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Fashion is an ever-changing phenomenon revolving around the current trends of respective generations. It is not just about our clothes; it also includes our culture, society, and economy. Like every other aspect of our lives, fashion has gradually transformed over the past few decades. Let us explore how Eid fashion has evolved over generations while highlighting popular brands catering to all budgets.
Our parents' generation usually celebrated Eid with a fashion sense of timeless elegance. Women of the 70's and 80s preferred sarees for Eid, specifically Rajshahi Silk, Tangail Taant and Dhakai Jamdani.
These sarees were the choice of women from economically solvent families, while women from lower-middle-class families preferred cotton sarees due to their affordability and comfort. Parallelly, men from that time broadly chose white punjabi and pajamas until recently. In those times' fashion they highly depended on comfort, affordability and decency.
Fast-forward to today's date and a drastic change can be noticed in the young generation's choices. Women's Eid fashion has changed from wearing sarees to designer salwar kameez, lehenga, and fusion clothes. At the same time, men continue to wear Punjabis, just with a wider variety of colours, cuts, and designs.
Fabrics like cotton, georgette, and linen are mostly favoured for their breathability on Eid during summer. However, organza, tissue, and maslin are also in high demand by people with a higher budget.
We talked to some of the salespersons from Bashundhara City Shopping Complex to understand the recent trends in Eid shopping. A salesman from the Punjabi shop 'Lavender' told us that Lucknow cotton is in demand this year for Punjabis. "Men are also preferring simple designs for the hot weather," he said. Another Salesman from the famous clothing brand 'Le Re Ve' also agreed that cotton Punjabis are the most preferred by men for this year's Eid-ul-Fitr.
Although the markets were very crowded like every other festive season, most customers complained about the higher clothes prices than last year's Eid.
Fawziya Osman, a university student from Chittagong, shared her Eid shopping experience: "I took three dresses this Eid. One is from Anjan's, and the other two are 'tailor-made.' All three of them wear salwar kameez. I prefer this outfit because they are my formal comfort wear."
When asked what significant factors influence their choice of clothes, most girls said "fashion-consciousness" and "comfort" are critical factors.
Apart from Anjan's, some other Bangladeshi clothing brands that many fashion enthusiasts choose are Rang, Aarong, Dorji Bari, Yellow, Cats Eye, Richman, Ecstasy, and Vogue by Prince.
Al-Hasib Fahim, a 22-year-old from Gazipur, shared that his favourites are 'Illiyeen,' 'Rise' and 'Fabrilife' when buying Punjabis. When asked if the prices are too much, he denied it and said, "It is quite expected for the price to go high during festive seasons, but they are still affordable. To me, fashion comes first and comfort slightly later. I buy clothes that fit me well and look good on me."
During Eid, alongside popular local affordable clothing stores, there is also a notable demand among girls for certain foreign fashion clothing brands.
Pakistani brands like Agha Noor, Nishat Linen, Khaadi, Gul Ahmed, etc., are popular high-end choices nowadays. While boys do not have any particular preference, they mostly opt for comfort over trend.
SK Asad Al Abir from Mirpur expressed his emotion for Eid with us: "Every Eid comes with the excitement of buying new clothes. As we grow up, this fascination might not be as strong as before, but with new clothes, Eid is complete. This year I bought a Punjabi pair of trousers from 'ILLIYEEN', which cost me about 5,250 Tk and 1,950 Tk respectively.
While choosing my Punjabi, I went for a more comfortable fit and style that suited me rather than going with the trend. I must admit that this year the price of clothes is a bit higher than last year."
Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest celebration of the Muslim community, is a time for family, feasting, and, of course, fabulous fashion. Bangladeshi fashion for Eid reflects a beautiful blend of tradition and contemporary trends. It is also a celebration of heritage and personal style.
Again, fashion trends are highly influenced by the time we live in and the culture we come from. While acknowledging and honouring societal norms and cultural values in fashion, it is equally important to extend the courtesy of allowing individuals the freedom to express their unique style choices.