Flaunt your shirt-titude

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While you were busy trend-spotting, the shirt made a quiet entry and eventually took the season by storm. Often left behind and picked up at the last minute, looks like the humble shirt’s moment has arrived and looking at the runaway it’s confirmed.

Designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Burberry Prorsum, Carolina Herrera, Dries Van Noten, Jason Wu, Mara Hoffman and Roberto Cavalli have woken up to the shirt’s true potential — reinventing the classic cut white shirt with a small collar, a polo and the stand up collar. The very feminine affair with translucent fabric, polka dots on sheers, yoke and 3D design embellishments, prominent sleeves, from retro to funky, all’s happening here.
“The shirt is making quite an impact. The season also marks its transition from the casual and business category to the cocktail hour slot,” says designer Abhishek Dutta.
Advising a ‘no-restriction’ on matters of colour, the designer lets out his preference. “White and black remains a permanent feature, besides that you can look for pastels and dark tones as well. Play on the contrasts, as it stops things from turning monotonous. A contrasting shade lace on the shoulders sounds like a good idea. Right now, there’s nothing as good as the metallic shades, opt for a feminine cut and you don’t need to do much. To stand out with your shirt, rely on contrasting collars and cuffs.”
Designer Manish Tripathi gives a lot of importance to the shirt, and adds, “It is after all the most staple element in a wardrobe, be it for a man or woman. By picking an appropriate tailored shirt one can bring a fresh look to their wardrobe. The classic comfort fit is here to stay. The colours and print play the most important role in creating the mood. Remember dark tones are the new white of the season.”
Some more detailing follows, “Enhance it by changing the style or folds or playing with the fabric in the cuffs, collars, back yoke, placket region. And this game is all about balancing the look in right proportion. Even the slightest of detail can bring a fresh look to the outfit. For a night out, give the accessory a masculine feel with collar tip broaches, lapels pins, cuff links.”
Designer Ishita Saluja of the label Kynaa is going in a completely different direction while looking for the perfect shirt style. “Long shirts worn as a single piece is now getting trendier. Just add dimension to the attire by accessorising it with a jazzy belt, or look for the right chunky jewellery for a peppier look. Shoes make a lot of a difference here, wear heels and make it dressier, wear boots for the casual look and ballet flats to turn things feminine,” she suggests.
Whereas, designer Sudhanshu Gupta informs, “Trendwise, placing a peplum at the bottom of the shirt will look nice. But I feel even a short little soft ruffle and a Chinese collar will make things chic. For the most favoured bottom wear, my vote goes to palazzo pants. They cater to comfort and class both.”