Trendy statements

IT'S THE hottest new destination for clothes shoppers. "Eques", nestling cosily in the sylvan surroundings of Crystal Lawn, 20, Wallace Garden, Nungambakkam, is just waiting to be discovered. The store owner, Masood Hashim started with formals for men and women but soon added a whole range of casuals under the Cotton Greene label with friend and partner, Kaleem Bhat.

Eques is derived from the word 'equestrian' and inspired Masood because "the horse symbolises royalty and class and is associated with adventure,".

The shop has an old world charm about it and Masood Hashim is articulate and a good raconteur, which makes the shopping experience worthwhile.

In the formals section, he stocks a good range of Italian suitings which are very popular, 100 per cent wool,exclusive and expensive and the names include Nina Ricci, Lanvin, Vitale Barberis Cananico and English suitings like Baronet. "We had to scale down a bit to make it more affordable," he says and so he added Indian suitings Reid and Taylor, J. Hampstead, Wool Worth etc. Incidentally, Eques also custom tailors suits for both men and women. While the formals cater for a small, exclusive group, the casuals are a good buy. Most of the clothes are made for the export market and manufactured in India according to the specialities of leading designers The styles are very international. Even if you are shopping for just a plain white cotton shirt for women, the options are plenty - full sleeves, sleeveless, short sleeves, with embroidery, or without etc. What's attractive about Eques is the little surprises it throws up. For ladies they have skorts, a pair of shorts with an additional panel in front that make it look like a skirt.

As for shorts (men and women), there are dozens to choose from in thick cotton, in earthy shades and a myriad shades of khaki (including the greens). Then there are the dungaree shorts (pinafores) in denim and corduroy, which have a bib in front with cross straps at the back.

If you want some very functional shorts, go in for the cargos with dozens of pockets or settle for the docksiders with fewer pockets. The innumerable bermudas, dragon shirts and Hawaiian shirts are ideal for a holiday by the beach or for lounging around at home on a lazy Sunday.

The T-shirts and tops in plain colours with tiny beads, embroidery and fabric painting,are bound to find many takers among the yuppie crowd. Then there are tank tops in floral designs, dresses, (a long evening gown in white with silver beading and shoulder straps is particularly elegant), crinkled cotton tops in double colours, smocked tops, knitted tops and tops and shirts in checks (not run-of-the-mill but interesting plaids), lycra shirts with a good fit, linen shirts etc. Denim shirts with applique and embroidery in Red Indian designs are priced at Rs. 375.

Wrap-around skirts in checks and plains and skirts of varying hem lengths form part of the collection. A linen skirt with jute finish looks rustic and is a unique piece.

For men, besides a whole range of plain shirts, there are Seer Sucker shirts (Masood explains that sheer o shaker in Persian means cream o sugar - the texture of the shirt has a crumpled effect and hence the name), Oxfords (in traditional fabric which never goes out of fashion), in polynosic material (rayon and cotton mixed), shirts in Scotch plaids and rugged gaberdine.

For children, one can choose jumpsuits made of quilted material and Simpsons (of cartoon fame) T-shirts, night shirts, sleep wear (long trousers in checks and stripes,) and home wear are available too.

Track suits, rafting trousers in quick dry material, particularly suited for swimming and rafting, made of polyester with fine quality cord, are bound to appeal to the sports-minded. And to top it all, there is knit wear in pure wool (the raglan sleeves without a shoulder are very stylish).

On the cards is an ethnic line for women (sarees and salwar suits) from the earthquake ravaged Bhuj in Gujarat.

SUDHA UMASHANKER

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : Archives for art
Next     : Crisis management