On to the beach

Want to wallow in the waters of the deep blue sea or loll on the beautiful beaches of the Bahamas or, just lie prone on the sunbaked sands of Marina? What to wear, what to pack can be  dilemma, though.

Not to worry. Fashion  designers come to your rescue with customised beach-wear and resort-wear too. Kolkata-based Rimi Nayak unveils a unique collection of travel-wear to compliment the searing hot summer and moist monsoon. For example, for monsoons, crop tops are paired up with culottes, draped trousers and skirts.

On her unconventional sartorial line, she says: “My collection narrates the story of a traveller. Thus cartography art is an important inspiration as maps are the most significant point  of reference during a trip.” Several hand-crafted techniques like digital printing, batik, cutwork, thread-texturing and hand-embroidery are put to use in her Travel Trails assortment.

Her travel-dresses are designed to reflect the different destinations world-wide. The complete set has some eye-grabbing world atlas prints alongwith Bengali typography mentioning the names of the oceans in vivid colour-blocks. “We also have the topographic road maps and linear drawings of cities as prime motifs and base-prints on the garments. Thus it shows various places around the globe,” she explains. Shades of blue and green dominate her colour-scheme alongside highlights of bright, vibrant hues.

As for the fabric, Nayak uses georgette, crepe, handloom cotton alongwith satin to embellish her long resort-wear dresses, draped jackets, summer tunics, trousers, tops and flared gowns apart from the printed saris, kurtas, flared skirts and crop tops. While designing a range, she keeps in mind the wearability factor to suit global destinations too. “We try to create clothes without any geographical boundaries,” she says.

Nidhi Munim of Mumbai has a signature array of swim-wears and beach outfits. Her style is evocative of Indian prints. Having incorporated the evergreen ikkat weave in a brilliant shade-card, Munim has everything from luxury cruise-wear to a holiday-maker’s coastal wardrobe. “The whole idea is to make swimsuits a must have in every Indian woman’s closet.” She  retails from her Santa Cruz-based flagship store.

Slim-fit, body-hugging suits, casual, sporty skin-tights, track pants and leggings steal the show if you aim to be a stunner on the beach. For the chic effect, Munim’s judicious mix of pastel prints, monochromes and neutral tints in beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray variety is worth browsing. Buyers can also opt for geometric patterns, polka dots and stripes with clean streamlined and symmetrical cuts. Minimalism is her USP as she flaunts her wide range for every single body-shape. “Designing for the Indian women is a challenge. The figure-frames differ from a pear, apple to an hourglass type. If lean, teenage girls are given a narrow shoulder cut, plump women with broad shoulders are meticulously lent with cleavage-revealing halter-necks,” she informs.

Munim suggests that on a cruise, the best accessory to match eye-catching swimsuits is a signature handcuff, statement-furnished open-toed slide footwear and “the right panache to pull it off.” Her luxury collection is priced between Rs. 4,000-Rs. 6,000, while the affordable chic range comes with price-tags of Rs. 2,000-Rs 3,500.

Designer Chandrani Singh Flora counts on the comfort factor. Cotton she believes is the safest bet as resort-wear for this time of the year when experiencing warm and wet conditions. “Loose fitting see-through apparels with sufficient air-passage and transparent netted fabrics are highly recommended. Long kaftans and stylish maxi dresses would ideally cover up the exposed skin from the hot sun. They specially come handy, when you are vacationing at the coastline cabanas.  Short dresses are a strict no-no if you want to avoid that duskiness,” she advises. “However in the evenings, shorts, bikinis and T-shirts with shape-wears underneath nicely club up the feminine ensemble to stroll on the sun-kissed beaches,” she notes.

Singh also has a solution for middle-aged women who are slightly on the bulkier side and often show stretch marks. “High-waist swimsuits or waist-high bottoms can do the trick. Hide the navel and the midriff partially and you’ll look perfect. Wrap-around skirts and sarongs can also camouflage the flaws,” she says.

On her colour palette to turn heads are neon colours with exciting straps and attractive prints to add that extra dose of charm. “White is a  perennial favourite. But grey, green, lemon yellow, strawberry pink, light dazzling lozenge-like oranges and cool, happy, tail-ending summer chromes are the favourite picks of this muggy monsoon,” Singh says.

While some love to spin around at cruise parties or attend the ballroom dances in long, flowy gowns, others straightaway dive to indulge in adventure sports like snorkeling, kayaking, sea/snow skiing, sky diving, gliding, water scooting, etc. “Comfy, casual wear is ultimate in such cases.T-shirts teamed up with shorts or tracks or dri-fit quick-dry breathable pants will do the needful. Flip-flops are compatible to beaches but don’t forget to carry sun-shielding glasses or goggles and caps in your purse for extra protection from the inclement elements,” says Althea Shah, fitness expert and VP Marketing, Gold’s Gym India.