Fashion Favourites for Summer 2006

Summer’s eternal in Chennai.  It’s true that the skies have opened up a trifle and Chennai’s  being pampered by the capricious cool breeze every often.. but summer fashion continues to reign. Over to fashion designer Binu Jha…

Colours

Antique creams, brilliant whites, pearls, nudes and almond  make a creamy palette of the season .As 2006 hots up, colours take a primary turn and make bolder, brighter statements. Black and white still hold the limelight, but one can go ahead and throw a few splashes of red, yellow, blue and pink into the equation and you'll have just the dose of sunshine you'll need to see the summer through.

When night falls it's a very different story. Silver, golds and jewel tones in red and blues emerge in chiffons, lace and satins.

Shapes and Silhouttes

Trousers taper just short of your ankle or fall wide into turned up slouch pants. 

Skirts and dresses, pleated and tulip shaped sit suggestively above the knee . Skirts remain to be popular in a variety of styles – tiered, A-line, with nonchalantly knotted handkerchief hems, and layered. Subtly trendy, they are trimmed with crochet doily hems, and lace edgings. For those confident of making style statements, the bubble and balloon skirts are in vogue. Waist lines move higher and maxi length skirts in men’s wear big checks is forecasted to be big this summer.

One of the best looks is the tunic .Call it a kurti stopping a little above or even below the knee, teamed with cigarette pants tunics are alluring and versatile — they flatter all body types and can be worn traditionally loose.

The Empire cut still rules the waistlines. Embroidered bands, corseted waists, smocked , overlapped , rouched or crushed …the more varied the detailing the merrier the look. Put long panels of fabric for a long flowy kurta or even a hankerchief hem dress.

Puff sleeves ,Bolero jackets, lace, crochet and velvet trims, fabric texturing, layering in multiple fabrics are other strong trends this summer.

Fabrics

Internationally , Ikat is making big waves as a fashion statement. Don’t forget to carry some trendy tops, skirts and cigarette pants in this fashionable fabric if you travel West this summer.

Personal favourite

My personal favourite this summer is knee length kurtis in vegetable dyed tribal weaves ( they are gentle on the skin and  have deodorizing qualities), loose hand woven cottons teamed with cotton or linen pants .I also find straight skirts with breezy slits teamed with cut-away sleeveless tops in the same fabric flattering to my figure.

Binu Jha
7th July ‘06