Indian summers are synonymous with everything hot; and, sartorially speaking, this hotness goes up a notch when we sprinkle spice-inspired shades to celebrate this season. Just like a pinch of spice accentuates the taste multifold, these vibrant shades will add a sizzling effect to your summer wardrobe. Take a spice box and shake it up, and what you get will be blends of burnt orange, vibrant yellow, mustard olive and red chilli perhaps. Designer Nikasha Tawadey suggests that this season stick to single colour stories, which are much more potent. She says, “Wear a burnt orange muslin dhoti with the same colour muslin top and a chunky silver necklace and glass bangles.
Better to wear a solid colour than to break it up in different hues; however, a white or off-white teamed with any of the above colours work very well. Wear light fabrics like mul mul, khadi, hand-spun cotton and keep them loose and long. A nice alternative is a long shirtdress or a knee-length summer dress.”When we talk about spice-inspired hues for Indian summers, the favourites that are ruling the scene this year are hot chilli red, Marsala, the colours of garam masala, cinnamon and turmeric yellow.
Designer Anuradha Ramam mentions that these shades are very in and are perfect options for sunny days. She says, “One can mix these shades with earthy tones and contrast colours to balance the intensity of the base colour. While mixing these shades, do not go overboard with one particular shade. One can’t wear turmeric yellow without the intervention of any other colour as it needs some other shade to tone it down; similarly, red chilli hue needs to be balanced with accessories like a string of white pearls or any other bold jewellery that can divert the attention.
One can also balance these loud colours with softer shades in the same family or go for contrast shades. The kind of silhouettes that work best in this category are shift dresses, layered dresses, flowing skirts and short kurtis. One can also go for short skirts and peplum tops. Add shades, colourful bags, big hats, wedge heels etc to complete the look.” If you decide to wear attention-grabbing shades, then keep the rest tonal and calm, says designer Anupama Dayal, who can’t stop raving about a bright colour palette derived from paprika, chilli, haldi (turmeric) and saffron.
She says, “When doing a contrast, keep it sharp but on a small expanse. Let the earthy tones be the building blocks of your summer wardrobe with easy palazzo pants, tunics and skirts etc. Fluid silhouettes are comfortable and natural in summer and avoid fitted clothes. For silhouettes think not only India-inspired but Asia-inspired.”
Similarly, designer Ridhima Bhasin opines that classic Indian silhouettes best suit these bold shades. She says, “Spice-inspired hues like red, orange and deep yellow suit the Indian skin tone very well. These are very strong colours and mixing them with earthy neutrals wouldn’t exactly enhance their appearance. But at the same time, if done correctly and in the right amount, earthy neutrals and spice-inspired tones like orange and yellow could look like a dream.”
“If you’re going the Indian way, light jewellery that just adds a bit of a sparkle to the outfit without making it look gaudy work best. If you’re taking the contemporary route, an understated bracelet or a chic headgear could work wonderfully,” she concludes.
