Dhaka is a city buzzing with life. There is so much going on here. The streets are filled with noise, food, people – lots of people! And the more diversified the people are, the more versatile is their fashion. Besides being the capital city, Dhaka is also the fashion capital of Bangladesh. All the biggest trends either fall here or rise from here and are then followed up by the other cities. The biggest fashion houses in Bangladesh both national and international have their main branches here.

The assortment of fashion in Dhaka is a delightful sight. Its mix of western vogue to ethnic splendor is visually appealing. We have witnessed a big example of this phenomenon just few days back. Pahela Falgun or the first day of the Bengali month Falgun saw a bevy of chic women clad in yellow or Basanti saree and adorning their hair with flowers.  The men were also not far away with their stylish white or yellow Panjabi worn with payjama or jeans. Just the very next day, styles changed. Some preferred the traditional element and opted for red saree or kameez while others fancied Western outfits and opted red gown, t-shirt, jumpsuits and so on. Some even went for a look of fusion with red fotua and black jeans, bohemian skirt and crop top and so on. The entire phenomenon is a sight of attraction on its own. And that’s the fun part. Dhaka is no longer the land where clothes are regarded as uniforms.

Inspired by celebs from Bollywood, Dhaliwood and even Hollywood, men and women are no longer too timid to experiment. If it’s a light green suit with purple shirt, you will probably find some man in Dhaka brave enough to sport it and look good too. Porous clothings are a new fashion staple and even an uncut design is a complete design now. Gone are the days we used to raise eyebrows at women wearing dresses with uneven hemlines. In fact, the more whimsical the cutting is now, the more happening does the style get.

It’s not just the Western outfits that have evolved over the years in Dhaka. You will find significant changes in traditional attires too. We remember sarees with uniform colour. Now we have sarees looking like they are divided in two. Most of these practically are. Two different sarees get merged together at times to give a result that’s exquisitely bright and colourful.

Talking about colours- you may remember those days when women had to look for blue orna and blue payjama for their blue kameez. Now it’s all about applying contrast. Going monochrome is rather odd nowadays as women prefer a pink, green or some other vibrant colour for their dopatta which is a complete mismatch to their outfit.

At present in Dhaka, there are no rules of fashion. As long as something looks good and is decent- you are good to go. Perhaps that’s what makes Dhaka fashion so unique and intriguing. It’s unlike the fashion of any other places of the world. You have women wearing beautiful floral abayas with panache. There are also the women wearing ripped jeans and asymmetrical tops.  The ones wearing cotton sarees impeccably also can be found right here in Dhaka. And of course, the largest group is of those wearing salwar kameez. But even in this group you will see a lot of variation in design, colour, prints and so on. There are the men who take pride in wearing lungi. There are the men who love white Panjabi with white payjama for Jumma. Then there are also the men with a funky side who prefer denim Panjabi with ripped jeans and so on.

Dhaka has a wonderful blend of modern city life and charismatic rural life in its fashion. In the handloom sarees found at the local brands, you will find the love and devotion of the artisans. Then again, our T-shirts and jeans travel the world and are considered one of the best globally. Needless to say, Dhaka is an ideal location for tomorrow’s fashion designers. With so much art ingrained in its culture and being situated at an era of digitalization, there is ample opportunity for those who cherish a dream in the fashion world.