Mentoring the summer

Over the past few seasons, bright and bold colours have been trending on runways and off of it. But with summer inching closer, more relaxing silhouettes and technical surfaces have made way while continuing to be influenced by the typical bold shades and a plethora of pastels as well!

The long languid and hot summer days call for a shift in styling as well, with cropped pants, jovial prints and patterns. It’s time for men to let go of their muscle tees and shorts, and follow some of Bengaluru’s most stylish on how to keep their summer look on fleek!

We have seen shapes and silhouettes become looser and less restrictive over the past few seasons, a far cry from the skin tight jeans and t-shirts which have dominated menswear for quite a while.

“Wide legged trousers are going to become a staple this season. The trouser hem lines are also about to get shorter this season as they give off a very relaxed vibe  and can be carried off with a formal shirt or even a simple tee and trainers,” opines Manoviraj Khosla, a popular city-based designer.

Another trend that the designer wants us to watch out for this season are the shoes! “Colourful shoes and different patterns like stripes, dots and even mixed patterns like floral prints and crocodile skin are really making it big both on and off runways. Prints are going to be very much in vogue when it comes to men’s fashion, as they can be styled easily with bold colours,” opines the designer.

Local blogger and stylist Ambrish Sonari believes that in menswear, less is more. “Pattern mixing has been a trend for a while now. Every pattern from bugs to paisleys and all time trendy comic characters is on the sartorial menu. I would recommend fashionistas to just enjoy the liberty to sport them but keep in mind not to overdo it.”

But with the range of prints and patterns, it is easy to go wrong. “To get the look right, the tone is all that should match. Prints can be combined the way you like but make sure the base colour or tone goes in sync for both the patterns. It’s important to follow the similar colour palette so there is no clash,” he says.

With fitness kicking in rapidly, active wear is also making it big in men’s fashion. “Trainers from most brands are also getting comfort oriented and picking up pace – becoming more of a fashion accessory rather than just dull sportswear. And tracksuits are right back on track as well!” opines Devesh Pant, a stylist from the city.

And as for accessories, the stylist thinks its time to get those duffel bags back out! “From back packs to duffel bags, bags are something that are trending in the mens fashion scene this season as travel is the new lingo that is making its way back into vogue,” says Devesh.

As for colours, though green has been labelled colour of the year, the stylist suggests one should underplay it this season. “The electric colour suits a range of personalities. But I think men should also stock up on colours like lavender, beige, powder blue and a dash of mango. These earthy tones are sure to rule this summer. And for those who would like to stick to darker tones, wine, teal blue, costal clay and of course charcoal black are currently ruling the darker palette.”