This summer, let yourself loose

Ashima S Batish

Sleep-in culottes’ boasts the description note of Rina Singh’ collection presented at the Lakme Fashion Week summer resort 2017. Next, you find yourself scrolling down to see how the ramp sported a silhouette that is a proxy of sleepwear. You spot a model in culottes that look like a longer version of grandpa’s underpants. Beige in colour with white strips! Also showcased alongside are anti-fit midis and tunics. But, where are the bodycons, skin-clinging uppers and lowers…a fashion staple for at least a decade now? As fashion promised more sense and sanity, giving a miss to vanity, we find silhouettes that pledge comfort first, style second. Here is a list of many things comfortable... and some things stylish.

Easy and breezy: Long-flared skirts with slits, asymmetric-rear hemlines, loose pants in Madras check comprised Goan designer Saviojon Fernandes’ collection. Each creation taught us how to dress up in summer and that ‘ill-fitted’ doesn’t translate into ill-dressed. Naushad Ali experimented with saree to twirl it into various silhouettes. The outcome was a heady mix of draped kaftans, pleated maxi skirts, summer covers, the high point of the collection being a yellow wraparound pinafore. So cool, so chic! Padmaja Krishnan’ s collection was all about angular drapes, which reinstate comfort’s position on the top of fashion followers list of must-haves.

Pick a pocket: You don’t need pockets in summer to keep your hands snug, but you still need these to make a style statement. At LFW, Urvashi Joneja added two to a mid-waist dress, Nupur Kanoi went a step ahead and incorporated pockets in almost every creation, from a saree jumpsuit to a saree wrap-dress. They were also inbuilt in gowns and skirts by Nishka Lulla.

Arm candy: The credit of reintroducing the trend in India should go to retail brands. Much before the LFW, bell arms were seen at the window displays of most brands. At the fashion week, designers’ input came as a lesson on how to experiment more. Sohaya Mishra of the label Chola took the flounce near the shoulder, Vineet-Rahul’s started just about the elbow, also probably the best way to wear bell arms. These also look just as good with ethnic wear. Add these to blouses or long kurtas. Sama Ali of Kotwara label experimented the best with her collection.

Style in squares: You can’t deny floral prints an entry on fashion ramps in India. But you can welcome geometric prints with equal warmth. At this edition, these were everywhere, in every form by almost every designer. Urvashi Joneja, Divya Sheth, Sayantan Sarkar, Somaiya Kala Vidya, Santanu Das and Chirag Gandhi of ‘Maku Textiles’ presented an interesting assortment of checks and stripes. Sheth used mustard and tan plaid on a saree, pants and skirts and embellished these with floral embroidery. In another creation, she used grey check on white for an Ararkali and trousers. While Sarkar used check more as an accent than on the whole costume.

Fringe benefits: Who minds little colourful extras that lend an edge to costumes. Fringes strictly hung from the boho-chic outfits till these found newer forms of manifestation. Now you find them hanging from blouses, like Arpita Mehta’s creation that her showstopper Karisma Kapoor sported, or at hemlines of kaftans.

Shoulder this: A trend that ruled the last year and comfortably made room for itself this year as well is off-shoulder. In fact, these are sharper than last year’s. Adopted from western wear, it has been tweaked well to suit the structure of ethnic wear as well. Don’t forget we saw it as a part of many bridal collections last year.