Navratri spirit boosts demand for costume rentals in Pune

Pune: This Navratri, costume rental services in the city have witnessed a surge in demand as residents gear up for garba and dandiya nights. From vibrant chaniya cholis and embroidered dupattas to traditional kediyus for men, shops have offered a wide variety of outfits at affordable rental prices. These are also bundled with matching jewellery and accessories to accentuate the Navratri look. "There is no point buying an outfit just for the season. I am renting at least three to four outfits to wear over these nine days of the festival," said Karishma Desai, a resident of Kondhwa. Mix-and-match seems to be the theme of the season. Hadapsar resident Lavina Singh rented out ghagras to match with western tops. "I will be wearing some crop tops with the colourful ghagras during the festival. I also rented out some ethnic jewellery to go with the outfit," she said.Rita Shah, who runs costume rental company Kulture Box in Karvenagar, said demand for the outfits is 30% more this year. "Eighty to ninety outfits have already been booked out for next weekend. Most people rent these outfits for 24 hours. Traditional costumes are preferred by those over 30-35 years of age, while the younger crowd prefers fusion outfits," she said. Rentals for most costumes range from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000, depending on the outfit and the accessories.Chandni Kothari, owner of Dhrriti Collection in Wakad, said demand has increased substantially over last year. "All the Navratri outfits have been designed in-house and are exclusive pieces. We have seen good demand this year and the next weekend is totally booked out for us. Alterations are made by individuals as we have to maintain free sizes that anyone can fit into," she said.Yogin Mehta, owner of Sujata Dresses in Kasba Peth, said they were seeing a lot of on-the-spot demand for Navratri dresses. "We have our own exclusive designs as well as other ready-manufactured pieces. A lot of demand is for the weekend and customers can mix-and-match based on the accessories they require. This year, fusion-wear is trending," he said.Many rental services are also introducing quick delivery and easy return options, making it convenient for residents to dress up in festive attire without investing in expensive, one-time wear costumes.