Look chic this holiday

The basics for holiday-wear are swimsuits, casuals, hats, bags and sandals. Travellers today want to look good all the time, writes Anjana Bhandari

Holidays are meant to be a relaxing season for you, when you can dress as you want and eat when you like, between oodles of sightseeing. But it is very essential, especially in these days, when, Generation X is also taking its holidays seriously, you should look decent and not a mess. If nothing else, dress for up yourself. And, of course, for others, who might see you. So what if they are strangers? Admiring looks never hurt anyone.

The basic step is to ensure that you pack the right kind of clothes. With tourism burgeoning into a big industry, designers and the ready-to-wear industry are only too happy to oblige, and have responded to every need.

They cater to the well-dressed individual’s demand for club/party wear (clothes with fitted silhouettes and a metallic sheen), Friday dressing (casual corporate wear) and weekend dressing or lounge wear (stylish casual wear where pyjamas replaced jeans).

If you ask as to what are the basics for holiday wear, depending on the weather at your resort, the essentials are kaftans, beaded cover-ups, swimwear, beach jewellery, bags and sandals. According to fashion designer Akhila Phadnis of Bombay, resort wear has become—like just about everything else—a style statement. "With disposable income at hand, travellers today want to look good all the time. Hence, resort wear ".

Adds fashion designer Tarun Tahiliani: "Holidays are now a big part of the life of all urban Indians. Resort wear is something all travellers need, especially if your holiday revolves around an exotic beach location".

Another fashion maestro Chandrika Kripalani has to add this: "Going away on a holiday is much more fun when it includes gearing up for it. Shopping is a big part of a holiday, especially when you are jetting off to the beach. It is better to arrive at your destination armed with some fashion ammunition". What’s so special about resort wear? According to Tarun Tahiliani, casual clothes cannot be used as a substitute for resort wear. He says: "The latter category consists mainly of kaftans, kurtis and sarong skirts and wrap dresses, all of which might be a little frivolous otherwise. Yes, there might be a slight overlap in the case of a few clients between their casual clothing and their resort holiday wear. But essentially, most adopt easier-to-wear shapes that they can throw over their bikini tops or over a pair of capris".

Can you take your lounge wear used at home for your travel? Again, according to fashion designer Rajiv Lambah, there is a fine difference between lounge wear and resort wear, and you cannot interchange it. Basically, lounge wear is for your home, and resort /travel wear is for an occasion when you are seen in public, even though the beaches do not demand too much of dress.

What are the essentials for travel wear? Once you accept that it is to look good while holidaying, it is easy to decide. Your couture silhouette has to permit free movement. The fabrics should be easy to pack, lightweight, easy on maintenance, not requiring much ironing, simple to fold, and also not needing much attention at the destination.

Here, of late, kaftan kurtis have become very popular, as these are adaptable for everyone’s needs, besides looking chic. You can wear it over a bathing suit, and for resort functions you can use accessories like necklaces of shells/beads.

On beaches you can wear more kaftan kurtis in sheer fabrics such as chiffons or fine cotton, or little dresses, ruffle-layered skirts and even capris. Colours tend to be vibrant in the beach line. And what’s more, there are more fun silhouettes and colours.

Of course, your destination plays the most important part in your selection. Obviously, if you are going to a mountain/ski resorts, skimpy cloths are out. Suggests fashion maestro Malini Ramani: "Take capes, parkas, throws and shrugs, that you could combine with the rest of your wardrobe. These should be in heavier weight fabrics like crepe wool or velvet or even heavy drill". Now that you have all the knowhow of what you need, head off for that vacation in style. — MF