Known to most people as ‘artificial’, faux is actually a French word for the same. This can refer to fabrics as well as all other materials like metals or stones and more. The concept of using faux materials came about in a big way in the late 20th century and since then has become a very big deal in the fashion industry. The whole premise of faux is that it imitates the look of its authentic counterpart but is much cheaper to produce.
Emerging initially in the early 1900s as a way to curb the cruelty on animals, 1950s saw the actual boom in the sales of faux materials. The first faux varieties came about as substitutes to animal products like fur, leather and suede. However, the biggest use of faux in today’s day can be seen in garment fabrics like chiffon, crepe and georgette, among others. These are used to make faux varieties of sarees, salwar kameez and lehengas. For instance, faux chiffon sarees will feature the look and texture of authentic chiffon but is more cost-effective in terms of producing as well as buying. Jewelry is one other fashion category that heavily features faux varieties. Costume jewelry or fashion jewelry have some of the largest consumer bases in India, with fake gold jewelry and silver jewelry being very popular among the masses. Even pearls can be imitated with any sturdy beads dipped in pearly white paint.
Faux sarees, salwar kameez and lehenga cholis can be worn practically as the fabric is not limited in any way. They can be sported at parties, to work and even to weddings. One of the biggest benefit of faux fabrics is that they are low on maintenance i.e. they can be washed or dry-cleaned as the user chooses.
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