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Fashions Seasons and You

Seasons Quick Tips

Seasons Quick Tips provide you one-glance tips that will help you look beautiful, stunning and elegant within minutes without taking too much effort.

• Summer
• Mansoon
  
• Winter
  
• Spring
  
• Fall

Summer

Summer is unbearable. The heat, the sweat, the sun literally drives a person crazy. In such a weather to keep up with fashion is a bit tricky coz it's the time when minds, bodies and clothing wander to outdoor mode. But fret not coz we bring you tips for fashion in summer. With some creative ingenuity, you can transform your summer attire into outdoor chic. Just make sure you are prepared to take full advantage of summer's best offerings by wearing comfortable clothing with a stylish flair.

Comfy outfit: Loose fitting, breezy, lightweight garments are most comfortable and perfect for outdoor summer entertaining. You can wear them at parties whether it is during the day or night. You can wear them at work place, gatherings, picnics and almost anywhere. Thus fashionable skirts, salwar kameez, dresses or pant matched with the versatile top of linen, cotton or silk go very well both at work and outdoor fun and can be worn to a number of summer events and also make an elegant fashion statement.

Comfy shorts for summer fashion: What better way to feel comfortable and enjoy the summer heat than with a pair of shorts? Shorts are a relief in summer for picnics or outings. There are shorts for every type of body, fat or slim. There are short shorts, walking shorts, golf shorts and even shorts that are designed for people who don't have the right figure for shorts. For those who have the body, the legs and the attitude to carry the look, short-shorts are en vogue this season.

Jean wear for summer fashion: Jeans and other denim sportswear continue to be very popular for all type of seasons. Jeans paired with a fancy top can take you to any number of outdoor events and are very comfortable and look smart. During summer season, denim is decorated with embroidery and given other decorative touches. Match your jeans with the basic white cotton T or checks or any other short sleeve shirt, which will be comfortable and reduce the amount of discomfort and sweat.

Capri chic for summer fashion: The hot favourite this season is Capri pants. Capri pants are perfect and excellent clothing for warm-weather chic. Capri pants are found in a number of styles like tight-fitting pants, cut-off pants that may fall in length anywhere from right above the knee to mid-calf to just above the ankle. Capri's can be worn to almost any summer outing. Fabric's range from linen to denim to silk, and, like jeans, may be decorated with embroidery. Depending on the style, fabric and how they are accessorized, Capri pants can be worn to an upscale event as well as fit in at an ultra-casual outing.

Summer Fashion accessories: The last step is to accessorize you. To make sure you and your attire are summer chic, you have to take a little time out and go through your wardrobe. Take out the scarf you had bought but forgotten to ever use it coz the right scarf in the right colour adds zing to an outfit. Summer handbags also can enhance your overall look. There are numerous small bags that work for those times when you only need a few items at hand. When you attend an all-day outing, there is a variety of great jute and canvas bags with beautiful embroidery available that looks great and is fit for the occasion.

Mansoon

It is raining cats and dogs. Braving all those puddles and slush you have to reach office on time. As you turn to cross the road, an autorickshaw passes by splashing the muddy water on your saree. Next you try to catch a bus but end up getting drenched in the thick downpour. After you reach office, you try to wash off the mud and squeeze out the excess water from your pallu. But it is not so easy. The result is you shiver through your bones the whole day in the air-conditioned environment. Had the fabric of your saree be rayon or silk you could have avoided this mess. It is this necessity that has caused the advent of monsoon fashion in India. India, which is still waking up to concepts like fashion seasons was blindly aping the Western idea of spring/summer and autumn/winter collection.


However, for the past couple of years, designers like Vandanna Roy Of Sentiments have started bringing out monsoon collections.Says Vandanna, "during monsoon, the accent is on bold colours, pastels are out simply because the sun is not shining as bright as it was in summer. Fabrics like blended cotton and polynylon are ideal for this season. Chiffon and crepe are out as they lose their sheen once they are wet. I prefer thicker fabric material as it will also keep you warm. My personal favourite for monsoon is capri pants teamed with tank tops, I think it is the best for the season.

"Sunita Ramnathkar's Barcode has worked on the Jungle theme this monsoon. Says she, "my designers have captured the thick greenery and wild dense growth of jungles for the monsoon. Deep beige, olive green are the dominant colours in this pret collection." But not all designers believe in bold colours for monsoon.


Goa-based Wendell Rodricks prefers to bring out the various hues of sea to dark bold colours of greenery in his collection for the season. The dominant colours in Wendell's collection include blue, green, indigo and white. The fabric used is blended cotton.


According to Dinesh Chheda who has been designing ethnic threads for women for more than 25 years, "most women prefer wearing salwar-kameez to sarees during monsoon. That apart, they generally do not buy anything major during this season. All their buying is confined to summers or festive occasions. Hence, I do not see the need to design for this season. However, if I ever design for monsoon then the accent will be on synthetic fabrics and bold colours."


In contrast, leading designer Seema Roye has brought out Splash, an exclusive collection comprising six different segments, to welcome rains. Seema's collection consists of elegant beach wear, Indo-Western fusion and traditional Indian wear. Her palette is as wide as blue, peach, light copper and white. Palazzos teamed with tank tops are among the fusion wear and elegant zardozi work on satin mark the ethnic collection. Her fabrics include satin and net.

Unlike Seema, Shaina NC does not design for monsoon nor does she believe in any kind of work on her clothes for the season. She avoids fabrics like cotton, crepe and organza. According to her, "silk is best suited for the monsoon. It also gives scope for variation in the hues."

Anita Dongre whose AND outlet at Crossroads avers, "traditionally,Indian women used to have a different variety of clothing exclusively meant for the monsoon. It is only now that we have realised the need to revive this tradition. I have not brought out anything new for this season but my fusion wear, which is a blend of Indian bandhani with Western outfits, seems to be the right choice to offset this season."

Designer Jai Ramrakhiani makes special bermudas for the monsoon. "I think bermudas are best to avoid the various hassles of heavy downpour," he smiles.

Vikram Phadnis simply treats monsoon as an off season and takes a break during this period. He would rather concentrate on his autumn\winter collection than design for monsoon.

Star designer Manish Malhotra has similar views. Says he, "I think colours like blue, light purple, indigo, lemon yellow and white, which are a designer's favourite for summer also hold good for monsoon. He does not see the need to design separately for monsoon.

Deepak Duggal who is into men's fashion in a big way, has designed special shirts for the monsoon. Says he, "it is important to use the right fabric during monsoon as there are certain fabrics which lose their sheen once wet. Hence, I import a special blend of rayon and cotton from Italy, which I use for most of my line for this season. The rayon ensures that the clothes do not cling to your body and cotton dries up fast so it is an ideal blend for this season."

With so much to choose from for this season, monsoon will never be looked down upon as a dull and dreary season anymore. Most, I am sure, will be ready to welcome the showers. EOM…

Winter

Winter  is layers...layers of warmth...layers of fashion, finally a season of comfort and style. The key to the layers is stay with the same family of color. This will keep you looking more elegantly "chic" than bag lady "slouchy". Bring those layers in with this season's wide belt for a sleek silhouette.

Keep the layers in balance by going with a wide top over a skinny leg pant or a fitted top with a wide legged pant.  Skirts are short but leggings or tights provide the coverage. Leggings are front and center this season. Leg wear is textured and adds a dimension of polish to winters outfits.

When layering look for pretty blouses with a little ruffle and chunky sweaters. Thin turtlenecks look great under a jacket ,vest or dress. Look for wide bold stripes accenting sweaters. Hourglass silhouette jumpers and feminine empire waist "little" dresses are pretty.  Jackets are key and 50's inspired. Bold silhouettes, oversize buttons, bell sleeves, bow accents, ruffles and A-lines all contribute to a 50's flashback. Capes offer a romantic alternative to a coat.

Go grey, go texture, go fur.  Grey is everywhere from pale to charcoal. To liven up your grey outfit add color with accessories such as a  handbag or a wide belt. Jewel tones such as purples, plums, greens and both cobalt and royal blue can all add that splash of color to your monochromatic outfit. Look for texture in suits and cropped pants made from  tweeds, plaids, pinstripes, and hounds tooth fabrics. These fabrics add interest when combined with cashmere, fine knits, suede and fur.  Fur trimmed and lined garments, hats, handbags and scarves are fun and sophisticated.

Handbags and footwear are huge in style and size. The oversize satchel, hobo purse and slouch bag are big and bold. Detailing with grommets, bling, shine, and texture are making this season's handbags a hot, must have fashion accessory. Boots are everywhere. Look for big and bold stacked heels, wedges and  platforms to give you some height to rise above all the layers.  This season's elegant ballet flat is a great alternative if you want to break away from this seasons "big" footwear. The flat provides comfort and style with a twist of romance.

Fashion jewelery is bold with wide link chains in the forefront. Every outfit will benefit by adding a chunky chain necklace. Look for gold, silver and bronze. Silver and steel jewelery set off this season's neutral color palette. Belts are big and wide, buckle over a coat jacket or long sweater.

Add layering to your wardrobe this season. Purchase some leggings or tights and a wide" must have" belt.  Look for texture and don't forget to add a splash of color with accessories.

Spring

Colors are bright with lots of floral patterns. Textured fabrics, flowers and jewels add interest and excitement to any outfit. The soft pastels of last spring have been replaced with a bold, vibrant palette. Rich ocean turquoise, crisp salad greens and shades of golden and mango orange along with beautiful bright lipstick pink are the key colors to wear.

Feminine styling prevails for spring with a full knee length fluted A-line skirt. This voluminous skirt topped with spring's soft flowing baby doll blouse is romantic and captures the essence of this season. 

The trench coat is reinvented and 70's inspired. This shorter version of the classic coat is found in vivid colors and cool retro patterns. These coats are so much fun and can take you anywhere from daytime to evening dressing.

Ordinary suits are gone. Tweed jackets and skirts embellished with fringes and sequins take the suit to an inspired level for spring. Look for the shorter Chanel-style jacket with 3/4 length sleeves or the longer trench style jacket.

Textures are happening and tweed is everywhere. You can wear tweed from head to toe this season. Look for tweed accessories such as handbags, brooches and even tweed shoes-both flats and heels . Embroidery, beading and sequins all add a romantic twist and hint of reto 70's style.

Flowers are blooming on everything. Floral brooches in fabric or rhinestones sparkle and shine, the bigger the better. Jewels and more jewels are embellishing handbags and clothing. Chandelier earrings are making it big, even with conservative dressers. 

Tilly's One Tip Wonder: Chandelier earrings and a big floral brooch will take you into spring. Don't forget to take time to smell -- and wear -- the flowers.  

Fall

Change is in the air, seasons change and so does color. Move over black and brown as grey is the color of the season. Grey on grey is the new basic. Grey is challenging for most of us, to liven up your grey outfit add colorful accessories such as a  handbag or belt. Other fall colors include jewel tones such as purples, plums, greens and both cobalt and royal blue. Fall's hottest patterns include bold stripes, preppy plaids and fun geometric patterns such as polka dots.

Casual layering will be front and center this season. Here are some ideas:  plunging necklines on knit sweaters lend themselves well to layering, wear a white shirt under a heavier knit sweater. Thin turtlenecks look great under a jacket ,vest or dress. Fall's slouchy knit tunics looks great with skinny pants, a slim pencil skirt or wide leg trousers.

The menswear look influences ladies' suits and cropped pants.   Fall's wide leg dress pants and casual trousers are slimming for all figure types. The distressed denim look is moving over and gearing towards a cleaner, darker denim. The skinny leg jean is the latest syle.

Jackets are key and 50's inspired. Bold silhouettes, oversize buttons, bell sleeves, bow accents, ruffles and A-lines all contribute to a 50's flashback.
Handbags are huge in style and size. Hobo purses and slouch bags are big and bold. Detailing with grommets, bling, shine, and texture are making this season's handbags a hot, must have fashion accessory. Shoes continue to evolve, everything goes this season! Flats, platforms, stilettos, stacked heels, wedges, chunky, dainty, round toe, pointed toe are all appearing on shelves. Choose what feels good and looks great on you.

Fashion jewelery is bold with chains and beads in the forefront. Every outfit will benefit by adding a chunky chain necklace. Silver and steel jewelery sets off fall's neutral color palette. Belts are here, buckle over a coat jacket or long sweater.
One Tip Wonder: Add some grey to your wardrobe this season and don't forget to add color with accessories. A new bold handbag can do just that.