or even Cotton – it no doubt is the most comfortable fabric. As it is breathable,light weight so ideal for summer.
Tops & blouses
My favourite picks here would be cotton and cotton blend. When it comes to tops I need the fabric to be breathable. Comfort is my main priority and I wouldn’t compromise on it for anything. Another comfortable fabric I would opt for is Khadi. Khadi has recently been getting a lot of recognition. Though it’s coarser as a fabric, but comfortable for Indian climate. Rather Khadi has now taken lot of International attention, especially fabrics like Khadi Silk.
Accessories
Did you know you can use fabrics for creating accessories too? From pretty velvet chokers to denim corset belts, you can do it all. All you need is a bit of inspiration and creativity.
Let me know about the kind of fabric you would opt for in the comments below!
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