Car wash chic

That tension between the possible and the seemingly impossible is what makes fashion so exciting. With the sun playing hide and seek, leaving most of us in a fix over our wardrobe choices, you can practically feel designers from everywhere nudging their audiences forward — daring them to be different and pushing them to take a fashion leap. We’ll give you three words that exude a fashion leap: Car wash skirts.

The skirts, so named for their fluttery panels that resemble panelled plastic curtains at gas stations, are universally flattering. While all of us have worn those pencil skirts with slits in front (or at the back) that show a bit of leg when you walk, now imagine the same stem-baring effect all around the skirt. Don’t worry as the garment is not designed to bare everything. In fact, the panels overlap to ensure full coverage.

“When I think of car wash skirts, I automatically go down memory lane when I had to wear that boring pleated skirt to school,” recalls designer Nandita of the designer duo Hemant and Nandita. “While the trend peaked in the 90s, its comeback is fully justified in the present day. Along with having a history, the fact that car wash skirts are a neat and tidy derivative of the in-vogue ‘fringes’ trend, makes the wearer relate easily to this trend,” she adds.

Talking about the different variations, designer Aniket Satam shares, “The multi panel of the skirts makes this style unique. It can be stitched down left as pleats, or zippered to create slits, or left unfinished in the form of loose panel fringes. Variations can also be created by experimenting with fabrics and materials such as faux leather, suede, sequins, etc. One can also line them with contrasting material in bright-coloured patterns for an interesting peek-a-boo effect.”

Designer Gautam Gupta on his part talks about Indianised versions of the trend. He shares, “Though minimalism is the flavour of fashion at this moment, one can try out some texture-based skirts. I find prints from geometric, tribal to abstract arts, befitting the ensemble. There are a lot of durable fabrics with Indian prints such as paisley, bandhni, batik, kalamkari, etc., that can be easily used to make a car wash garment. One can opt for silk fabrics such as brocade, kinkhab and raw silk to achieve a formal get-up and pair it with embellished blouses to give it a glamorous Indianised touch.”

Keeping in mind that the garment is frilly from down below, one has to be a little cautious about the tops or blouses, reveals designer Babita Malkani. She adds, “Since the pattern of the skirt itself is dynamic, keep the top simple. You can construct the ‘contrasting material’ scheme with car wash skirts made of lightweight and breezy fabric like cotton and matching it with a top made of heavier material such as denim or leather jackets.”

For women, who don’t want to opt for heavier fabrics, designer Pallavi Mohan suggests, “Think on the lines of fitted or off-shoulder tops, tank or form-fitting crop tops, lacy blouses, netted or mesh shirts, as they are a few best bets when it comes to pulling off the trend effortlessly. However, car wash skirts teamed with tucked-in collared shirts, blazers and sweatshirts are also chic styles to experiment with.”

Lastly, if you are in a dilemma about donning the look based on your body type, designer Gautam comes to the rescue and shares, “A lot of different styles in the length and layering have made the look more adaptable. There are not many specific ‘yes’ or ‘no’ points when it comes to wearing this skirt. If someone has more bulk on thigh areas then one can opt for skirts that are longer in length with slits from the knees to avoid the discomfort.”