South Indians take great pride in their traditional clothes. Apart from the rare ‘designer’ saree worn at wedding receptions and the everyday salwar-kameez with dupatta, most clothing trends from the north find it hard to sustain in southern India.

Today, the humble salwar-kameez has been baptized to the south Indian cult and comes in beautiful Mangalgiris, Coimbatore and Kanchi cottons. Along the way came leggings and the kurta-leggings combination became the official ‘power-dressing’ attire among corporate employees.

When the north went through a Mughal revivalism complete with chandbalis, anarkalis, shararas and ghararas, designers did not expect the south to pick up these trends. However, the anarkali has somehow caught the imagination of South Indians and has established its roots in the region across a period of about five years now.

Vasudha, Founder and Editor, Southindiafashion.com, a leading fashion blog, recollects, “One could hardly spot anarkalis in the south during the early 2000s. Young girls preferred simple cotton, silk and georgette salwar-kameez suits. However, during the 2010s, anarkalis became a really popular trend and looks like they are here to stay. The best part is that, the anarkalis available in South India somehow manage to infuse the traditional designs, texture and prints of the south.”

Chennai based fashion blogger, Shilpa Ramachandran adds, “Anarkalis became a huge trend in the south when we started spotting actors sporting these clothes in films and award parties alike. It was also around the same time that actors started becoming careful of how they were seen in public and started working with stylists for their public appearances. By then, it was a well-established trend in the north. Designers had a plethora of designs to offer to these actors.”

Perhaps because the anarkali manages to look sensual while being "modest", the trend struck an instant chord with the south Indian audience.

Vijayalakshmi Krishna, Founder and Designer, Aavaranaa, says, “Five years ago, every bride would want at least one anarkali for her wedding trousseau. Daily wear kalidars became the norm and straight cuts were considered banal. Right now, anarkalis are not necessarily in but those with asymmetric cuts and high-low hemlines are.”