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

- Pooja Singh

My mother recently threatened to upcycle my dupattas: "These can be curtains, these pillowcases and razai 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.