Fashion
HERE ARE SOME TOP-OF-THE-SEASON STYLES!
Welcome March! This month brings so much color, bloom and happiness. From Holi, the festival of colors on March 6 to spring, finally beginning on March 20, the wedding season officially commences as well. Even more news to celebrate is that fashion weeks are globally at their peak at this time – let’s learn more about lighter, top-of-the-season trends!
PRINTS ARE BACK
This past fall and winter displayed looks so regal. Velvet textures, thick embroidery in all solid or neutral colored palettes ruled. What a change the new look is for spring and summer! From artsy nature inspired prints on saris to foil block print styles on churidaar and salwar suits, the print is back big time!
Patterned, intricate lace or crochet designs provide a safer route to high fashion. Non-patterned splashes of paint prints, multi-colored circles or polka-dots, and mismatched stripes (both vertical and surprisingly horizontal!) will keep you riding high on fashion forward waves.
THE PRINTED BOTTOM
A look that is new to some and more than a decade old to many is the printed churidaar and salwar bottom. Last summer excited us with palazzos, wide-legged pants to wear as part of your suit or paired with a top for daily wear. Full skirts, too, were a hit. And both styles were printed and patterned with animals, geometric shapes, traditional foils and so much more. This time around, our churidaars and salwars are ornated, all the way towards the top even. Wear them as a suit or use printed leggings or patialas with a top for daily wear with a more bohemian chic accent.
Just be sure to keep in mind when mixing prints and patterns, which is a definite yes to do this season, mix them as long as they retain the same shades. A royal blue and baby pink striped kameez will look awesome with an aqua dotted salwar and magenta dupatta. But adjusting the same kameez with a yellow and purple salwar, and a green dupatta will look clowny. Too much is too much!
COLORS OF HOLI, COLORS OF SPRING
Deep, dark colors are taking a backseat with sunnier weather. Florida is such a tropical state, saturated with color all around. Basically, the key is to match our surroundings to ensure you’re the sunshine of everyone’s sky.
Valentine’s Day was all about romance, love and red. Spring, too, is keeping with the same theme but with lighter hues. Corals, oranges, peaches and pinks are dominating runways. Metallics, too, are still a go-to shade, still a favorite from last season. You can even wear a metal shade as daywear, just in more minimal amounts. A coral lengha with bronze choli or pink straight churidaar with silver jewels all over will have you shine no matter the weather outside.
Can we mix these new sought after shades together? Yes! An orange and peach ombre or tie-dye sari will look lovely. Pastels are still a favorite too such as sky blue, pale yellow and lilac. Blend as you wish, but as the prints work, do not overdo too many colors – three to four together should be enough.
Spread smile, spread cheer, spread color all around you. This new season brings new beginnings to do good, to be good and to look good. Enjoy all, enjoy each other and, as always, remember to ‘gro with style’!
Kiran Bahl of Gro Styles, “An Indian Boutique” in Tampa, Orlando and Sunrise, can be reached at (813) 843-9040, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/grostyles