Avirate is a Sri Lankan fashion chain that’s the first to move into what we call Dutch Hospital 2, the refurbished set of buildings behind the now iconic Dutch Hospital. If you walk back past the Barefoot and O! Bar you’ll cross Hospital Road and see the Avirate store.
Avirate stocks women’s fashion ranging from cocktail dresses to tops to underwear. The clothes tend to be of a silky polyester look and feel. You’ll be hunting around for a while if looking for anything light, loose or cotton. Their clothes seem to work around a flashy Colombo clubwear aesthetic – stretchy rayon body cons, diamantes studded cocktail dresses, pointy stilettos and bright blingy handbags… If you ever flick through Kama’s Facebook albums, that’s what an Avirate wardrobe looks like.
Price wise, none of these clothes are cheap. Cocktail dresses can go up to Rs. 5000, shoes to Rs. 3000, and so on. These are international prices for mediocre synthetic fabrics and generally undiscriminating designs. That being said, it’s a matter of taste. Price wise, however, really not worth it.
