FASHION
Looking beautiful in summer

By Thakur Paramjit

WITH every change of season, designers unveil their latest collections to allure the customers and to add another feather to their cap. However, designer clothes are not meant for everybody. A limited number of people are able to carry themselves in such clothes. The majority finds them too daring to don. Moreover, in spite of all the hype and propaganda by designers to provide affordable wear, the fact remains that their creations are beyond the reach of middle class, which forms the major chunk of Indian society.

Designer clothes may look groovy on models sashaying down the ramp, but an average girl feels more at home in clothes which do not carry a ‘designer tag’. The basic criterion is that clothes should look good, be comfortable and enhance one’s personality.

One should plan one’s wardrobe according to one’s individual tastes, preferences, family background and means. "By seeing designer dress on TV and in magazines, and by raking your brain a little, you can create your own dresses, which exactly complement your personality, and are not a burden to your purse", says Raman, an upcoming model.

Fabric is the first thing to be considered. Nothing can beat the cool comfort of cotton in the scorching heat of the summer months. Next come the colours. There is no denying the fact that colours play and important role in keeping you cool. White is an all-time favourite. Then come soft pastel shades which are soothing to the eyes and do not absorb heat. However, one can consider wearing darker shades in the evenings. The dress should be styled according to one’s height, figure, face and complexion.

The kind of dresses depends on individual preferences. Often girls blend the ethnic with the western. While on the one hand, skirts, half pants, tunics, T-shirts, and casual tops are preferred in the summer season, the traditional salwar kameez too does not lag behind. Parallels and churidars are in vogue again. A long flowing kameez with wide side-slits and long sleeves combined with churidar is in fashion. Embroidery all over the shirt is out. Now the stress is more on the fabric, its colour and print. Though the European designers are considered the pundits of the fashion world yet there are no hard and fast rules. One can mix and match to create one’s own individual style.

"The basic criterion is that the clothes should be comfortable", says Sheetal Kaul, an MBA student. "Usually girls consider shorts, skirts, sarongs and jeans more convenient than traditional Indian dresses. Shorts and mini skirts can be combined with ribbed T-shirts and sleeveless denim jackets." Blue is considered a hot international craze. Denim remains a popular cloth with the younger generation, whether they use it for skirts, tops or jeans. A light gold or rust coloured lehnga-kurta with rows of beads forms an excellent formal evening dress while a light coloured cotton skirt and blouse are ideal for a carefree casual look during the day. "I like to wear a cotton T-shirt with jeans or shorts", says Raman, "This is the best combination in the hot summer months".

Make-up plays an equally important role in making one look beautiful. But what kind of make-up should be applied in the hot summer months? Richa Aggarwal, who works in a beauty salon says, "Extra care should be given to make-up in summer. It has to be special and different, as one needs to block the sunlight and keep the skin well hydrated. Ice should be rubbed on the face before applying waterproof make-up. The kind of make-up also depends on the skin type. Oily skin requires powder-based make-up, while dry skin needs gel-based make-up to ensure that the skin always remains well hydrated. Lactocalamine or a sunscreen should be used as a base before applying make-up on a sensitive skin".

A couple of months ago, Rohit Bal and Rina Dhaka visited Chandigarh to inaugurate an outlet of designer clothes. Rina, while boasting that her collection was "well within the range of most people", said that her kurtas and churidars cost between Rs 3000 and Rs 6000. If this is the ‘affordable’ range of a designer, you can very well imagine the cost of their premium range. By the way, those who do not wish to boost their ego by displaying the Rina Dhaka label, can have similar dresses at one-fourth the price.

Kiran Sharma, a doctor, wonders why Indian designers do not produce clothes bigger than size 34. "In western countries, designer clothes are available for fat and middle-aged people too. However, in India, the designers aim their products at teenagers only. Why? Do they think that people above 30 years of age are not fashion conscious or they do not wish to look good by wearing designer clothes?" asks Kiran.

Are fashion designers "super humans" or do they produce something really original? Sadly, no. According to Rohit Chawla, fashion photographer and senior creative director of an advertising agency "Most designers are like your neighbourhood tailors. The only difference is that your upmarket designer has been over glorified. With a few exceptions, only mediocrity rules the Indian fashion industry". That is why the majority of Indian designers cut a sorry figure on the international scene. The situation can aptly be described in the words of Shirley Lord, Senior Consulting Editor of Vogue magazine, "As far as Indian fashion is concerned, I don’t think it has any kind of voice in America at all".

There is a lot of difference in prices of garments which carry the tag of a designer and those which do not carry such a label. Is it due to the material or label of the designer? "Look at the stuff and the designs, you cannot get this material anywhere else", emphasises Dolly Kapoor of Sanskriti, an outlet that houses designer labels. "When a person dons a designer wear, her whole personality undergoes a tremendous change". But teenagers Tanu and Maushmi Badra do not agree. "Your appearance depends on proper fitting of the garment and there are tailors in the city who can create an equally good wardrobe for you. However, if one has to boast in a social gathering then of course, designer clothes have an upper edge", they add.

Kiran Sharma remembers a friend of her mother who used to give money to her tailor and ask him to go to watch a particular movie so that he could see the dress of the heroine and stitch similar dress for her. And that tailor used to copy the said dress. If such talent existed 20 years ago in small towns then the tailors in big cities today can definitely create good dresses. Moreover, the outfits are created according to one’s measurements. This is another reason why most people do not go in for the designer wear. If good things can be had at cheap rates, why spend more in these days of escalating prices?

Colours do play a significant role not only in the case of dresses, but also in the case of make-up. Richa, an expert in this art, considers cool pastel colours like peach, lilac, rosy pink and earthy tones of brown as ideal for summer season. "The hair styles in summers must be comfortable. Those having extremely short hair are at an advantage in this season. However, girls with long hair should keep them knotted or tied" she adds.

What do the top ramp models wear in summers? Jeet Brar, a famous choreographer, says, "During the fashion shows, the models have to wear whatever clothes the designers wish to display. However, when they are not walking on the ramp, they prefer to wear casual dresses like jeans and T-shirts". Designer clothes? "The majority of the models do not wish to spend on designer clothes," replies Jeet, tongue in cheek.

Some people would go to any extent to look good. They will wear the most elaborate of attires, even in the hot days of May and June, drape themselves in yards and yards of cloth and top it all with heavy jewellery — all in the name of fashion. And then there are those who have the devil-may-care attitude. A tacky jeans and a worn out shirt, and voila! they are ready. The latter might sound ‘cool’, but they might look shabby too. Both these cases are extremes. So why don’t we club the two, and say, meet somewhere half way? (PAT Features)