There is a growing demand, especially after the Delhi gangrape case, that a rapist of 16 years of age should not be considered a minor. Consensual sexual intercourse between two young adults occurs throughout rural and urban India and should not be connected to, or confused with, the institution of marriage. However, we must ensure that these decisions are not influenced by traditional connections between sex and marriage. Within this cultural framework, it is a struggle to award adolescents the right to space, identity and respect. Globalisation introduces new information and communication technologies, increases urban migration and the dissolution of the traditional family — all of this affects adolescent sexual behaviour as well. Furthermore, women’s decision to engage in consensual sex should not be conflated with the moral fabric of Indian society.

For God’s sake use cohesive and holistic approach while formulating a law. What kind of contradiction is this On one hand you talk of giving better education and professional opportunities to girls and then you try to give legal support for indulging in sexual activities with them at 16. If at 16, an 11th class school-going girl becomes pregnant, will there not be large-scale school dropouts Think of teenage pregnancies and the mental, physical and emotional China Spandex Fabric manufacturers transformation teenagers go through in such an event. The expanding horizons of young adolescents are filled with explicit and implicit messages about sex and gender — some clear and consistent, some ambiguous or conflicting.$Don’t mix sex and marriage Ranjana Kumari***In India, where the legal age of marriage is 18 years for a girl, how can you enact a law which makes 16 to be the age of consent for sex A great deal of thought and study went into fixing the age of valid marriage at 18. If you argue that teenagers today are advanced in every field as compared to their parents at their age, agreed.

It is obvious that the real concern is controlling women’s sexuality.Discussions regarding the age of sexual consent must focus on women and men’s biological and emotional maturity to engage in sexual intercourse and to fully consent to intercourse. Knowledge of an act is not enough to make a person wise enough to “consent” for that act. In India, the words “child” and “adult” are loaded with deep-rooted cultural connotations. While enacting the Child Marriage Act, our policy and lawmakers took into consideration the fact that a girl below the age of 18 is physically and mentally not fit to tie the nuptial knot.2 billion people and, even so, information of sex is different than handling the responsibility and consequences of indulging in sexual activities. Access to magazines, movies, TV and the Internet provides contact to an increasingly globalised and sexualised youth culture that leaks into what may already be a confusing milieu of expectations and ideologies. Those arguing for 16 years as the age of consent probably don’t count women as part of the country’s future! The child marriage law was a big reformational step in modern India.

There is a growing demand, especially after the Delhi gangrape case, that a rapist of 16 years of age should not be considered a minor. Consensual sexual intercourse between two young adults occurs throughout rural and urban India and should not be connected to, or confused with, the institution of marriage. However, we must ensure that these decisions are not influenced by traditional connections between sex and marriage. Within this cultural framework, it is a struggle to award adolescents the right to space, identity and respect. Globalisation introduces new information and communication technologies, increases urban migration and the dissolution of the traditional family — all of this affects adolescent sexual behaviour as well. Furthermore, women’s decision to engage in consensual sex should not be conflated with the moral fabric of Indian society.

For God’s sake use cohesive and holistic approach while formulating a law. What kind of contradiction is this On one hand you talk of giving better education and professional opportunities to girls and then you try to give legal support for indulging in sexual activities with them at 16. If at 16, an 11th class school-going girl becomes pregnant, will there not be large-scale school dropouts Think of teenage pregnancies and the mental, physical and emotional China Spandex Fabric manufacturers transformation teenagers go through in such an event. The expanding horizons of young adolescents are filled with explicit and implicit messages about sex and gender — some clear and consistent, some ambiguous or conflicting.$Don’t mix sex and marriage Ranjana Kumari***In India, where the legal age of marriage is 18 years for a girl, how can you enact a law which makes 16 to be the age of consent for sex A great deal of thought and study went into fixing the age of valid marriage at 18. If you argue that teenagers today are advanced in every field as compared to their parents at their age, agreed.

It is obvious that the real concern is controlling women’s sexuality.Discussions regarding the age of sexual consent must focus on women and men’s biological and emotional maturity to engage in sexual intercourse and to fully consent to intercourse. Knowledge of an act is not enough to make a person wise enough to “consent” for that act. In India, the words “child” and “adult” are loaded with deep-rooted cultural connotations. While enacting the Child Marriage Act, our policy and lawmakers took into consideration the fact that a girl below the age of 18 is physically and mentally not fit to tie the nuptial knot.2 billion people and, even so, information of sex is different than handling the responsibility and consequences of indulging in sexual activities. Access to magazines, movies, TV and the Internet provides contact to an increasingly globalised and sexualised youth culture that leaks into what may already be a confusing milieu of expectations and ideologies. Those arguing for 16 years as the age of consent probably don’t count women as part of the country’s future! The child marriage law was a big reformational step in modern India.

It was hurriedly decided to take her to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital which is not far from the airport. When Mr Jaitley mentioned these luncheons to Ms Sule, she was quick to point out that despite their outings, the young MPs attended Parliament regularly and participated enthusiastically in the proceedings. They never fail to point out that Justice Lodha and his team are working out of an expensive suite in a five-star hotel, all at the BCCI’s expense. Sometimes, they are spoilt for choices — recently, they had to scurry from Ms Sule’s place to Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujaral’s residence as both hosted a lunch on the same day. But in reality, the outspoken Justice Katju was handpicked by the BCCI because he has no qualms about taking on the apex court. Ms Irani got herself photographed in a handwoven sari, posted it on Twitter, tagged five people and tweeted “I support Indian weavers, here’s my jacquard fabricIwearHandloomlook”.

Ms Lekhi has even drafted designer Ritu Beri to design a line of outfits for Khadi emporiums in a bid to popularise the handspun fabric and has been instrumental in the setting up of a Khadi emporium outlet in the Parliament Annexe building. It was an open secret that it was Mr Shukla who had suggested Justice Katju to head the Press Council when the UPA-2 was in power. It also helps that Rajeev Shukla, Congress’ MP from Rajya Sabha and IPL chief, knows Justice Katju. Mrs Gandhi’s political secretary, Ahmad Patel, immediately called up the Rashtrapati Bhavan whose team of doctors alerted the Army hospital as it obviously had no prior information about this VIP emergency visitor.While she has discovered the beauty of Indian handlooms, Ms Irani faces stiff competition from her party colleague and bête noire, Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has been passionately involved in the promotion of khadi for some time now. She announced her arrival with a politically-correct social media campaign for the promotion of handloom fabrics.

The reason: Ms Sule and a host of young MPs, cutting across party lines, including Sushmita Dev of the Congress, Nishikant Dubey of the BJP and Samajwadi Party’s Neeraj Shekhar are one happy gang which is constantly out lunching when Parliament is in session. President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, also intervened to ensure that Mrs Gandhi was attended to immediately.After lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interestAfter lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interest in her new portfolio. But the minister had better watch out.The writer is a Delhi-based journalistend.

It was hurriedly decided to take her to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital which is not far from the airport. When Mr Jaitley mentioned these luncheons to Ms Sule, she was quick to point out that despite their outings, the young MPs attended Parliament regularly and participated enthusiastically in the proceedings. They never fail to point out that Justice Lodha and his team are working out of an expensive suite in a five-star hotel, all at the BCCI’s expense. Sometimes, they are spoilt for choices — recently, they had to scurry from Ms Sule’s place to Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujaral’s residence as both hosted a lunch on the same day. But in reality, the outspoken Justice Katju was handpicked by the BCCI because he has no qualms about taking on the apex court. Ms Irani got herself photographed in a handwoven sari, posted it on Twitter, tagged five people and tweeted “I support Indian weavers, here’s my jacquard fabricIwearHandloomlook”.

Ms Lekhi has even drafted designer Ritu Beri to design a line of outfits for Khadi emporiums in a bid to popularise the handspun fabric and has been instrumental in the setting up of a Khadi emporium outlet in the Parliament Annexe building. It was an open secret that it was Mr Shukla who had suggested Justice Katju to head the Press Council when the UPA-2 was in power. It also helps that Rajeev Shukla, Congress’ MP from Rajya Sabha and IPL chief, knows Justice Katju. Mrs Gandhi’s political secretary, Ahmad Patel, immediately called up the Rashtrapati Bhavan whose team of doctors alerted the Army hospital as it obviously had no prior information about this VIP emergency visitor.While she has discovered the beauty of Indian handlooms, Ms Irani faces stiff competition from her party colleague and bête noire, Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has been passionately involved in the promotion of khadi for some time now. She announced her arrival with a politically-correct social media campaign for the promotion of handloom fabrics.

The reason: Ms Sule and a host of young MPs, cutting across party lines, including Sushmita Dev of the Congress, Nishikant Dubey of the BJP and Samajwadi Party’s Neeraj Shekhar are one happy gang which is constantly out lunching when Parliament is in session. President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, also intervened to ensure that Mrs Gandhi was attended to immediately.After lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interestAfter lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interest in her new portfolio. But the minister had better watch out.The writer is a Delhi-based journalistend.

It was hurriedly decided to take her to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital which is not far from the airport. When Mr Jaitley mentioned these luncheons to Ms Sule, she was quick to point out that despite their outings, the young MPs attended Parliament regularly and participated enthusiastically in the proceedings. They never fail to point out that Justice Lodha and his team are working out of an expensive suite in a five-star hotel, all at the BCCI’s expense. Sometimes, they are spoilt for choices — recently, they had to scurry from Ms Sule’s place to Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujaral’s residence as both hosted a lunch on the same day. But in reality, the outspoken Justice Katju was handpicked by the BCCI because he has no qualms about taking on the apex court. Ms Irani got herself photographed in a handwoven sari, posted it on Twitter, tagged five people and tweeted “I support Indian weavers, here’s my jacquard fabricIwearHandloomlook”.

Ms Lekhi has even drafted designer Ritu Beri to design a line of outfits for Khadi emporiums in a bid to popularise the handspun fabric and has been instrumental in the setting up of a Khadi emporium outlet in the Parliament Annexe building. It was an open secret that it was Mr Shukla who had suggested Justice Katju to head the Press Council when the UPA-2 was in power. It also helps that Rajeev Shukla, Congress’ MP from Rajya Sabha and IPL chief, knows Justice Katju. Mrs Gandhi’s political secretary, Ahmad Patel, immediately called up the Rashtrapati Bhavan whose team of doctors alerted the Army hospital as it obviously had no prior information about this VIP emergency visitor.While she has discovered the beauty of Indian handlooms, Ms Irani faces stiff competition from her party colleague and bête noire, Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has been passionately involved in the promotion of khadi for some time now. She announced her arrival with a politically-correct social media campaign for the promotion of handloom fabrics.

The reason: Ms Sule and a host of young MPs, cutting across party lines, including Sushmita Dev of the Congress, Nishikant Dubey of the BJP and Samajwadi Party’s Neeraj Shekhar are one happy gang which is constantly out lunching when Parliament is in session. President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, also intervened to ensure that Mrs Gandhi was attended to immediately.After lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interestAfter lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interest in her new portfolio. But the minister had better watch out.The writer is a Delhi-based journalistend.

It was hurriedly decided to take her to the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital which is not far from the airport. When Mr Jaitley mentioned these luncheons to Ms Sule, she was quick to point out that despite their outings, the young MPs attended Parliament regularly and participated enthusiastically in the proceedings. They never fail to point out that Justice Lodha and his team are working out of an expensive suite in a five-star hotel, all at the BCCI’s expense. Sometimes, they are spoilt for choices — recently, they had to scurry from Ms Sule’s place to Shiromani Akali Dal MP Naresh Gujaral’s residence as both hosted a lunch on the same day. But in reality, the outspoken Justice Katju was handpicked by the BCCI because he has no qualms about taking on the apex court. Ms Irani got herself photographed in a handwoven sari, posted it on Twitter, tagged five people and tweeted “I support Indian weavers, here’s my jacquard fabricIwearHandloomlook”.

Ms Lekhi has even drafted designer Ritu Beri to design a line of outfits for Khadi emporiums in a bid to popularise the handspun fabric and has been instrumental in the setting up of a Khadi emporium outlet in the Parliament Annexe building. It was an open secret that it was Mr Shukla who had suggested Justice Katju to head the Press Council when the UPA-2 was in power. It also helps that Rajeev Shukla, Congress’ MP from Rajya Sabha and IPL chief, knows Justice Katju. Mrs Gandhi’s political secretary, Ahmad Patel, immediately called up the Rashtrapati Bhavan whose team of doctors alerted the Army hospital as it obviously had no prior information about this VIP emergency visitor.While she has discovered the beauty of Indian handlooms, Ms Irani faces stiff competition from her party colleague and bête noire, Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who has been passionately involved in the promotion of khadi for some time now. She announced her arrival with a politically-correct social media campaign for the promotion of handloom fabrics.

The reason: Ms Sule and a host of young MPs, cutting across party lines, including Sushmita Dev of the Congress, Nishikant Dubey of the BJP and Samajwadi Party’s Neeraj Shekhar are one happy gang which is constantly out lunching when Parliament is in session. President Pranab Mukherjee, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, also intervened to ensure that Mrs Gandhi was attended to immediately.After lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interestAfter lying low for nearly a month over what was widely perceived to be a step down from the ministry of human resource development, minister for textiles Smriti Irani has now started taking interest in her new portfolio. But the minister had better watch out.The writer is a Delhi-based journalistend.

On this trail, one can wander into Kinari bazaar, the wholesale market for fabric trimmings where any sari can be accessorised with the relevant trim. “We are thrilled by the response we have got so far. But that does not mean that the city is just made of concrete spaces.She adds, “We also intend to introduce the idea of walking and thus bringing awareness about pollution. We have handpicked guided walking tours that reveal the incredible layers that our city has to offer. Another interesting walk, ‘Saari, Kinaari, Bazaari: Festive saris and kinaris of Chandni Chowk’ will feature the shimmering spectacle of Chandni Chowk, a popular destination for bridal shopping in the city. The bookings for some of the walks are already full. Delhi, I Love You and Delhi Dallying brings to you a week-long festival called “Delhi Walk Festival” that celebrates Delhi through 80 walking tours offering experiences like paranormal activity, street life exploration, performative walks, food and much more.With more and more people opting for air-conditioned living, family outings have become synonymous with mall-hopping, junk eating and travelling in luxurious cars. The event, supported by Delhi government, has already received tremendous response, shares Astha.

The aim is to make the participants experience Sanjay Van through sound, smell and sight in the light of a full moon.” The walk titled ‘Mehrauli And You’, co-hosted by Reclaim the Night, will make you explore Delhi at night. There hasn’t been a more exciting time in the city — for disruption, for rethinking, for conversation. It is a silent walk wherein we have asked the participants not to carry torches, cameras and mobiles so that we do not disrupt the natural habitat of the birds and animals there. With more and more people opting for functional fabric air-conditioned living, family outings have become synonymous with mall-hopping, junk eating and travelling in luxurious cars.”From secrets of old Delhi to visiting zoos and exploring the monuments around Lodhi Colony, the festival promises to show you a little more than you already know of the city along with some hidden treasures like a night walk at Sanjay Van and paranormal activity in Mehrauli.end-of. There is something of interest for everyone.

The festival also includes some offbeat areas — the ‘Salaam City Walk’ offers a guided tour around New Delhi Railway Station and Paharganj areas during which former street children will share their personal stories of survival with the participants. Astha shares, “We began conceiving this edition with three magnet points but the walks turned out to be over 80.In its first edition, the festival will bring together over 30 different walk specialists like Sadia Dehlvi, Sohail Hashmi, Manoj Misra, INTACH, Swechha and Salaam Balak Trust to conduct tours through different city neighbourhoods. Going forward, we aim to make this a yearly festival,” she concludes. With this edition, we explore old Delhi, New Delhi and neighbourhoods around Qutub Minar, but we know that there is still more ground to cover. Aastha says, “The walk at Sanjay Van is led by Kush Sethi who initiated ‘What’s happening in Sanjay Van ’ together with me.”With an aim to bring about a cultural and social movement that promotes and connects people and their city better, the festival tries to present the capital in a new light for the participants. Basking in the sun, walking, breathing fresh air in the lap of nature seems like a distant dream for today’s urban dwellers. The walk begins at Qutub Institutional Area, snaking through one corner of the forest as the trail takes you to the bird-watching tower close to the JNU exit. The Delhi Walk Festival is an opportunity to acknowledge all the exciting work that has been happening in the realm of urban exploration.

PTI Published: Jan 22, 2016, 5:07 pm IST Updated: Jan 22, 2016, 5:07 pm IST MPs from the eight parties also declared that they will launch a signature campaign and approach President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue. Aligarh Muslim University (Photo: PTI) MPs from the eight parties also declared that they will launch a signature campaign and approach President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue. New Delhi: Eight Opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress and Left today joined hands to corner the government over its alleged "sinister" move to "strip" Aligarh Muslim University and Jamila Millia Islamia University of their minority status and slammed Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi on the issue.MPs from the eight parties also declared that they will launch a signature campaign, approach President Pranab Mukherjee on the issue and will also raise the matter in Parliament in the upcoming Budget session.

In a joint statement, MPs from Congress, Trinamool Congress, JD(U), RJD, NCP, CPI, CPI(M) and AAP, said that they "strongly condemn" and express their displeasure and deep concern against the "nasty" move of the central government to "strip" AMU and JMI of their minority status.The MPs also condemned the statement of the Attorney General Mukhul Rohtagi over his view that the two institutions are not minority institutions."We condemn the statement of the Attorney General of India, who has blatantly tried to outrage the rich tradition of Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb by mentioning before the Supreme Court that these two institutions are not minority institutions," the MPs said.Signatories to the joint statement are Pramod Tiwari (Congress), K C Tyagi (JD-U), Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (Trinamool Congress), D P Tripathi (NCP), D Raja (CPI), Jay Prakash Yadav (RJD), Bhagwant Mann (AAP) and Ritabrata Banerjee (CPI-M), according to a press release issued by Tyagi.The Attorney General has told the government that Delhi-based Jamia Milia Islamia is not a minority institution as it was created by an Act of Parliament, days after he told the Supreme Court that the legislature never intended the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to be a minority institution.In his opinion to the HRD Ministry, Rohatgi is understood to have also quoted a 1967 Supreme Court judgement which had said that AMU is technically not a minority institution and the same principle applied to Jamia Milia Islamia.The HRD Ministry had approached the Law Ministry seeking an opinion on the issue. The Law Ministry had then asked the AG for his legal opinion.Rohatgi had told the apex court over a week ago that in the opinion of the government, AMU is not a minority institution.

He said as the executive government at the Centre, it can't be seen as setting up a minority institution in a secular state.Slamming the AG, the MPs alleged that Rohtagi tried to "undermine" the apex body of democratic India by making a "flimsy" claim that the legislature never intended AMU and JMI to be minority institutions.The MPs said that they believe that this is a "sinister move" to promote an "unholy agenda" and "dilute" the special character of these two premier seats of learning. The MPs noted that these two institutions have made an unparalleled contribution towards independence and have contributed to the field of social science, the betterment of minorities and Indian society.Slamming Rohtagi, they said the "insolent remarks" made (by him) "hurt the secular fabric" of our country, which has pledged to protect the identities of different minorities in multi-cultural India."Our next step would be to launch a signature campaign on the issue, which will request the President of India to intervene" into what they said was the "whip of communal forces. We also pledge to raise the issue in the forthcoming session of Parliament and fight for the basic rights of minorties as enshrined and guaranteed in the Constitution of India," the MPs said reaching out to ‘all secular minded political parties’."We appeal to eminent intellectuals, civil society and all secular-minded political parties to condemn this and expose the hidden agenda to sabotage the very Wholesale Recycled Fabric idea of India," the MPs said.end-ofLocation: India, Delhi, New Delhi

China Poly Spandex fabric suppliers Former Union minister and president of Jammu and Kashmir’s main Opposition party National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah has asked the Centre to “rein in fringe jingoistic elements” in order to protect Former Union minister and president of Jammu and Kashmir’s main Opposition party National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah has asked the Centre to “rein in fringe jingoistic elements” in order to protect the country’s “time tested fabric of religious harmony and unity”. He also urged the media to play its role towards promoting inclusiveness.Mr Abdullah, while underscoring the crucial role of media in promoting a spirit of inclusiveness in the diverse Indian society, asserted that it had become imperative especially at a time when fringe elements were out to destroy the time tested fabric of religious harmony and unity. “As long as we remain united, nobody will be able to weaken us,” he said during an exhaustive interaction with the fresh batch of Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Jammu Chapter, in the winter capital on Monday. He added that intolerance has no place in a country that has potential of taking the world along at the strength of its glorious ethos.

President Press Club of India Rahul Jalali and NC’s provincial president Devender Singh Rana were also present during the interaction, which witnessed students raising several subjects including the prevailing situation in the state and across the country over various controversial issues.“Here I invoke your important role as budding journalists to expose those who incite passions for furthering their political agenda and help in strengthening the bonds of amity and brotherhood between various segments of society,” Mr Abdullah told the participants. He also said that mistrust and intolerance were serving as termite which may turn the country hollow if the people fail in rising to the occasion to isolate fringe elements.Mr. Abdullah said a duty has cast upon the Centre to rein in the fringe jingoistic elements which are creating an atmosphere of frenzy by inciting passions. “Loose cannons cannot be left free to generate animosity among the communities,” he said and reiterated that unity in diversity has been India’s greatest strength.Recalling his meeting with then Chief Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Gujarat in 2011, he said that he had invited the attention of participants towards strengthening secularism in larger good of the country.

“I had told Mr. Modi that I want to see the day in my life when I would look in his (Modi’s) eyes and would be able to see my Allah, and when he (Modi) looks in my eyes, he will see his Ram”. The NC leader exuded confidence that the prevailing screen of religious intolerance in parts of the country will evaporate but sought the intervention of the Prime Minister in restoring confidence of the people in system. He said, “The incidents like Dadri and Udhampur, in which a young boy lost his life, were demoralising and disturbing”. He prayed for good sense to prevail on those mis-adventuring to weaken the country by exploiting religious sentiments of the people. He called for eschewing this dangerous trend and said the civil society and the media will have to play pioneering role in it. He expressed shock over the death of Kashmir trucker Zahid Rasool Butt and said the killers are needed to be served harsh punishment. “Such incidents were slur on the civilised society which has been corner stone of the state,” he said. end-of Location: India, Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar

| This autumn in women’s and men’s wear, the buzzword is texture — so it’s no surprise that designers are revisiting the luxe touch of velvet right now. Red jacket with matching tie from Manish Mahotra’s collection This autumn in women’s and men’s wear, the buzzword is texture — so it’s no surprise that designers are revisiting the luxe touch of velvet right now. But where it used to be reserved mainly for dressy gowns and skirts, it’s showing up in less-traditional silhouettes for both day and evening. Designer Amy Billimoria says, “Velvet is undergoing a renaissance. Although its past associations include historical festivals and pouf sleeves on Eighties dresses, it’s time to wipe the slate clean — and then swathe it in velvet. The first entry point into the plush rebirth is fall’s baroque trend. Velvet’s innate opulence lends itself well to channelling seventeenth-century grandeur — almost referencing to royal courts.

However, there are plenty of simple ways to wear it too. From velvet jeans, velvet biker jackets, cross-body velvet patchwork party dresses to crushed velvet bandeaus and jumpsuits, there are different and unique ways to wear the fabric without feeling cloaked in its suffocating richness and incorporating it in an unexpected way. But velvet pieces are a lot like diamonds: whether serious or playful, you have to commit.”Designer Kiran Uttam Ghosh adds, “There are some fabrics that stand for ‘dressing up’ — right from your first party frock. Velvet is one of them and, because it is often used for little girls’ dresses as well as grown-up ones, it comes with a certain innocence and nostalgia attached to it. If satin and lace are seductive and only for people who aren’t prone to spillage, the soft pile of velvet makes it comforting, a bit huggable, the kind of fabric where you find yourself absent-mindedly stroking your own sleeve.”There are several types of velvet in the market. Pure velvet is the most luxuriant, according to designer Nandita Thirani. She adds, “Made of an acetate/viscose mix, you’ll know it by its opulent sheen and usually find it only in top-end evening wear. It drapes beautifully and if you’re looking for an investment piece, this is the one to go for.

The slightly less China Knitted Fabric Suppliers expensive silk velvet is a lighter-weight, viscose/silk mix. Most of this season’s velvet jackets are actually velveteen that are surprisingly made of 100% cotton, it has a much shorter pile, is less expensive and more hardwearing.” You can also go vintage, says designer Aartivijay Gupta. “Velvet doesn’t have to be new. Real velvet aficionados can search and hunt down vintage pieces at garment shops. Very old velvet will have more natural fibres and will probably be pure silk, so it’s fabulous. But you will have to pay considerably more for it. Before buying, check the seams and for patches of wear in a good light.”In the 40s, ladies wore clinging, bias-cut velvet dresses. In the 70s, girls and boys wore skin-hugging velvet suits. But with velvet there is a fine line between close-cut and too-small. Velvet so tight across the crotch or back that it leads to “elephant wrinkles” is, as Kiran says, “not a good look”. “Wrinkles are a no-no in velvet. They’re the equivalent of cellulite.” Which — heavens! — none of us will be modelling this season. end-of