Step out in Style and Comfort this Rainy Season

Choose bright and vibrant colours and floral prints. Doing this brings out the playful side of your personality and upgrades your wardrobe (by a few notches) in terms of monsoon fashion trends. This is a time to put back jeans, maxi skirts, long palazzos and trousers into the closet. Monsoon is essentially a season of shorts and short dresses. Opt for fabrics which are easy drying like cotton, chiffon and nylon. 

Your fashion statement can never be fashionable if it contrasts or clashes with the seasons of the year. While there are volumes written and spoken about spring, summer, fall and winter fashion trends and protocols, monsoon is relatively overlooked. However, for a country like ours (in the muggy tropical region) that contends with a long monsoon, it is imperative to talk about monsoon appropriate fashion trends.

Saturday Fare spoke to a couple of city based designers and arrived at some simple yet compelling fashion logic for this season. "Well monsoon is about bright, cheerful colours and comfortable clothes. It is a time to put back jeans, maxi skirts, long palazzos and trousers into the closet. Monsoon is essentially a season of shorts and short dresses," says Madhumita Basumatary a fashion designer. Shorter clothes help to prevent getting stained from the rain splashes and also keep one comfortable in this hot and humid weather.

Whites might still be good for winter but they are a complete no for monsoons. White clothes get stained during the monsoon season easily and usually tend to become transparent after getting wet. "Pick bright and vibrant colours and floral prints. This brings out the playful side of your personality and upgrades your wardrobe (by a few notches) in terms of monsoon fashion trends," says Pallavi Hazarika, another city based fashion designer.

Monsoon requires breathable and lightweight fabrics too. Moreover, there are several other considerations while choosing fabrics for your clothes. Denims and linen are both out. "Because while denim gets heavier, linen shrinks after getting wet. Synthetic clothes too should be avoided completely," says Hazarika and continues, "Opt for fabrics which are easy drying like cotton, chiffon and nylon. Shorts in solid colours are a must have for this season as they can be replaced with the jeans. Solid coloured shorts are like a master key, which you can pair up with almost any casual wear. Khaki shorts are a hot trend." Cotton is, without any doubt, the best choice for monsoons. It is light, breathable and dries off quickly. Natural fabrics like cotton and mulmul that have low-absorbent quality usually work well for the rainy season. You can choose a cotton t-shirt and pair it with denim shorts or opt for a bright kurta and leggings.

There are some common sense rules for monsoon fashion. For instance shorter hemlines translate to perfect comfort sense. "Shorter hemlines help you to avoid getting mud stains on clothes. Dresses like a 'A-line dress' will be a perfect outfit for this monsoon season," shares Basumatary.

Coming to footwear, Hazarika says, "Although it may seem that flip flops are a good option, rubber shoes are the best rain friendly shoes. Unlike flip flops and loose slippers, they do not squirt back the dirt on clothes or feet. They are cheap, washable and comfortable. Wearing heels won't give an easy walk. So, avoid wearing heels as well."

Many people ironically are wary about donning ethnic wear during monsoons. "Well every season is ethnic season. Opt for short kurtis with ankle length leggings instead of floor length anarkalis, salwar suits and palazzo. Like I said earlier, shorter the hemline, cleaner the clothes. Use a scarf instead of a dupatta and fuse it up a bit," says Basumatary.

Also it is commonsense to opt for dark-coloured clothes to avoid mud stains. "However, do remember that monsoon is a bleak season. Therefore do not stick to black and greys. Actually colours like pink, blue, orange, and yellow that work well when combined with neutrals are a rage for the monsoon," says Hazarika.

Finally choosing the right accessories for every season is very important and monsoon is no exception. Elaborating on this Basumatary says, "Ditch your black umbrella as vibrancy is the key to monsoon style. Also accessorize your attire with scarves. With the correct coloured scarves, you can completely change the look of your outfit. To add a dash of drama you can try out funky patterned scarves over monochrome outfits. And, if you are going for a formal look, you can opt for a colour palette complementing your top or kurta."

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