City shopaholics opt for fusion outfits this Diwali

By Ashadeep Mohanty

Bhubaneswar: With Diwali, the festival of lights, just a few days away, the city denizens are on shopping spree. And the most exciting part of the celebration is to select the kind of outfit and accessories they all are going to wear.

While many people, mostly the youngsters, prefer to go for online shopping as some of the leading e-commerce sites like the Flipkart and the Amazon have offered heavy discounts, retail outlets in the city are also jam-packed by the customers.

Both men and women are looking forward to an ethnic yet new style of dressing for the festival. Though there are a wide variety of outfits for women, the city fashion lovers prefer to buy ethnic fusion-wear for the festival of lights.

Palazzo pants have become a craze amongst the women these days. Available in soft fabrics such as cotton, linen, crepe, chiffon and jersey, the loose Palazzo pants are not only comfortable but also fashionable.
Most of the women shopaholics in the city prefer to buy Palazzos and a long Kurta to pair with for the day. This would give an ethnic touch to their look. For a trendy look, young girls are also opting for crop top to pair up with their Palazzo pants.

“I have purchased a white colour Palazzo and a yellow long Kurta to wear this Diwali. I would accessorise it with chandelier earrings and an antique Kada bangle,” said 27-year-old Sefali Suman, a private employee.

Besides, a tunic over a lehenga skirt is also in trend. Young girls have planned up to wear this combo this Diwali. “I usually prefer to wear ethnic dresses on Diwali. Recently, I have purchased a long ethnic skirt and a tunic from an online shopping site at affordable price,” said Mousumi Mohapatra, a college-goer. Besides, floor length Anarkali and traditional jackets also attract the attention of the girls and women of the smart city.

Though men have limited options, the city youths are opting for dhoti-kurtas, Nehru jackets with jeans and pathani suits for this Diwali.

"The number of shoppers is indeed less since many online shopping sites are holding multiple sale events in the run-up to Diwali. But many people still prefer to shop from retail stores and malls as they want to touch and feel the products, which is possible only in physical shops. Our loyal customers are still shopping from our store," said the manager of a retail outlet in the city.