Spotlight now on summer fashion

 TG Life

Summer is perhaps the most beloved season of all, not just for the cool food and drinks the season brings, but also because it provides the designers and style enthusiasts to do some amazing things in fashion.  

True, synthetic fibres take a backseat and cotton and natural fibres rule the roost during the season.  Cotton is your best friend during summer as it is breathable, absorbs sweat, and dries faster, but linen, even though it is a bit on the higher end, could be a better alternative, say designers. “In summer, the less fabric you have touching your body, the more comfortable you feel,” says Ninoshka Alvares, creative director of the brand Ninoshka. One must avoid wearing synthetic fabrics as they may give you rashes or allergies. Synthetic fibres are not eco-friendly, pollute  the environment during production stage, release micro-fibres during wash and wear and are non-biodegradable. 

Many people think that during summers one must go sleeveless or wear shorts, but in the contrary, the wise thing to do is to cover your body and protect it from direct sunlight.  Direct exposure to sunlight in afternoons can damage you skin and raise the body temperature. Another important thing is the colour we choose to wear in summers. 

There are many conflicting ideas about what colour you should wear during the season. While the general belief is that white and other light colours are good for summers as they reflect heat, one line of thought suggests that black is actually the best colour to beat the heat. Sure, it absorbs the heat from the sun, but this also means it will absorb the heat generated by your body. But black colour needs some help from elements like wind in order to radiate the heat that it has absorbed.  That said, this theory might not be right.

 “Colour of the clothes matter a lot,” says Rahila Khan, head of the Department of Garment Technology , Government Polytechnic Panaji. Certain colours reflect light and certain absorb light. Rahila khan suggests  wearing colours that reflect light for example white, ivory, yellow, khaki, mint green, powder blue. All white is a classic summer look which one can dress up with colourful and interesting accessories. Play with colour blocking to add some spunk to your attire. Natural indigo dyed fabric acts as a natural sunscreen. So, one may choose to wear an indigo dyed jacket and dress. 

Summer season is also  wedding season. In spite of the extreme climate in Goa, heavy jewellery, heavy cloths are sometimes used in weddings, but the picture is slowly changing. Stakeholders in fashion are underlining the need to develop lighter and more comfortable wedding attire. “Sheer wedding dresses with lace applique on the bridal petticoat would make for a lighter dress. Airy crepe silk to tulle bottom portion of the dress will give the requisite airy feel to the dress,” says Monty Sally, director, Fabvows . “The wedding dresses are tailored and appliqued so the techniques do not differ seasonally. The dress has more to do with the bride’s preferences and body type than seasons. Lean bride can carry off sheer fabric appilqued with lace, embroidered with beadwork and crystals”, he informs. Some brides prefer a structured corseted look. The embellishments are usually beadwork, crystal embellishments, lace applique and tailoring and cutting techniques are more or less universal. 

Sharing her take on wedding wear, Ninoshka shares  that the weddings dresses that she makes for her client are in handloom silks with very minimal embroidery. “These are classic styles and comfortable to wear again and again,” says the designer.