New Delhi, April 5 -- During a recent Iftar get-together at Old Delhi's grand Jama Masjid, a pair of pants caught my attention: the floor-sweeping farshi salwar, which borrows its name from the Urdu word for floor, farsh. It wasn't just the bright pink colour that stood out in a sea of heavily embroidered palazzos and slim dhoti- pants; its presence indicated that celebrities and content creators flaunting their love for salwars online is more than just a social media trend.

For the past few years, the salwar hadn't been on top of the list of looks for labels and designer brands. Palazzos, cigarette pants, dhoti-pants, harem pants, wide-legged pants and skinny pants ruled, and continue to do so on runways, streets and fast-fashion racks....