If you dreamt you were deep in the Antarctic where the choice of what to wear is hardly daunting - no such luck! This is our very own Pune city, scorching in the summer heat and receiving its fair share of high temperatures. When you are not in the safety of your home or at work, chances are you're out battling the heat. Hardly does one decide to venture outside that the imperative question of one's apparel pops into the mind. Gone are the days when the choice of clothing was driven solely by the frenzy over the latest available in the market. Today, it is equally influenced by herd of factors with `attitude' leading the pack. The youth are not hesitant in flaunting their personalities through what they wear and how they look.`Comfort' is the key word. Even while the youth were packing away leather wear and woolens amidst tons of naphthalene balls, they were looking at a whole new summer with colour, texture, design and accessories creating a light and frothy effect.Hipsters and sporty shorts are deemed comfortable by women and also help develop a vast choice in terms of tops. Cotton pyjamas are still as popular as they were last summer or the summer before that and can be coolly worn by members of both sexes.T-shirts has it going good for as far back as one can remember and with or without a collar is of little significance though the stress is on lighter, more subtle colours like white or grey. It is quiet common to see wild and whacky, prints on T-shirt backs as in cartoon characters, sometimes accompanied by jocose one-liners like `Don't get mad, Get even' or `If at first you don't succeed, Cheat'. Full sleeves hardly seem to command any presence in daytime. Half sleeve shirts in thin cotton or sleeveless top in bright, even garish colours are donning the collection of most wardrobes.When Levi Strauss discovered jeans for mine workers in the mid-nineteenth century, he probably did not envisage its popularity and multi-purpose utility more than a century later.`Youth' and `jeans' are indelibly entwined together and jeanswear figures undeniably highest on the priority list. It is least effected by changing trends as also by changing seasons, though presently there has been a noticeable surge in an option for gaberdines - a cross between jeans and trousers, made of thick cotton material. Other alternatives might lie in trousers in corduroy or the bold army combat dress print. It does however, remain to be seen if this show of strength endures beyond a reasonable period of time.The inherently Indian `salwar kameez' has always figured as an epitome of tradition, culture and values, coupled with its wearability at all times of the day. Long flowing kurtas in floral or geometrical designs for the sun and switching over to a possible embroidered pattern for the evenings. Consequently, plain kurtas with printed dupattas help provide a soft, sober look.Something quite synonymous with summer is - sports. With the upcoming World Cup, football fever has gripped the fashion scene and true to its tradition, T-shirts with assorted prints or in mismatched colours is doing plenty of showing. While tennis enthusiasts sweating it out on the courts adorn plain, usually white sportswear with small prints up front. Khadi is another material making a slow comeback as it is light and comfortable. The summer also accentuates the need for a few accessories like dark shades or scarfs for women riders ranging from plain to multicoloured patterns. In fact, the zanier - the better. And unless pertinently required, formal wear is being avoided with high preference for the loose, casual look.What one finally ends up wearing is quite dependent upon the differing choices of mixing and matching. The trends, as always are fast changing but the youth don't necessarily follow them and making one's mark has taken precedence over a herd mentality. The fact is this season provides an excellent opportunity for flamboyant as it screams of casual, wild, light and sporty wardrobe - of course, full of attitude! Top
