By Zankhana Patel, Ahmedabad, 25 September 2014

Over the years, Modi’s dress sense has evolved in keeping with the changing times. Our PM is acknowledged as one of the most stylish politicians of his times. He’s even considered to be the best dressed PM of all times. His dapper looks, his well-cut Indian suits and his fondness for bright colours, makes him stand out like a peacock in the country’s crowd of gloomily dressed politicos.

His favourite piece of dressing the “Modi Kurta” is essentially a kurta with half sleeves, buttoned up standing collar and fine detailing on the shoulder seam. The “Modi Kurta” a brand in itself is a customary attire of “Powerful People”. Crafted from pure Linen the Modi Kurta is a must have wardrobe accessory today! The Modi Kurta is already a registered label in India.

“We have trademark rights for ‘Modi kurta’ for retail in India,” says Bipin Chauhan, who co-owns the Rs 150-crore clothing chain, Jade Blue, along with brother Jitendra. The duo who have been dressing up Modi for two decades now, are taking this clothing brand overseas, labelled as ‘Modi kurta’ for the first time.

“We have been selling these kurtas for four years but these were not labelled as such,” he says. ‘Modi kurtas’ in 20 colours and 12 styles are being sold in through the company’s outlets pan India. ‘Modi kurtas’ are made in two fabrics – linen-polyester and linen-cotton. “Just like the Nehru jacket, Modi kurta has become a phenomenon,” says Chauhan who got the brand name cleared from the Prime minister himself.

Obviously, the Chauhans know Modi well as their association with Modi dates back to 1990’s when the RSS pracharak preferred half-sleeved poly-khadi kurtas in white because they were easy to iron.

Over the years, Modi’s dress sense has evolved in keeping with the changing times. From poly-khadi, his wardrobe now includes kurtas in khadi silk, matka silk and linen. Modi’s favourite colours are white, off-white, light pink, saffron, pistachio and other earthy shades.

With the PM all set to make a mark at the USA, all eyes are on his attire while meets the US President Barack Obama this weekend. Modi kicks off his US tour with meetings with current New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his predecessor Michael Bloomberg. He also meets Nobel Prize-winning scientist Harold Eliot Varmus, director of the National Cancer Institute showing his concern for health issues.

An address to the annual festival of Global Citizen Initiative, a movement for eradication of extreme poverty, at Central Park is demonstrative of Modi’s anti-poverty focus. Modi will take to the world stage with his address to the UN General Assembly on September 27 and several bilateral meetings with gathered world leaders.

PM Modi will than be addressing a large gathering of American Indians at the Madison Square Garden in the NYC. Those involved with the event say his supporters are planning to greet him by wearing a Modi Kurta thereby showing their affection and support to the Indian Prime Minister.

(Note: Buying a Modi Kurta online from the original makers of Modi Kurta is possible from this link http://jadeblue.com/categories/modi-kurta )