Go Summer Trendy

Even though temperature goes from hot to hotter, people look forward to coming out in their colourful sandals, and funky attires. So summer is a great time to introduce new fashion.

Across the world two major things generally influence trends. The movie industry and the runway fashion. In India too, we are greatly influenced by Fashion Weeks and the Bollywood stars and of course our soaring mercury.

Taking cues from all of the above, we are expecting to see the return of pastel shades this summer in as many forms as the delicate English prints, the earthy Indian block prints, the bright vegetable dye, the striking batik and so on.

Like last year, we will see women wear traditional fabrics in western wear so you will see Kalamkari dresses, tops made using the Khun fabric, skirts which show off the Assamese cotton or the Sambalpuri soft silks. The fusion look has really taken the Indian fashion world by storm.

The beauty of the end product of marrying an Indian fabric or print with a Western look is beyond compare and it will not be long before the West picks up on this and you see it on ramps abroad. The popularity of this style is equal among the young and the old. It makes you think that it is here to stay for a while.

In terms of styles, we are likely to see the trend of off-shoulders and one-shoulder tops continuing. The asymmetric cuts are here to stay with swishy handkerchief hems. This will be a tricky trend to master when choosing.

We suggest to try on the garment and walk around in it to see how it looks on you. Silhouettes and cuts are the defining factors that make a garment high fashion, look for the perfect drapes, structured cuts and fabric detailing when choosing your summer wardrobe.

In fabric, Chiffons are always a big hit for its lightweight, its pastel shades and floral prints which ticks so many boxes of the summer look. Chiffons are expected to be seen in the form of flowy summer evening dresses, party sarees, kurtas and tops.

Going by what was showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week, we expect to see a lot of Lucknowi lines be it dresses, kurtas, dupattas or sarees, from cotton to Chiffon and silk. The Lucknowi work ranges from heavy embroidery with metal work to the usual lightweight thread work. The elegant white thread work has always been popular for all occasions for scarves to dupattas to kameez among designers and the janta.

With regards to accessories, belts are back this season. Whether you style it with your dresses or saris, it is sure to accentuate the waist for a structured A-line look. Also, the grid pattern which is inspired by architecture is expected to make a comeback in the summer of 2018.

Cotton and linen are especially desired during the summer heat, an interesting challenge is to make these fabrics look dressy. And we’ve found the answers in Punit Balana’s stunningly fashionable block printed cotton line. His use of gold sequins glams outfits up instantly. The line is comprehensive with beautiful bralettes, sarees dresses and tunics.

Another interesting summer trend is the traditional Lucknow chikan work. We have found the label Myra to be very versatile in terms of their glamorous creations, their use of Lucknowi ‘karigari’ on chiffon sarees, dresses and tunics.

This is the season to avoid all synthetic blends typically found in the fast fashion of high street brands. These blends of polyester, rayon and viscose are bad not just for your health but for the environment as well. It’s wiser to choose pure fabrics like cotton linen and silk, even if you end up spending a little more it is totally worth it.

Apart from being naturally elegant, pure fabrics let your body breathe bringing in the most important comfort angle. Summers fashion was all about popping and bright colours but there is a shift of focus from striking hues to blush and nudes. So get ready to embrace all these styles and be a fashionista this summer.

By: Deepa Reddy
The writer is the founder of The Open Trunk.