COPYCAT DESIGNS & DRESSES #10: The Olive Green and Ice Blue Patchwork Kameez

Thought I'd do a quick post about another copycat design we have, this time one of my sister's outfits from years ago (we're talking about a suit we got copied about ten years ago!). Back before the rise of online replicas and the growth of the Asian clothes industry, my sisters and I all used to buy a copy of the latest Asiana magazine whenever my Mum went to Pakistan, and pick an outfit for her to copy. We could have designed our own but there were too many risks of colours being wrong, designs looking ugly, and tailors not understanding our instructions, so we just sent ripped out pictures from magazines and ask for outfits in that way.

This outfit below was one of those pictures we got made about a decade ago, I can't remember which magazine it came from but I managed to find a picture on Bargello, surprisingly enough, which was the same picture my sister sent to Pakistan to get made. At the time, fitted kameezes and trousers were big in fashion trends, and this was something which was bright, colourful and very stylish. It was a 'patchwork' style design, in a bright rich ice blue and olive-limey green, with dark blue embroidery work.

Image from Bargello

This is the version my sister ended up with, in the same colours and design, although my sister added longer sleeves and opted for plain silk trousers in blue rather than the same patchwork style trousers (it actually looked better with the plain silk trousers, in my opinion).

We kept the embroidery fairly the same and it worked well with the outfit, the thread work was very neat and well-done, which we were quite impressed with. I also liked the fact that the colours of the outfit looked so rich because the fabric was silk, which made it a very pretty outfit.

THE GOOD: The outfit looked very pretty on, while it's not in fashion by today's standards, it could easily be adapted for the current trends (I've suggested replacing the trousers with a plain sharara, which would make a great mehndi outfit!). The colours themselves are beautiful, they're very flattering and the quality of the outfit has meant that it has lasted well even after ten years.

THE BAD: Comparing the outfit to current trends, where everything is long and flowy, this outfit looks very short and outdated. But it's still very pretty!

THE UGLY: My sister wearing it for the first time on Eid morning and then having to put an apron over it to wash up. Oh dear.

OVERALL: My sister said this outfit was very comfortable, which was the case with a lot of outfits my Mum got made for us when she went Pakistan. While it's not on par with today's trends, it's a beautifully made outfit which could last for years, and certainly looks classic because of the colours. If I saw the original picture today, I wouldn't be very keen on it, but having seen my sister's version, I love the rich colours of the silk and the simplicity of it. Perhaps it's something that could be recycled in futures years, for a 90s' themed party maybe!

COPYCAT DESIGNS & DRESSES #8: Deep Red Silk Rubia Suit

This is an older outfit I got made from several years ago (which doesn't fit me anymore either! It's off to be donated to charity as we speak) which I absolutely fell in love with because of the rich, deep colours. It's a fairly simple outfit, with work on the neckline and on the trousers, and it looks very fitted in the original design.

I have no idea who the original designer for this outfit is, it's a fairly old design that has been floating around on the Internet for years, and when I got it copied (with adjustments!) it was something that was in fashion at the time. I loved the fact that it looked so chic at the time, it was simple, colourful and very eye-catching, so I decided to get something similar made via a friend who uses tailors in India.

Image from Bargello.com

This is the outfit I ended up with, I added a few adjustments to make it more wearable and modest for myself, which was basically adding on long sleeves and changing the trousers to normal straight trousers, rather than having deep slits in them.

I wanted the outfit to be made of raw silk like the original picture, but the tailors ended up making it in a soft silk instead, which changed the look slightly and made the colours less vibrant. It did make the outfit more 'flexible' and easy to wear though, and it still had that luxurious look to it. The actually shade of red was lighter too, which was unintentional (on my part), although it's a slightly deeper shade that these pictures!

This is the work on the neckline, it was mainly made from threadwork, beads and stones, as it was not intended to be a heavy outfit. The neckline shape was also simplified a little, as it was too low in the original picture for, and the tailor found it easier to make the neckline in this shape.

And this is the straight trousers, also made in the same silk fabric, and in a mink brown colour. My favourite bit was the motif on the trousers, which looked really pretty. I like the fact that the outfit was kept quite simple looks quite balanced out, and that the cut of the trousers was made quite well.

THE GOOD: The best part of this design is the embroidery on the motifs and the neckline, it's very neatly done and the colours are matched exactly (rather than some suits I've seen in the past which don't always do the embroidery in the same thread colour as the fabric of the suit). I also like the fact that this was a fairly simple suit which looked effective because of the rich colour. Another aspect I liked was the actual tailoring of the suit, it's very, very well stitched, and the stitches are well-hidden away - right down to the fitted bell sleeves.

THE BAD: I would have liked to have made this suit out of raw silk, to give it a richer, more vibrant look. This is one of my earlier 'copycat' designs, and I didn't have much interaction with the tailor while they were making it, as I wasn't aware of what input I could have at the time. Also, because the price of the outfit was fairly low and it was made quite quickly, I didn't have a lot of time to decide what I wanted to get made.

THE UGLY: Trying to squeeze into the outfit recently to "see if it still fits". Not a pretty sight.

OVERALL: I liked the quality of the embroidery and the motif designs, the original design translated quite well overall, and the colours did look pretty together. Although the design is not in fashion according to current trends, I've kept this outfit for a few years and have always gotten compliments when I've worn it. It's a very wearable design, and is easy to dress up or down. I have had a few other outfits made from the same tailor, and although not all of the designs have been copied brilliantly, the actual quality of stitching and work is quite good. I think this is definitely one of those outfits which would go into the 'trial and error' part of designing or copying clothes, and I'm glad it didn't cost a lot of money - plus it did look nice on at the time!

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Karishma Kapoor's Bridal Red

There's a few outfits which I think look pretty enough and striking enough to look good at any time of the year, whether it's due to good tailoring, beautiful colours or well-put together design.

I love this long red outfit by Manav Gangwani showcased at HDIL India Couture Week in Mumbai from a few years back, which is an example of this - although it may be a bit heavy for some, it makes a beautiful alternative for a bridal dress. Karishma Kapooor looks beautiful in her iconic fitted churidar pants and long kameez, which she was often seen wearing in her films of the 90s, and it's something which would look great today (also, my sister had something extraordinarily similar to this about a decade ago!)

I'm a big fan of velvet when it's used well, and I think it looks pretty here, with the beautifully fitted ling sleeves and dramatic neckline. If only we could all pull it off like Karishma though, eh?

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