Remember the time, back in school, when skirts were a staple. Be it your uniform (and how more daring classmates raised their hems secretly a few inches higher than the school norm), or the first dance, weddings, graduation or social ceremonies, one couldn't get enough of the swirling pieces?
'Mini skirt' was such a deliciously seductive word in India, with a hint of denjaar to it. They even made a Hindi song on it. The height of your hemline was directly linked to the breadth of your character.
Not all of us could wriggle into a mini skirt because it didn't really suit, or more critical, because of the times, we were scared to.
In small towns walking down Main Street in a mini skirt was unheard of. It was akin to walking nude in public. Maximum you could debut it behind closed doors and drawn curtains.
If a skirt was to be worn it had to be long enough for you to trip on, in the form of a voluminous maxi and not even indelicately show a peep of a nanga ankle. And certainly one was envious of the not-a-care-in-the-world Bambai and Dillli ladkiyan -- parochially dubbed 'fast' by many a small towner -- who could wear anything and not even bother to modestly ride side saddle on the back of a scooter in their costumes.
The 'old' way of wearing a skirt, anywhere, has undergone a makeover.
Today, the twisted variety of the skirt is in vogue and has been resurfacing mostly on Designer Anamika Khanna's Instagram timeline. It looks like a glamourised version of a lungi -- not the gaudy, unsightly one with checked prints in cotton, but soft, luxurious satin and malmal fabric draped around the waist in cascading pleats.
There's also the wrap skirt, which works like a sarong, the blazer-skirt and soaringly high-slit midi skirt.
IMAGE: Grey isn't a colour we so quickly reach for.
Other colours abduct us first.
We are hypnotised by bubbly, coquettish Miss Pink and devilish, carrying-dark-secrets Madame Black. Or pristine, prissy always virtuous Auntie White.
Newly awarded Padma Shri Raveena Tandon's twisted skirt with its silver-foil like texture shows us the elegant charms of Empress Grey.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Raveena Tandon/Instagram
IMAGE: Sharvari Wagh, in an A-line skirt, with its teasing slit, that delicately, lovingly coils around her waist, kidnaps the whole vast frickin' horizon.
Are you even looking at the ocean and its beauty, pal? Tsk tsk.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Sharvari Wagh/Instagram
IMAGE: Madhuri Dixit Nene, always the owner of chakachak-fab 'fits that speed up collective Indian male pulses, chose 'to be the sunshine' herself, looks like makhan couldn't melt in her mouth in slinky citrus dhoti skirt that creates perfect ruffles.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Anmol Jewellers/Instagram
IMAGE: Chris de Burgh must have seen Kajol in red when he was penning his sappy but runaway-appealing song about the women in lal he wanted to dance 'cheek to cheek' with.
Never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight, Simran in the bull-fighting ring shade wearing an asymmetrical skirt, worn like a sari with pleats.
Yay, Anamika.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Anamika Khanna/Instagram
IMAGE: Not sure of the species of this skirt. Or its genus. Or phylum. It defies nomenclature. And would have given Carolus Linnæus nightmares.
Is it two skirts or one?
Duoskirtus indica?
But put the lovely Taapsee Pannu in anything and you have a zabardastfashion trend.
An olive-green wrap-around skirt sits atop a printed white knee-length silhouette. Bahut drama.
C'mon girls, pull out your two skirts and let's get it together.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Taapsee Pannu/Instagram
IMAGE: Reality check, doston! What are we looking at here?
Can only see The Slit.
Hold on Shibani Dandekar! A sudden gush of air shouldn't cause that adventurous snake-print sarong skirt to fly.
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna skirt ka, Shibs.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Shibani Dandekar/Instagram