As I write this column, I am wearing Anokhi's block-printed palazzos, and a cotton T-shirt by Lacoste that has now become second skin with multiple wears. Some days, I am in shorts; a kurta gets thrown into the mix on other days. This is my work-from-home style, and I write on fashion.

Jeans are too stuffy for Mumbai's year-round mugginess, pyjamas or sweatpants too shabby for even a work-from-home fashion journalist.

And my deliberations on what I wear at home are now mirrored in the debates gaining traction online around a new order in dressing for office.

What some of us are asking is, has the constant exposure to all things new and trendy turned our focus away from the big picture; from the truth that comfort is the ultimate luxury. "This period of austerity is going to scar us in a way that we will start questioning what it means to indulge in apropos clothing. Ornamentation will take a backseat, and most of us will adopt a uniform of simpler essentials," believes Nimish Shah, creative director at Bhaane.

Clothes are silent communicators of what you think of yourself, and what other people think of you. This is why, the influential designers are given to a uniform of comfort wear, whether it's Sabyasachi Mukherjee in his white kurta, roomy trousers and bundi jacket; Kallol Datta in his brooding black outfits; or Anavila Misra in her linen sarees. But the perks go beyond disciplining your wardrobe, with a uniform, there is no room for distraction. "I'm mother to a 10-year-old girl, and a designer running between a workshop, studio and two stores, and my home. I can't be bothered spend ing time on what to wear every morning, or whether my blouse is too short or tight. I believe in practical clothing that takes me from morning to night. My personal preference also informs the way I design," Payal Khandwala shares.

Anjali Patel Mehta of Studio Verandah began her designing career in 2012 at her Peddar Road home with one tailor. Her goal was singular—to make comfortable clothes. "Back then, apart from a few designers like Saviojon Fernandes, nobody made functional clothes that looked stylish. You can't cook in front of a stove wearing a kurta with billowing sleeves, can you?" asks Mehta.

When all this is behind us, Mehta hopes women will see value in thoughtful clothing, and make choices that are steered by the question, how can I dress sensibly?