In Line With Stripes

Trends come and go but classics remain. Doubtlessly stripes are one such print that is ageless and can never go out of our wardrobes. The versatility of stripes got proved on the 2013 Spring/Summer runways. Fall 2012 trends turned out to be a diverse collection of numerous styles. New, old and remixed fashion heated up the runway all over the world but stripe again stole the charm.

As the new graphic fever has caught up the fashionistas, stripe print too morphed itself. Starting from straight lines to Op Art (optical illusion print), 2013 graphics have geometric influences. If worn individually, lines and stripes are still simpler than what it used to be but uncannily they are all to be worn together!

Here’s how you can style the lines:

Mix them well: Yes, the chaotic web that we are living in has given rise to mixed geometry. Dizzying prints are in and monotonous gapping between the lines is out.

Let Them Merge: Pick both top and bottom in stripe. It would be best if there’s a difference in the gapping between the lines. The idea is to let different stripes mish-mash. The look turns out to be simple yet striking.

Make It Official: For work pair a simple striped pencil skirt with a denim blouse and side hair parting. This sets a perfect example of classic chic.

Check and Stripes Combo: Miniature checks with wide stripes are the hero style of this season. Try wearing both if you are experimental enough. Keep the rest of the look simple. It will never fail to draw attention. Take cue from the runway trends of Oscar De La Renta, Hermes and Marni and Etro’s Spring/Summer 2013.

Go For Bold Nautical Stripes: Work the look with a striped skirt, wing-tip liner on your eyes and side parting. After all it is stripes; we have been romanticizing with it since we don’t even remember when!

A Hundred Hues

One of the strongest medium of expression is colour. The colours that you pick to dress yourself in reflect your personality and your mood. They also have the ability to impact those around you. With the festival of colours round the corner, this is just the time to dip yourself in hues and shades of all that you ever wished to explore.

If you’ve ever been apprehensive about putting myriad hues together, feel free to push it aside this season. The Spring/Summer runways of 2013 saw designers like Louis Vuitton, Vladimir Potop and Ermanno Scervino bring in an indulgent play of plush pigments.

There are many unexplored combinations in the expanse of colours that you can discover and experiment with. In order to do that, you need to shed inhibitions and bring your experimental self out.

Neon-on-Neon- Neon colours are vibrant, fun and are an absolute hit this season. There was a time when neon colours were paired with subtle hues. However, it’s time to break all barriers and go neon-on-neon. Vivid hues of pink coupled with orange make a dazzling combination. Pair a neon pink tunic dress with orange pumps for a bright and fun look.

A Pastel Palette- If you’re more into pastel colours, then mint green, nude shades and pasty yellows are a smart choice to make. Dip yourself in these ice-cream colours for a fresh and blithe look. A mint green collar top in sheer fabric paired with yellow shorts can make an unusual yet exciting combination.

Splash of Solids- You can also combine many colours together if you’re up for some experimentation. Pair a pastel coloured comfort top with coloured skinny jeans or shorts and accessorise it with wedges or pumps in neon or pastels for a convivial yet balanced look.

With festivity in the air and colours on your mind, there’s nothing that can restrict you from soaking yourself in all the colours that never thought you would! Pair flashy jeans with an equally flashy pair of pumps or stick to the pastel province, do what you please, for this season, there’s no rulebook to abide by!

Romancing with the lace!

Turned more versatile than it was ever, lace is no longer a dressy fabric. Thanks to all the
designers who participated in Spring/Summer 2013. They have changed the way they we see
lace now. From heavily designed to see-through sheers, understated to sultry, brightly hued
to sober pastels, lace took a different avatar at the runway. It is no longer limited to neutral
colours like blacks and whites.

Although the romantic and dreamy lace has been there in trend forever but this time the fabric unleashed the coolness it carries. Its androgynous silhouettes, astonishing shades and never-seen-before accents have made lace a day wear fabric. Intriguing and beautiful, lace is one of those fabrics that tickle our fantasy, the moment we see it. If you too have fallen for the new lace trend then take a peek on how you can include it in your everyday dressing.

Pastel Lace: If you are planning to experiment with lace for day time dressing then opt for a pastel shaded lace. Yes, the pastel shaded lace is no longer restricted to lingerie. Take a cue from Spring/Summer runway trends by designers like Honor, Chadwick Bell, and Tadashi Shoji.

Mesh like Lace: Try meshing lace and adding a touch of androgynous to your lace collection. Mesh skirts and tops with opaque panels in the same colour has become very popular among the fashionista. Mesh has a hide-and-seek element that creates interesting pattern even when it has simpler silhouettes and clean cuts.

Evening Lace: For the after-hour glamour go for lace outfits that have intricately embroidered yet large floral work. Add drama to your evening wear with black lace dress. Take inspiration from designs by Erdem, Dolce & Gabbana, Tom Ford and Christopher Kane’s Spring collections.

Parading In Prints

If you think that printed pants are a passé, think again! Print mania hit the runway in spring 2012 and ever since it has been on trial by all fashion biggies. Printed trousers are now far from over. Swooned over by these quirkily printed pants are the celebrities who have successfully spread the print fever to the fashion-conscious public. Vivaciously bold and super versatile, these are stylish enough to take you from day to evening parties.

No longer limited to monotones, trousers have now become statement-making separates. Be it floral, sharp graphics, animal skin or geometric print; they all are a reminiscence of the 80’s print fashion. Mentioned below are some of the tricks to adorn this long-staying trend.

Pair with solid colours: Club your statement pants with a monotone Tee for an off-work appeal. You can also pair them with a jacket in solid colour to get a chic formal look.

One print does it all: Although print-on-print is the latest thing in fashion but it’s equally tricky to style. So don’t clash multiple prints in your look. Turn all heads with one striking printed pair of bottoms while the top being in a single tone.

Accessorize it: Throw a contemporary kaleidoscopic crystal neckpiece on the look or punctuate it with the signature multi-strand necklace. Adding a statement jewellery piece would amplify the appeal of the print. For maximum impact, wear the accessory with your hair swept back.

Play with silhouettes: Don’t stop yourself when adding multiple silhouetted pants to your wardrobe. Pick from pegged, skin-fit, palazzo, high-waisted, cropped or bell-bottoms trousers to transform your everyday look.

Pick the right shoes: Experiment with your bottoms and shoes. Printed sneakers, quirky flats, androgynous-looking booties or sky-high stilettos, adding statement footwear along with bold graphic prints make the look classy and sophisticated.

Leather Lust!

Great news for leather lovers! This Spring/Summer flaunt a high fashion statement with warm-weather leather. Yes it is officially a summer thing now! Once used to be a winter wear fabric, leather has evolved into a cool, luxurious, rich material for evening wear, no matter what season it is. Leather is now a year-round fashion staple. PU panelled leggings to slouchy jackets, trousers, tops and even dresses have a hint of leather in them.

Pretty is not cool anymore! Androgynous elements like leather, epaulettes, loose fit trousers, padded shoulders have successfully replaced the pretty things in fashion. Leather tops the list when it comes to creating a warrior look. Surprisingly the designers have started experimenting more with rare fabric unlike using more breathable materials such as, cotton and rayon.  Fashion leaders like Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Halle Berry have confirmed that leather (or leather-look fabric) is definitely going to stay in this Spring/Summer.

Now it is a must for every designer to include at least a few leather creations in their collections for Fall/Winter 2013. 

Leather Dresses are one such trends of leather that fashionistas can’t get away without trying. Big names like Jason Wu, Mandy Coon, and Alexander Wang displayed amazingly unique versions of leather dresses. Wisely designed cuts, clean lines and sharp silhouettes made the runway blaze with sheer hotness of this thick luxurious fabric.

Coloured leather too was one of the biggest things that took over the Spring/Summer runway collections. Breaking all rules of fashion designers not only used leather in understated blacks and browns, they took it out of the box by introducing red, mustard and mint green faux leather pieces. Top designers like Reem Acra and Derek Lam were at their best when creations like bright red dresses, perforated skirts, and asymmetrical leather tops hit the runway of S/S 2013!

Pastels Reign

2012 was the year of neons. The psychedelic shades now give way to pastels in summer 2013. No matter if it’s in print or plain, bright pastel shades like Nectarine (Peach), powder blue, emerald and pumpkin orange are set to have their moment! Remember the ice-cream sundae that we’d love to have during school days? Not sure of the ice-cream but its appetizing colours have made a comeback on the runways of world famous designers.

These delectable pastel shades such as dusty coral pink, mint, candyfloss, egg shell blue, flooded the Spring/Summer 2013 runways of Missoni, Bottega Veneta, Versace, Gucci and Roberto Cavalli.  

Here’s how to do this dreamy cosmic pastel trend:-

• Don’t overdo the pastels: Think while styling pastels. Too much of these might end up making you look like a creamy cupcake. Break the monotony with contrast jewellery.

• Layer the Pastels: The best way to do the pastels without looking monotone top-to-toe is to layer it with other shades. Make a pastel’y palette by picking different colours.

• Breaking the monotony: Add neutral shades like black, white, stone, camel and beige to mellow-down the pastel shades. Like adding all-black accessories to a dusty pink dress would turn it into a sophisticated ensemble from a rather cute-looking one. It is a great colour combo and can also be combined with black based prints. 

• Pastel Hair: Remember My Little Pony, the fantasy hair colour of those ponies is now having its time in beauty industry! Not only reserved for apparel, pastels are being tried on hair too. 

Whether you stick to a single colour, mix and match different strands or put pastel shaded clip-ons, the soft breezy pastels would evoke a whimsical feel to your look.