Monday 7 May 2012

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's 90s Colourama Glamour in 'Dil Tera Aashiq'

Being a 90s (and partly 80s!) child, I'm a real sucker for looking at the bright colours and iconic outfits of that period, because it reminds me of those Bollywood films we used to watch while growing up - and Madhuri Dixit is definitely one icon of the 90s. A good example of this would be one of the family favourites (for us anyway), 'Dil Tera Aashiq', which features Madhuri in a range of colourful outfits and styles which were very typical of both Madhuri's style and the 90s.

First example of the outfits is this rainbow-style sari, a colour combination which actually appeared a few other times in other films in the 90s, although I do love it here. This sari also really reminded me of Satya Paul's multi-coloured, rainbow style saris in his 2010 collection, as seen here and here, especially because of the bright, jewel-like shades used and the use of blending colours into the next.


I remember during this period when two-toned fabric was very popular, and was worn quite a lot at weddings - and this lengha is just one example of it being worn in a purple/golden shade. While Madhuri manages to pull it off with her lovely figure here and a very sweet, girly look, I wasn't so lucky, unfortunately, when I think of all the organza disasters I was paraded in back in those days (grrr!). This lengha is also quite typical of it's time in terms of the fitted top and the simplified work (unlike the heavy outfits of today!)

I really, really love this deep purpley-plum dress, which is a long maxi dress with a split at the front and pretty bronze detail around the neck. It's something which would definitely look great with the fashion trends of today, and also something which wouldn't have caught my eye back in the 90s (probably because I was too busy twirling around and imagining myself in a rainbow dress), but it's something I love now. It looks really elegant and flowy, and the fitted sleeves, the work around the waist and the pretty up-do hair that Madhuri has are all something which look lovely and something I wouldn't mind wearing myself!


Back in the days when singing around trees and magic wardrobe changes were normal and needed no explanation, there were plenty of different outfits in songs, all usually in different styles and colours which I'm sure you all are familiar with! This fresh pink coloured sari is another example of a simple outfit which was often seen in different colours (either bright coloured or pastel colours!) on the heroines of a lot of songs - and on Madhuri I'm glad that it's not over-done with accessories, but with rather a large pair of funky diamante-style studs and some pretty bangles.


Next is this pretty yellow and red long dress and salwar which, again, would not look out of place in today's trends. I also like the fact that the dress seems to be made out of a rich, silky material and again, has a front-split which I remember being in fashion at the time (I owned a few kameezes in this style to attest to this!). Add to this Madhuri's dark red lips which were in vogue and her curly hair, and you have a classic Madhuri outfit!


Then, of course, there is the obligatory imaginary wedding scene which often appeared in a lot of these films. I've noticed that a things which don't really appear in today's films and fashions, such as the 'naath' (nose ring) were quite common then, and of course, the classic bright red lips.


This outfit always reminded me of a few other outfits (such as this song in Maine Pyar Kiya), in the way that the skirt has panels in 2 different colours, and in the jewellery worn. This is quite a pretty look on Madhuri, and of course, has a swishy skirt which can't go wrong!


 Throughout the film, there are random outfits which appeal to me because of the colours used, or the simple styles. Below is a fitted, shimmery gold kameez/dress which was very typical of the style worn in this film, with a light pink dupatta scarf and trousers, which I think would fit very well with today's trends.


 There's also a mujra-style appearance which I thought I'd mention, the pale pinks and darker pinks work quite well with the shimmery gold, and the jewellery (and the hat!) looks pretty good together. Another example of a classic look from the 90s which often appears (with matching background dancers!) in a lot of Bollywood films in this period.


There is also this red lengha outfit which was very typical- I've seen Madhuri in several movies with this type of outfit, especially when doing her classical dances. Again, I like the full skirt made up of panels, and the fact that it uses a lot of colours - although I find the red shade a bit bright!


There's plenty of colour in this film, and a lot of pieces which were very typical of their time. I do like the fact though, that there's a lot of pieces which could be worn today, and the fact that the jewellery and accessories used compliment Madhuri's look and the outfits quite well so they work together. My favourite is still the purple dress (something to keep as inspiration for a future outfit, maybe?) and the fact that she's able to pull off red lips in a way that it doesn't look too much - especially as in today's beauty trends, red lips are usually the focus of a look. Which outfit did you like best?

1 comment:

  1. I remember watching this film years ago and falling in love with the lengha with the pink dupatta. I liked the rainbow sari too, but remember thinking the blouse was all wrong.

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