Move over athleisure, make place for kaftans. I have been lustily reading about the latter’s increasing popularity this summer. From Jennifer Lopez to Kareena Kapoor-Khan I have seen them all fluttering down in crepe and silk kaftans, raising the garment’s oomph-factor. Fashion gurus have been urging us to stock up on our leisure and resort-wear, with a focus on the kaftan, just in case we need to take off for a “staycation”. Designers have added rows of kaftans to their spring-summer collection this year. But the trend has left the cha-and-lyadh-loving Bengali in me rather worried. Anti-fit clothes may sound cool, but how do I do in a kaftan, I wonder.

First things first. The market may be flooded with compromises like “kaftan tops” and tunics, but my heart craves for the real deal. I have been yearning to buy those super soft embellished robes in silk, crepes and fine cotton that almost transport you to the Ottoman empire.

I see celebrities lounging in them at home, meeting friends and floating out to fancy dinners. Fashion gurus even recommend turning kaftans into formal wear with the right accessories. And of course your visit to the beach seems incomplete without them. I look at the price – the sky is the limit, I find. Masaba, Ritu Kumar, Abraham & Thakore...are all ready to wrap you up in a sea of colours, digital prints and soft yarns.

I sigh and look back again at my life. Unlike Kareena Kapoor I lounge in my old tees and shorts, jostling for space on the living room couch with my three dogs as I watch Grey’s Anatomy.

Neighbours are the only people I meet since working from home. Even a simple kaftan will not go with my kind of leisure that includes trips to local stores and the tea shack.

I can wear it to an evening out, but there is a problem. For generations Bengali women have loved their nighties and maxis and a kaftan is often considered an extension of the nightdress. Wearing it to a party is sure to make eyes roll, irrespective of its make. You cannot wear it to an adda either. An embellished piece of crepe is ill-fitted in my adda setting.

What about vacations then? Surely there will be some in future! But can I really strut about in a georgette mini kaftan on the Puri beach or add a coat to it in Darjeeling without feeling out of place? Can’t seem to be ticking the boxes at all!

Yet, a white kaftan with foil prints peeped at me from a shopping site. I could buy a Kanjeevaram sari with that price. It had drawstrings at the chest just like my mother’s nightdress. Wearing it to a wedding would mean hara-kiri especially when the wearer is in her forties.

I thought for a while and decided to take a chance.