Anyone who has half an eye on gossip sites knows that dungarees are back in vogue. With divas like Taylor Swift, Priyanka Chopra to Kangana Ranaut, Chloë Moretz, Sarah Jessica Parker and Alexa Chung spotted sporting variations of this trend, dungarees are rapidly climbing up the ladder to being a summer staple. Paris-based fashion designer Cameron Kham shares, “Fashion is like a circle: older times’ fashionable clothing travel back and add a breath of freshness to today’s fashion. Trends always come back so never throw out your old clothes. Difficulty occurs in finding interesting ways of reinvention or reinterpretation, better suited to be in sync with current fashion scenario, so that it looks stylish and modern. But if you are one of those who have a quirky imagination, then you can reinvent the look in a million ways.”
There’s a wonderful nostalgia attached to dungarees — a style from the 70s and 90s, reveals designer Aneeth Arora of Péro and shares that they have always carried elements of functionality and ease but at the same time oozed comfort with an added pin-up appeal. She says, “A denim dungaree is a wardrobe essential, simply because it’s a versatile piece of clothing. It is androgynous in nature but could be made to look very feminine in the way it’s worn. Also, as historically it was worn as work-wear, it can be helpful in projecting ‘power dressing’ at work. You can also embroider or add patches, interesting buttons and charms to upscale an old denim dungaree lying in your wardrobe.”
“There isn’t an age cut-off for wearing dungarees,” shares Isha Gakhar, fashion and beauty blogger at iluvanity.com. “You’re never too old to don dungarees. It’s all down to your individual style. Dungarees have that effortless ‘borrowed from the boys’ vibe that can be incredibly sexy. The trick is to strike a balance between masculine and feminine by contrasting the oversized silhouette with a fitted top, swap crop tops, T-shirts, silk blouses or cashmere knits underneath and simple accessories. The adjustable straps make them really versatile and easy to wear. Rolling them up at the ankle can also look good. Keep your make-up fresh and muted and tie your hair into a ponytail or get a voluminous blow-dry and embrace your femininity by finishing the look with poppy lips.”
The key to nailing this look is definitely in the fit, cautions Aditya Singhal, CEO at It’s My Life Jeans Co. He suggests, “Avoid anything that is too tight and try on multiple pairs. As dungarees are often oversized, you need to think about your body shape and about what style and fabric will complement your figure. For the summer, opt for a light cotton oversized dungaree so that it does not stick to your body. Be careful about your selection of fabrics. It should not be too light and transparent. Go for cotton which is 95% or more in lightweights and underneath try to go for 100% cotton or linen. Avoid stuff which has polyester or is heavy.”
It ends, as getting a look right so often does, with the shoes. Heels are essential simply because they offset the widening effect of the dungarees, reveals designer Esha Amin. She adds, “Picking the right footwear is essential to pull off any look. If you are not in the mood for heels, then opt for ballet shoes, pumps, platform sandals, wedges, brogues or sneakers.” Lastly designer Shruti Sancheti concludes, “Dungarees can be worn in any way you like. Be bold and try all variants — from shorts, culottes, ankle-length and full or even a dungaree dress in mini or midi styles in pretty prints.”
