On the surface ‘bralets’ are most likely to be perceived as a minuscule ready-to-wear product owing to their size and structure, but its presence on the runway, street and even on e-commerce websites is anything but minuscule. Having sustained for one season too many ‘bralets’ appearance in mainstream fashion is not only an indication of designers’ increasing affinity for the product but also its wide acceptance amongst consumers who are warming up to the idea of bare midriffs in fashion. Closer home, the recurrence of bralets is one opportunity for Indian exporters that shouldn’t be overlooked, especially when the product has made an appearance in fall collections of 2014, with a similar aplomb as spring, if not more.
Last spring season, as the era of fifties left a trail of inspiration for designers across the world, collections boasted of flounce, midi lengths and high waist shorts amongst other vintage-inspired ensembles. Now, as innovators move forward to bask in the sass of seventies and the perk of nineties – apparent in the fall collections of 2014-15 – pin up bralets seem to have survived this transition of eras. Season after season as designers present versions of the bralets in their collections, the product has not once declined into oblivion after its debut in spring’13.
A major contributor to the continuing popularity of the bralet is its uncanny resemblance to the sports bra. What originated as a dainty feminine bra top has been cleverly fashioned on the lines of an offspring of the sportswear mania. Emilio Pucci’s spring collection, which focused on reinventing the product, presented it akin a gym bustier flanked by strappy details which unbolted the many possibilities of conceiving a bralet. Not only Pucci, but a slew of designers reinterpreted the bralet, tapping on popular trends for appeal – whether for Prada’s ground breaking jewel-encrusted bralets worn over jersey dresses or Jonathan Simkhai’s corseted top constructed to raise its stake as a ready-to-wear silhouette. With a length that were considerably longer than a teensy bralet and a fit that was less restrictive than that of a corset, spring reincarnated the bralet as a contoured version of a crop top.
Following these strategic renditions of the product, fall of 2014 too has welcomed the bralet, as collections of various designers would have the larger audience believe. The iconic vintage style bras with its contoured bust line and décolletage necklines remain but with it come the hybrid versions which uplift the wearability of the bold separate. Resultantly, the bralet is now remodelled to be spread across a wider spectrum of sensibilities. Francesco Scognamiglio continued with the athletic bra for winter, as he rounded them off with elastic hems for a taut fit and in yet another sporty interpretation, David Koma laid a bib style neckline on a minimal bralet. These styles tend to gravitate toward a more androgynous style of dressing and hence are kept intrinsically simple.
Other designers looked beyond the viral sporty influences choosing to work around sensibilities which are more feminine than androgynous. A fairly interesting variation, which is essentially viable for an exporter dealing in women’s tops, is the sheer bralet top. Whether for Jacquemus’ sheer full sleeved top, stitched with a bralet to conceal the bust or Véronique Leroy’s tribal printed bustier patched on sheer in a similar style, the trend succeeds in incorporating feasible elements. Not only sheer, but a style like this works exceptionally well with chiffons and georgettes, as long as the fabric of bustier is kept stiff in comparison.
Silhouette aside, designers are noticeably stretching their imagination in terms of the fabric choices for these perky bralets. Of course, leather tends to be an obvious choice for designers who are diving in the choicest of patent and glossy leather for making a somewhat bold statement with the separate but that is restricted to the traditional bralets. Versions, which have generously lessened the fit on the bralet injecting it with a dose of relaxations, have pleasantly embraced fabrics which are winter appropriate. From JW Anderson’s fleece bra top which hung loose on the body to Felder Felder’s rich jacquard bralet with low necklines to Paco Robane’s wide-strapped, neoprene corset that finished at the waist, the trend has consumed unconventional fabric choices. Jacquards, in particular, have a way with the trend as not only woven but knit jacquards have been included for figure-flattering fit, especially in the case of fitted bralets.
Despite designers’ continual innovation on the silhouette, the product hasn’t yet found a strong foothold for Indian exporters. A recently included garment fair catering to the fall of 2014, didn’t confirm a strong presence of the product and even the most fashionably sound collections chose to give the product a complete miss. An occasional sighting of the bralet in ethnic jacquards and denims sufficed for a trend that managed to continue for four straight seasons. As Ayushi Nath, Designer, Impulse points out, “According to our trend research, the product definitely tops the chart for the current and coming season but our buyers haven’t really enquired us for the product. Since we majorly work with buyer centric orders, we haven’t developed bralets for the season either.”
Among the few companies that have developed ‘bralets’ for the season is Moissanite Apparels, which is working for US importers that supply to retailers like Macys, A&F and Urban Outfitter. Elaborating on developments for the coming season, Anshu Saxena, Director, Moissanite Apparels, lets us in on their collection of bralets which have majorly been constructed in printed, polyester fabrics. Anshu validates the sporty influences as zip closures have been incorporated in these styles but simultaneously, they are also working with feminine laces and peasant-inspired, wide necklines. “We are using prints with solid lining or as trim fabric,” informs Anshu. Alternating amid romantic floral and vibrant tribal patterns, the prints have been kept particularly cheery that are most likely to come in handy for their spring’15 developments.
Needless to say, that the Indian exporter is somewhat stuck between predictable buyers and monotonous product categories, as established in our previous stories on fall collections. In a scenario like above, a simple product like a bralet has all requisites of not only a fresh product category but a strong tool that can convince foreign buyers to explore products beyond tunics and tops in India.
