IT is that time of the year when woollens are taken out of closets, dusted for mothballs and put out to sun. But for once, there will not be much of dull browns and greys this winters. The colours of the season are cheerful reds, bright blues, bottle green and even summery whites.

The only exception in this riot of warm and bright hues is black.

But then, as they say, black is not really a colour. "It is basic, mysterious and has an intensity that is deep," says make-up artiste Ambika Pillai, whose all-time favourite is black. "But if I am to choose a colour this winter, it would be pink or mauve. They are really happy colours and convey positive vibes."

Designer Madhu Jain subscribes to the same view: "I love warm and earthy colours like red and orange because they lift my mood automatically. There is something about these colours that cheers me up, though I combine them with black for dramatic effect."

Says Jain, "We all need something to cheer ourselves up with and what better way to do that than through a burst of bright colours in winter!"

According to her, it is "more like a Rajasthani kaleidoscope and all the hues that you would associate with the bleak sandscape" that will be hot. Everything from peacock blue to parrot green and blood red to hot pink is in. Even men will be seen in saffron shirts, she says.

Agrees Rohit Gandhi, another designer: "Peacock colours will be a rage now, followed by petrol blue and copper. But none of them will be used in isolation. There is going to be dashes of very bright colours sprinkled all over. And red will be very popular in combination with black."

Some fashion pundits are also predicting the revival of prints this season, but in geometric or structured motifs, rather than bold florals. In other words, the prints will conform specifically to garment shapes and not have regular patterns splayed all over.

These predictions are already reflected on the shelves of department stores selling premium brands. For instance, the United Colors of Benetton palette is marked by red, blue, yellow and green for women and white, black melange grey and bottle green for men.

"The colours for the season are varied and unrestricted," says a store owner in Mumbai. "Use of rich fabrics and knits in a vast array of colours and styling that is eclectically retro distinguishes the various collections this season."

Likewise, ColorPlus is creating its own palette with a profusion of deep blues that would share shelf space with regular pastels and soothing shades. Once again, the emphasis is on newer weaves and knits, though styles are more of the late sixties and early seventies.

Observes Jain: "We are going back by at least 25 years when clothes were bodyhugging, the kurtas were short and the colours riotous. The louder the statement you make the better. But then metallics do not have a place any longer. We have had enough of them in the last few years."

However, Farzan Khan has a different take on the trend. "There will really be no major departure from what we have seen in recent times," says the designer. "After all, Indians relate to colours seasonally. So while everybody wears soothing pastels colours in summer, the shades become deeper in winter."

She argues that projecting colours is a western practice because people there go by fashion forecasts. In India, it is a question of personal preferences and more than that, climatic conditions. A winter wardrobe in Delhi would be vastly different from that in Mumbai simply because it’s never chilly in the coastal city.

"One would look quite strange wearing even a leather jacket, not to mention heavy woollens, in a city like Mumbai," Khan points out. "Likewise, you cannot possibly wear lime green in winter. I would say the colours would have to be shades of burgundy, olive, deep blue, orange, red and black."

Adds Muzaffar Ali, filmmaker-turned-designer: "I would prefer colour such as black, white, olive and khaki. I don’t much like the idea of attracting attention with bright colours as it is much more interesting to wear clothes that absorb the colours around you."

— MF