By Tina Ann Desouza
After the hot, soaring summer heat of Goa, the arrival of the monsoon is loved by all. We wait and wait for the sky to burst open and finally the soothing raindrops, pleasant weather, nose-tickling wet mud smell,
sounds of thunderstorm and constant sprinkling of water sets the mood right for indulging in quite a many activities. Be it gorging up on steaming hot samosas coupled with a cup of chai or warming ourselves near the fireplace with an engaging book, the rain does give us a chance to enjoy the mystical beauty and magnificence of nature. Along with soothing your mood, the monsoon is a welcome season which brings with itself bold fashion which reflects your mood and personality. It’s a time to reinvent your wardrobe. A season when fashion takes an altogether new turn that can be termed as romantic and dreamy. Dreamy colours in shades of reds, blues, magentas, pinks and acid greens. Thus monsoon is the season to make bold fashion statements. This is the right season to organise a cheerful wardrobe and keep your worries aside as the fashion for this season is all about ‘flaunt with comfort’.
Brighten up: Bold is the way to go. Designers say that bright shades of indigo, green and blue hold good for monsoon. So don’t shy away from bright colours this monsoon. Monsoon-wear aims to look effortlessly stylish. Embrace colour injections in lime green, orange and pink. Its not just vibrant colours, but even light hues of fuschia pink and soft pastels of pink, orange and peach help to lighten the dreamy, lazy and gloomy mood.
What’s in: Knee-length skirts are a must-have this monsoon. This season say goodbye to the body hugging jeans and welcome chic shorts, capris, jumpsuits which are perfect and set you in a cheerful mood. My all time favourite is wearing cute knee length dresses. One can never go wrong sporting a cute classic dress it speaks class, comfort and chic. If you are into Indian wear then go for churidars and salwar kameez and avoid patialas as they get spoiled easily. One can also indulge in calf-length belted dresses and easy-to-dry silk tunics for evenings as they make easy dressing for the weather.
Fabrics for the rain: The rain gods have been showing up without much notice. You often curse yourself for wearing a pretty top or a dressy kurta and shun away from fashion. Rains shouldn’t be an excuse for not looking fabulous. Go in for light weight fabrics which easily dry. The use of cottons or cotton blends, muls and light silk is friendlier. Stay away from fabrics that have a tendency to stick to the skin during the rains. Fabrics like knits, lycra shouldn’t be on the monsoon rack.
Lighter the better: Yes, yes I do know we cannot live without our jeans. But, if you think denims are a good choice during heavy showers, do give it a second thought! Make way for lighter fabrics so it won’t feel heavy when wet or go in for denim fabrics that are light in weight. Cotton leggings are invariably a good option.
Greet the monsoon with colourful accessories: The right combination of colourful accessories makes the monsoon attire all the more appealing. Great collection of bags is a perfect match to heavy rains. Aqua coloured glass beads, and funky translucent bangles make the match for monsoon clothing. These colourful and trendy accessories can be teamed with any outfit. Girlish jewellery like a single pendant and acrylic accessories give a sporty look for the rainy season. Beautiful bracelets, earrings, and neck pieces made of plastic, rubber, and acrylic make a trendy fad. Pick funky rain footwear. A variety is available in the market all one need is patience. Ballerinas, colourful trendy flip flops (avoid the ones with hearts and a bunch of fruits on them!), strappy sandals, vibrant crocs, they are all there for the taking, so go savvy with your footwear. Make a fashion statement with bright cheerful umbrellas and raincoats, an ideal option to keep the rain showers and gloomy moods away.
Monsoon make up: Be natural that's the fashion statement for the monsoon. But if you can’t do without makeup then apply as little as possible. Refrain from using powder based mascara and compact. Go in for waterproof mascara, kajal, eye liners and a nice long lasting lipstick or lip balm.
Showers of the monsoon season are a right time to refurbish your wardrobe. Monsoon is all about romance with beauty and a date with gorgeous styles. Get set to cheer up your wardrobe and enjoy the first shower in the trendiest outfits. Don’t think rains and fashion disasters! A time to store away all your favourite outfits, getting out only your old pair of shoes, dressing up for the heck of it because it really doesn’t matter or simply no one will notice coz you can hide under your raincoat. It’s a time to wipe out all those apprehensions from your minds, step out in style and to enjoy the showers! Get drenched not only in rain drops but in colour, style and glamour. As the singer/song writer Roger Miller sums it "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet".
