In our second edition of ‘Can a place influence your style?’ we try to examine what determines the style of Bangaloreans
Is our sense of style shaped by the place we reside in? The way you dress is, more often than not, influenced by the culture of the place you live in. Look around you and you’ll find people of all genders following a similar style aesthetic. Our second edition of the ongoing series, ‘Can a place influence your style?’ is dedicated to understanding the style language that runs across cities and states in India.
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Atita Verghese believes that the place where you’re from seeps into the way you dress up every day
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Bhavisha Dave, who has lived in over five cities in the last decade, calls Bengaluru her home now
The city of start-ups
When you think of Bengaluru, the first thing that might come to your mind is the numerous start-ups that have originated here. As the unofficial IT hub of the country, Bengaluru is almost a replica of Silicon Valley, with CEOs and tech bigwigs hustling to get their next major investment. Not surprisingly, like Mark Zuckerberg, Bangaloreans, too, have found a sweet spot when it comes to making crores worth of deals donning a T-shirt, a blazer, jeans and a pair of sneakers.
For Bhavisha Dave, co-founder of Capsul—India’s first multi-wear streetwear platform—it’s not just Bengaluru, but most metropolitan cities in India have similar styles. “From what I’ve seen, people across cities–especially the metros–have a similar vibe, but there exists a range of fashion preferences in Bengaluru. A lot of people here love sustainable and slow fashion brands. You also have the streetwear and sneaker communities alongside the start-up community, which you’ll typically find leaning more towards wearing black,” says Dave, who calls Bengaluru her home now, having lived in over five cities in the last decade.
"BANGALORE HAS A LAID BACK VIBE AND THAT’S HOW THE FASHION ALSO IS OVER HERE."
Atita Verghese
Skateboarder and surfer Atita Verghese believes that the place where you’re from does seep into the way you dress up every day, having a stark impact on your individual style. “In India, one usually dresses according to whichever city one resides in. But there are lots of factors that come into place when it comes to why we wear what we wear, such as the weather and the occasion,” says Verghese, whose personal style consists of choosing comfort over anything else. “I feel very comfortable in a thin hoodie or a sweatshirt to go out in. Earlier I used to wear lots of shorts and T-shirts—that was my staple, that’s what I’m most comfortable in,” she explains. Fashion editor Butool Jamal, too, believes that in Bengaluru, there’s no pressure to dress stylishly if you don’t want to. “It’s much more about being comfortable with what works for you. At the risk of generalising, I would say it’s a little more laidback–in that people are perhaps not as interested or engaged in fashion trends as other big cities I’ve lived in,” says Jamal, who moved to the IT city from Mumbai, three-and-a-half years ago.
Atikaa Ahluwalia, a partner at jewellery label Eina Ahluwalia, too initially wore a standard Bangalorean ‘uniform’. “When I first came to Bangalore, my standard outfit consisted of boyfriend jeans, a tank top and flats. I also went through a phase of wearing skater dresses with sneakers and denim jackets. I feel like the city really allowed me to tap into a lot of the years I lost before I moved here,” says Ahluwalia, who moved into the tech city seven years ago.
The play of weather
Unlike Mumbai or New Delhi, which have extreme weather conditions through the year, Bengaluru’s weather is what most people who have visited the city have sung praises for (apart from their growing bar culture that serves craft beers). “Bangalore is quite special because the weather is really nice here and we’re on a plateau. We have an opportunity to wear everything from a T-shirt to something warm and cosy. Bangalore has a laid back vibe and that’s how the fashion also is over here,” says Verghese. Dave, too, believes the important role weather plays in an individual’s sense of style. “I have lived in five to six cities over the last decade, and every city has influenced my style. In Bangalore, I wear a lot of layers as the weather allows me to layer up pretty much all year round, except for the two hot months of summer,” she explains. For Jamal, Bengaluru has the perfect weather for all things denim–from jeans to jacket. “Since moving to Bangalore I’ve discovered the power of a good pair of jeans. I’ve also come to appreciate a great pair of sneakers instead of the slippers and sandals that were my earlier choice. You never know when it might get a bit chilly!” she says.
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Butool Jamal believes that Bengaluru has the perfect weather for all things denim–from jeans to jacket
One may argue that traveling to another city, with a different weather, can drastically alter your style. “Honestly, that’s the one of the most enjoyable things about traveling for me–being able to curate different wardrobes based on where I am. In Bombay, I have my work and ‘going-out’ wardrobe, which consists of more tailored fits, smarter trousers, a breezy handloom dress since it’s so humid, a scarf for the rickshaw rides and slippers or sandals. In Bangalore, since I work from home and it’s a little cooler, I’m mostly in loungewear or athleisure. I also wear slightly synthetic fabrics or layers that I would never dare pull out in Bombay,” explains Jamal. For Verghese, though, it’s the opposite. “When traveling to other cities, I don’t think my style changes a lot. I still wear things that I’m comfortable in,” she says.
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"You could wear a salwar kameez to a pub here (and I have) and nobody will bat an eyelid," says Atikaa Ahluwalia
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Bhavika Dave points out that each city, like each individual, lends a unique personality when dressing up
A cool vibe
While building an individual style–one which is uniquely you–is what many subconsciously (and consciously) work towards, Dave points out that each city, like each individual, lends a unique personality when dressing up. “You see this a lot in cities like Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, among others. Here, in India, I don’t think it’s so pronounced, but you can spot sub-cultural communities that people belong to. Working at Capsul, we’ve seen certain trends in the type of clothes people shop for, depending where they are from. For instance, New Delhi gets the hype, heavy-logoed, flamboyant tops. While Mumbai and Pune shop more for shorts and T-shirts, Ahmedabad, Surat and Hyderabad are very experimental in their fashion choices. Bangalore, on the other hand, is more functional,” says Dave. Verghese, too, has seen a lot of streetwear styles and loose, baggy fits getting incorporated into everyone’s daily wardrobe, thanks to the Y2K trends.
Ahluwalia agrees. “I’ve lived in Kolkata, Pune, New Delhi and Bangalore and every city has a very distinct vibe to it. Bangalore is obviously my favourite for so many reasons, but mainly because it’s so relaxed that it allows for people to be who they want to be. You could wear a salwar kameez to a pub here (and I have) and nobody will bat an eyelid. I remember this being the first city [where] I saw people going clubbing in sneakers and flats and it’s this prioritisation of comfort and ‘chill’ over everything else that I really love about the city. To sum it up, the Bangalore aesthetic, I feel, is essentially comfy-cool,” she concludes.
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