Probably your long-sleeve shirt or denim jacket is enough for braving the cold right now. But there are options galore when the mercury dips further. Try out the new cardi-coat that?s hit the market. Or, if you think that donning a sari for an evening party can leave you sneezing and shivering by the end of it, you can pick a merino wool six-yard drape with the Satya Paul label. There?s more. If you are still not interested in spending on capes and other drapes, simply stylise your usual wintry black shirt and trousers with an olive green muffler?
Realising customer demands and keeping in mind India?s mild winters (compared to that in the West), marketers are merging lighter woollen textures with international styles to serve the upwardly mobile here. Prashant Agarwal, head, textile and fashion practice at Technopak Advisors says: ?The fabrics used in winter wear this season include blends (acrylic, viscose, cotton), which are being manufactured instead of 100% wool. Season and region play an important role in the growth of the woollen industry in any country. With the whole country put together not facing the chills of the far West, the brands coming from there ? if ever picked ? are worn when one travels to colder places.?
As far as international trends are concerned, the Autumn-Winter 07/08 look comprises cardi-coats ? an answer to this mild winter weather. ?Traditional winter coats are fast becoming obsolete. As per styles, the classic V-neck cardigan is reappearing in menswear, with fine gauge versions being worn as outerwear. The cardigans are blends of wool, cotton, cashmere and acrylic, with very few 100% wool cardigans being sold. And the western-style waistcoat for the season is gaining importance for both women and men,? discloses the fashion tracker.
Blending
With mohair, angora, lambswool, merino or widely-accepted pashmina and cashmere, wool still remains the basic material for winter wear. In blends, brands are falling back on lycra, acrylic, modal and silk wool for parties. Shiny and coated blends of viscose are also great to don for parties.
Amir Sheikh, product marketing manager, Australian Wool Innovation ? India & Subcontinent says the hot favourite this winter is Australian merino. ?It is everywhere ? whether one picks a machine-washable merinos wool garment suit from Park Avenue, merino silk sari from Satya Paul or soft and silky mercerised merino from Rage knitwear. Besides, there are vintage-look merino for the young, ultra-light merino wool for partywear and even aromatherapy merino which soothes the body,? he says.
Besides working on new yarns and blends, the basic texture of wool has also improved. ?Today, one can trust woollens to be anti-wrinkle, durable, machine washable, odour reducing, quick-drying and stain resistant. There is so much in wool. If we look at styles, we are talking about woollen saris. What can be better than that,? says SK Chaudhuri, director, The Woolmark Company.
Layers work
The key look this season is solid textures and loads of layering.?As brands say, it?s time to bundle up. ?The flat-knits (tee-like silhouettes in a slightly heavier weight), trench coats, leggings, military-influenced details which help the layering concept are what define the look for women. Reversibles, giving one the benefit of two garments in one, are also a hot selling category,? says Janani Subramanian, business head, Wrangler, VF Arvind Brands.
Monica Oswal, executive director, Oswal Woollen Mills Ltd, has been pegging the success of her range on the new experiments the team has tried this season. ?Contrasting colours, geometrical colour blockings, optical illusions, felting techniques with different materials, shaping with leather trims, raglan variations, value addition with hoods, collar variations (double collars) and new hems (including different selections and stripers), there are so many looks that we have this season,? she pitches.
For those who are still not hooked on to wool, there are several other options to try. Non-denim jackets with washed cotton, giving a wool-like look, light-weight quilted bombers and biker shapes are a few to look at. Women can keep the silhouette lean, with a lot of stitch details, buttons appearing across new innovative areas like the neck and arms. Cardigans range from classical school styles with low pockets to refined structured styles with large buttons, puff shoulders and pockets. Lightweight woollen blends are perfect for trans-seasonal dressing, which is in vogue now.
?For men, waffle stitch cardigans and soft cashmere appear as do fur-lined jackets. Rustic huntsman combines with gentrified chic for a complete look. This season French Connection has brought in the 1940s masculine tailoring chic coats. Considered shapes and cuts define coats this season too,? says Ira Dubey, communications manager, The Murjani Group, which sells Calvin Klein and French Connection in India.
Grey is the new black
Blues and greys still hold the fort. Grey is again an important statement for the season with a dark and safe palette. The darks are still warm with the greys having a yellow cast and then leading into deep warm browns and burgundies. What has been added is interesting colour highlights of camel and pastel yellow. The mundane blacks, navy blues, browns and greys are highlighted with sesame, chestnut, prune (both men and women), olive drab green (in men, and a key highlight colour this fall) and peach, iris and raw fiber (in women), say the brands. Jewel colours blended with earth tones like plum, burgundy, topaz, ochre, olive green, charcoal, black, wood brown, ecru, winter white (a dull white) and rust are also being tried in several collections.
Like the blends, the latest here again are hues from natural sources picked from materials like paper, cardboard and wood. ?Internationally, we also see some, cool, crisp colours that reflect the depths of snow and ice through cool greys and whites. In strong contrast to the warm tones, but still very natural, these levels of greys through to whitened blues give cold comfort,? says Sheikh.