It’s customary to make and wear new clothes every Eid, a religious ritual that most women love to abide by. What could be better than having a legitimate reason to shop? Most women hop from reason to reason all year and these days they are hopping from shop to shop. 

Khaadi, Generation, Cynosure, FnkAsia, Ego and exclusive to Karachi, Daaman and Sheep are bubbling over the brim with new designs for Eid. With tailors extending deadlines to unbearable lengths, many women (especially working women) now find themselves looking into convenient options like the ready-to-wear Eid collections that begin to hit the market two weeks prior to the big day. These are especially desirable for young girls who find it easier to fit into ready-to-wear and also find it increasingly ‘uncool’ to be wasting time at the tailor’s.

It isn’t too difficult to come by affordable options. One quick run through Zamzama, for instance, can serve you quite a bit of fashion. In Lahore the same applies to boutiques on MM Alam Road, Y Block DHA or even Liberty Market. Ladies can get quite spoilt for choice!

The best thing is that, thanks to the exposure fashion has started to get, trends are becoming more and more defined. No matter where you go, you immediately pick up on what’s ‘in’. Usually trends do originate in high-end designer stores but then they inevitably infiltrate the high street options.

Shalwar kameez: These continue to be loose-fit and comfortable as we speak. The shalwar-kameez silhouette still comprises of an A-line, often multi-panelled shirt paired with wide leg trousers. Women are experimenting with the panels now and they can be constructed using different prints and even different fabrics, especially chiffon (on a cotton shirt). This adds extra texture and a bit of fun to your otherwise plain jora.

Now is a good time to say goodbye to the ‘patti’, which has been done to death and needs to rest in peace. Especially the satin silk sash, which has found its way to every single wardrobe in town. If you must have a patti at the bottom of your shirt, at least make it printed or embroidered and certainly not a plain, block colour.

Generation is serving some fresh ideas on Eid clothing, and while there is no specific Eid Collection in the store, new shalwar kameez samples come in almost every day. Ranging from between Rs 2000 and Rs 10,000 (for the semi-formal silks), they come in a variety of shapes, from the billowing kaftans, to pleated frocks and big kurtas. As always with Generation, there is a lot to choose from.

Angrakhas and the old world charm: One trend that will be a sure shot hit this Eid is the angrakha, which has made a whopping comeback. Fashion designers have already been incorporating them in their new collections and chances are that retail brands will pick up on it soon. But this is your chance to beat the crowds and have an angrakha ready to wear at your Eid dinner. Nomi Ansari is stocking a colourful new collection at The Designers; angrakha lovers must check it out.

Nida Azwer recently held a limited edition exhibition of jamdani outfits, most of them structured around absolutely breathtaking angrakhas. Jamdani, for the unaware is a pure muslin fabric, hand woven in Dhaka. Nida designed this collection in the purest of jamdani colours like ecru, bone, aqua blue, forest greens and the brighter palette of salmon pinks and deep reds. These loose jamdani kurtas and angrakhas were complimented by delicately printed (and even embellished) under-slips. Trend to note: angrakhas are the in thing!

Other than angrakhas, very Mughal/Pakeezah-inspired kurtas are also going to be trendy, as has outlined Kamiar Rokni. His Eid collection, retailing now, is constructed on a nude palette with delicate gold tinsel embroidery. Another trend to note: old world charm.

Colour me happy: Eid is time to rejoice and the colour palette you choose should reflect just that. Luckily, most high street brands dive straight into colour. Starting from the most affordable, Cynosure has at least twelve different styles on offer (priced at an average of Rs2,400), and each one is more colourful than the next. FnkAsia also has an exclusive Eid variety and incorporates colour, print and embellishment. Khaadi Khaas, slightly expensive (ranges between Rs8,000 and Rs15,000) and more exclusive, is stocking new chiffon joras that are hand printed and even embellished in some cases. Very formal. Very Eid.

So if your tailor is giving you the endless run around, rest assured that you will be able to find affordable, ready-to-wear options right to the last minute.— Aamna Haider Isani