Fashion changes so fast that if you’re really hell-bent on having all the latest trends in your wardrobe, you better have two things: a generous bank account, and a super-fast tailor. If you’re not keen on dropping a lot of dough just to stay current with your couture, but still want to be in vogue, fear not. If you know the rules to follow, you can tweak your existing wardrobe/style and look fresh, no matter what’s ruling the catwalks. We’ve broken down three of this season’s hottest trends, and with a little careful colour mixing, you could be strutting in deshi styles and still be chic on an international stylemeter.
The hot trend:
Born in the desert
The world’s love affair with all things Middle Eastern isn’t going away anytime soon. From the long hemlines to turbans, designers are finding their inspiration in the dunes and oases.
How to wear it: If turbans and kaftans aren’t your cup of tea, play with a neutral colour palette, which is always fashionable. From khakis and whites, to sandy greys and camel, there are plenty of desert-appropriate neutrals to choose from. Pay attention to the undertones, though. If the neutral has a warm undertone, like a reddish brown, for example, you want to choose warm accent colours, like a pop of pink or yellow. Similarly, if it’s a cooler undertone, like steel-grey, pair it with a cooler accent, like a muted blue.
The failsafe: Black and white. This classic combo will never let you down.
Hot trend:
Matching separates
With matching separates being back on the ramp, we’re also seeing a lot of head-to-toe monochromes, which is as daring a style as mixed prints, and probably even easier to get wrong.
How to wear it: Unless you want to look like a crayon, you don’t want to get too matchy-matchy. Vary the shades within your chosen hue, and you’re creating depth and drama. So if you’ve got matching separates in olive green, for example, wear them with jade jewellery and carry a bright neon green purse for a pop of colour.
The failsafe: If your matching separates are giving you anxiety, pair them with neutral accessories and you can’t go wrong.
Hot trend:
Colour blocking
For a short while, it seemed like colour-blocking (using two or three bold, solid colours in an outfit) was on its way out, but with eye-catching offerings from the likes of Topshop, Dries Van Noten and Roksanda Ilincic all over the Spring 2015 ramps, the trend has received renewed attention.
How to wear it: The traditional method for colour blocking is to wear separate items, each in a solid colour. For it to really pop, you want to aim for colours that are on the opposite ends of the colour wheel, like wearing a red blouse with a green sari, a good choice for events such as Bijoy Dibosh. Or you could go for the triad effect by picking three items in three different colours that are spaced equally apart on the colour wheel, such as orange, pink and mauve. So an orange kameez, with a hot pink shalwar and mauve bags and shoes.
The failsafe: If this wheel business is too complicated for you, opt for an outfit that has a built in colour-blocking pattern, like a Mondrian square motif.