Why we fell out of love with the dupatta
The two-metre length of fabric, part of traditional wear, is struggling to find a fit in the modern woman’s wardrobe
My mother recently threatened to upcycle my dupattas: “These can be curtains, these pillowcases and razai (blanket) covers." My response, as always, was a vehement “no".
I have more than 100 dupattas, collected over the past 15 years. While I wore them regularly in my early 20s, nowadays the only time they see the light of day is during Diwali or a wedding. They no longer feel like a seamless fit in my daily wardrobe. Many friends feel the same: “It’s too cumbersome to wear unless there’s an occasion."
Nandini Khanna, a government official, also said something similar when we met last Saturday evening at K.C. Creations, a four-storey shop in Delhi’s Central Market, famous for its variety of fabrics. She was looking for a chinon dupatta to match a salmon pink kurta-palazzo set.
“The only time I wear a dupatta is when I go to the gurudwara," Khanna, 55, says. “In our Sikh household, the women always had a dupatta; it was part of the daily uniform. Now, they (the women) don’t wear them as often—not even my mother. I own only three (dupattas)."
Rajesh Kumar, a salesperson at K.C. Creations, has seen the drop in demand for dupattas closely. “She is the first person today who’s looking for one," says Kumar, pointing towards Khanna.
“Hardly anyone comes looking for a dupatta to go with a cotton kurta (referring to daily wear clothes). Maybe one or two in a day. When I started working here 15 years ago, every customer wanted a matching dupatta. Now, people buy readymade kurtas with embroidery or that don’t need any covering (like ones with a Nehru collar). Why would you need a dupatta then?" says Kumar.
The two/two-and-a-half metre length of cloth immortalised in songs like Hawa Mein Udtaa Jaaye Mora Laal Dupatta Malmal Ka (Barsaat; 1949), Chunari Chunari (Biwi No.1; 1999), and Chuni Meri Rang De (Ikky and Karan Aujla; 2023), has been fading from our wardrobe for some years.
It once completed the traditional salwar-kameez look, then became trendy with jeans and kurtas. Once modern silhouettes and casualwear options entered wardrobes, the dupatta became an extra that doesn’t quite fit into daily life.
Its old functions—as a sun-shield, a head covering, or a Do Not Disturb sign during a flight—no longer makes sense. And so, the dupatta has become restricted to occasionwear.
“It’s slowly disappearing in occasionwear too," says couturier Sandeep Khosla of the brand Abu Jani Sandeep. “If you look beyond the bridal lehnga, the dupatta has been replaced by a cape, a long train, or the structure of the kurta has been changed to suit the demands of today. The young especially don’t want it," he says.
JUST A PROP
Mumbai-based college student Anaya Shroff certainly doesn’t like the idea of a dupatta flowing over the shoulders, billowing gently—an idea often romanticised in Bollywood films as a show of femininity.
“I style it like a bandana, a belt, or a corset when I’m in mood for some traditional, boho-Indian vibe. Even during weddings, I am not a big fan of them," she says.
Of the 10 brides that come to designer Neeta Lulla in a week, half ask for a dupatta. Lulla, famous for her double bridal dupatta that offers more trail to the bride’s outfit, has worked as a costume designer for over 400 films, including Jodhaa Akbar (2008) in which Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore a 52-inch net dupatta, and Life in a... Metro (2007), where Shilpa Shetty wore dupattas with long skirts and T-shirts for a boho look.
“The dupatta has become more like a prop or a decorative item now," says Lulla, who doesn’t wear a dupatta, not even as part of her occasionwear. “It can’t die, though, since it’s part of our history and culture, but yes, it’s become more like a decorative item now."
She notes that the shift is class-specific: “The middle class still regularly wears the dupatta; it’s among the upper middle class and beyond that you see the dupatta has faded away."
The reason for the missing dupatta isn’t just about a change in fashion trends. “The dupatta has long been a symbol of modesty, but the fact that women are choosing not to wear it as much shows how self- and body-confident we’ve become," says Madhu Neotia, the founder of The India Story, a platform that supports homegrown designers. A decade ago, Neotia would regularly wear a dupatta. “I used to carry a spare dupatta, which I would wear to an event in the evening; it would instantly change my look and mood. Now I don’t wear them at all. Of course, the cuts of kurtas have become so flattering and comfortable that I don’t feel the need for it, but I have also become more okay with the idea of not having something on my shoulders as a protective shield."
A NEW SPIN
To ascertain whether a certain style or a silhouette is still popular, it always helps to turn towards the world of Bollywood.
During the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai earlier this month, actor Deepika Padukone was seen at a temple in an anarkali-style kurta-churidar ensemble, minus the dupatta. A week ago, actor Huma Qureshi was at the Toronto International Film Festival in an Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla puff-shouldered anarkali, also without a dupatta.
“Anarkali suits always come with a dupatta, but the fact that you’re seeing them without one on the red carpet tells a lot," says Khosla. “May be the dupatta will make a comeback like it always happens in fashion. Who knows?"
For now, designers are certainly experimenting with the idea of dupatta, trying to make it work for the modern wearer.
Ruchika Sachdev, founder and creative director of contemporary label Bodice, recently created a blue dress that comes attached with a matching dupatta-like scarf covering the shoulders.
“The dupatta has evolved into different shapes and forms since its practical aspect is discouraging women to wear it on a regular basis," says Sachdev, who personally finds the dupatta more manageable than a sari. “There are a lot of dupatta-inspired scarves nowadays, which point towards a transformation that’s more relevant for this day and age."
To keep any fashion tradition alive and relevant, it’s important for it to evolve with the times. But then what do you do with the piles of beautiful dupattas lying in your closet?
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