Choli ko maro goli

Zeeshan Ali, makeup artist and drag performer, designs their own bodysuits and loves the silhouette because it allows them to embrace their diversity. Pic Courtesy/Zeeshan Ali

What is it about bodysuits? Technically, they are nothing more than a fancy leotard with strategic snap buttons. But they have managed to maintain a rock-solid grip on our collective consciousness. Like Swiftonomics, a phrase coined to refer to singer-songwriter Taylor Swift creating her own economic microcosm - one could argue that rising interest in the bodysuit speaks of a confident cultural economy. That Swift performs in a series of shimmering bodysuits on the Era's tour tells us about its contemporary ambivalence too.

Then there's the Renaissance tour that's bringing Beyoncé-est bodysuits to the stage; think swag-shoulders, cutouts, crystals and body chains. While a leotard (named after French gymnast Jules Léotard) is a particular cocktail of theatricality and function that belongs in the spotlight, calling it a bodysuit connects it to fashion at ground level. The bodysuit works on stage over a pair of fishnets, but it is happening IRL too, under a pair of jeans, paper-bag shorts and tailored trousers. If you're feeling fairly festive, you might even wear it with a lehenga or a saree.

Zeeshan Ali

The bodysuit sits somewhere on the spectrum of underwear and outerwear, thinks Narresh Kukreja, 37, one half of the Shivan & Narresh luxe resort wear label. "It pushes not just clothing categories, but also design and silhouette to evolve." Beyoncé wore one of their bodysuits at a private performance during the wedding celebrations of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal in 2018. The look featured the label's signature mix of prints, crochet and beads. Their sleek sculptural costumes for the poolside merges high-fashion with high-performance fabrics like Italian jersey; light to travel, water-resistant and UV protected.

The label's aesthetic, Kukreja says, is informed by all that's athletic. "When we launched our holiday label in 2008, selling swimsuits to the Indian market was a big challenge. We are not a sun-loving country. In fact, we are always protecting ourselves from the sun. But the moment we added a lifestyle to the product like a bodysuit, it worked because it solved a problem," Kukreja explains. This "lifestyle" has been driven by younger customers embracing a more informal definition of high-fashion. "For poolside events and honeymoons, the younger brides are choosing to wear embellished bodysuits as it has the right blend of Indianness and offers ease and performance. It leaves you to be you."

Shivan & Narresh prides itself on being a go-to brand for millennial shoppers

After digging into the attitudes and opinions of female fashion consumers, their desire for a key piece like a bodysuit emerged as profound, says Saaksha Bhat, co-founder at Saaksha & Kinni. "Women were tired of the bralette and bustier shapes and longed for a garment that gave them full coverage plus support while compressing the wobbly parts of their body. What's cool is that women of all shapes and sizes are owning this trend, not as a foundation layer [hidden inside] but as a hero piece. We listened to them and decided to introduce a range of bodysuits."

If ever there was a persuasive advertisement for this body-shaping garment, it is the size inclusivity and positivity movement that has pushed shapewear in focus. "What was once considered an athleisure piece has evolved into a sexy yet commanding outfit; its versatility lets you wear and re-wear it. Not to mention, it is a foolproof transitional wardrobe staple," reasons Bhat, 34, admitting that she is personally fond of this stylish outgoer, often stepping out for meetings in one, which she pairs with a blazer and jeans.

Saaksha Bhat and Kinnari Kamat are the designer duo behind the eclectic occasion wear brand, Saaksha & Kinni

The brand's bodysuits combine effective shapewear panelling with artistic elements of thread embroidery and mirrorwork, and breathable fabric so that it isn't a battle to get into one. "Instead of polyester or Lycra, we use satin-silk, net-satin, silk and washed denim. There is no itching, no chafing. It is not a Spanx but an armoured vest, almost," Bhat argues.

There comes a sweet-spot in every brand's life when an intervention in design not only stands out, but brings in sales. For Mati, Fatima K Punjaabi's label of comfortable clothing imagined from handwoven fabrics, it was the introduction of the bodysuit as the new alpha top, styled to play the role of a blouse, shirt or choli.

Fatima K Punjaabi says her clothing label, Mati, is inspired by how soil can be moulded into various shapes and sizes

The tricky thing about fashion is that it is inherently about appearance, and what this translates to Punjaabi, a self-confessed textile purist, is: sustainable fashion needs to look better. By fusing natural fabrics like cotton and linen in solid pops of colour with smocking and ruching techniques, she was able to find a solution which made the bodysuit appear sharper, more form-fitted. "The key is in the fabric; the heavier and fitted it is, the more bodysuit-like it will feel," says Punjaabi, 40. "Women constantly tell us how body-confident they feel wearing one; this is good feedback for us."

We dream of who we wish to be and feel better connected to that person through the garment we inhabit. For 30-year-old non-binary and queer drag artist, Zeeshan Ali, the bodysuit is a semiotic battle dress for identity, beauty and power. "As a drag artist, it is empowering for me to wear an outfit that spells costume drama while also questioning gender binaries. The bodysuit is a fabulous celebration and an act of defiance," says Zeeshan, who wears multiple hats, including that of makeup artist and designer.

Zeeshan started designing bodysuits in 2013 when attending their first Pride march. That was because they had no choice but to create their own outfits. "Designers don't make genderless bodysuits. I am flat chested, so I design my bodysuits with bust darts to symbolise my femme side. I also include crotch details to show my male anatomy. Drag is self-expression and the bodysuit embraces my diversity beautifully."