The Alphabet

C Chunky shoes have wedged their way back in this summer. Look for Louis Vuitton8217;s Capricious Rs 34,000, Sergio Rossi8217;s gold espadrilles Rs 17,000 or Stoffa at Ensemble Rs 1,800. Even the Osho slipper stands tall Rs 50 up. Juicy Couture slogan tees at Thanks, Mumbai and thin canvas belts LV, Dolce 038; Gabbana say College chic is in vogue. As fashion becomes discreet, Covering up is in and overt sexiness is out. Goodbye Ms Sherawat.

D Dots take us back to disco, but when Moschino does a beautiful white polka on black, it8217;s pure chic. There are also more Dresses this summer than last Monisha Jaising, Varun Bahl, Priyadarshini Rao, Narendra Kumar. And Denim gets Distressed. 8216;8216;We have something called couture denim this season where denim is worked on, embellished or distressed,8217;8217; says Kumar.

E Englishness is all the rage. High tea evenings take over from afternoon brunches, so bring out the warm camomile and cold cucumber sandwiches. And don8217;t forget the thank-you notes8212;Victorian manners, of course.

F Think Flawless. Spring is about looking immaculate. There8217;ll be sleek ponytails, barely-there make-up, and the cool simplicity of shift dresses. Keep it light.

G Gladiator sandals. 8216;8216;Flats and wrap sandals go especially well with dresses,8217;8217; says Kumar. Get yours from Woodlands for Rs 1,500, or indie shoe stores for upwards of Rs 600. Grey is the new brown, try the newly-launched Grey Goose vodka.

H There8217;s a revival of the 8217;80s with High waists. Goodbye hipsters.

I The iPod Video is the haute new buy. Available in the grey market for Rs 15,000 30 GB and Rs 20,000 60 GB.

J Jersey is the fabric of the season; seen as tops and dresses Tarun Tahiliani and JJ Valaya. Rodricks has created tops, skirts, even kurtas from luxurious jersey.

K Think Oriental, think plush Kimonos, think Manish Arora.

L Lipstick replaces gloss this summer, says make-up artiste Cory Wallia. 8216;8216;It8217;s back with a bang, and everyone should be using it. Creamy mattes in orangy pink are very hot,8217;8217; he adds. It8217;s also the reign of Sienna Miller and her navel-grazing Long chains. Get a few from a department store at about Rs 200 a pop, and wear as many as you can possibly match.

M Sobriety means minis are out and Maxis are in. Look for Bahl and Moschino8217;s mid-calf skirts. 8216;8216;Maxis are very 8217;20s and haute internationally,8217;8217; says Bahl.

N Not many of us can carry off the androgynous look, but Neckties for women are uber chic Chloe, at Thanks. Luxurious Neutrals and Nudes are in, brights are out.

O One-shoulder dresses make a comeback8212;Moschino8217;s couture dresses or Rodricks8217; choli tops. Keep count of the bare shoulder blades at Uncle Oscar8217;s.

P Hostess glamour returns with Patent leather pumps Burberry and Louis Vuitton, at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai; Stella McCartney, at Thanks, and, of course, the chic Upper East Side Pencil skirt. Bid adieu to dated, kitschy tiered skirts.

Q Quilting belongs to winter jackets and astrakhans, but luxury lovers can8217;t let go even when the heat is on. Quilted belts and bags fill the gap, as in Chanel and Fendi8217;s Zip Code.

R Is there ever a summer line without Ruffles? Check out Kumar8217;s ruffles with lace, Tahiliani8217;s ruched cholis Rs 17,000 and Moschino8217;s B038;W ruffled frock Rs 1,00,500.

S New Shapes, square-cut shift dresses, bubble skirts, elegantly clinched waists Kumar and structure Bahl, Ashish Soni and Rajesh Pratap, are in. Floaty is out.

T Big bags are en vogue, the bigger the better. LV8217;s canvas Totes are a part of their Cruise 2006 line. Also skim through Chloe8217;s biggies at their new store at Thanks.

U Simple shapes, soft colours and minimal embellishments spell Understated style; check out Bahl, Jaising and Namrata Joshipura.

V 8216;8216;There are lots of Voluminous dresses this year,8217;8217; says Bahl, who8217;s making a line of drainpipe dresses floating into a bell hip-down. Also look for Stella McCartney8217;s line of full dresses at Thanks.

W White is always a spring/summer staple, but this season keep it soft8212;in ivory and bone8212;not brights. White T-shirts worn under strapless dresses are a great way to tone down an evening look. Wavy hair is super hip, give the painful and pricey rebonding procedure a rest and get some bouncy curls.

X Body-hugging for too long? Try X-tra large for a change. Sabyasachi8217;s extra-large sized shirts for men are a new silhouette for the brave woman.

Y Yellow is on everything this spring8212;Tahiliani8217;s tunics, Pallavi Jaikishen8217;s sarees, Rodricks8217; yellow-striped line and Fendi8217;s Tape collection. 8216;8216;A dash of bright on neutral is a great summer look,8217;8217; says Rodricks.

Z This year8217;s all about less work and more play, so make sure you embody that Zeitgeist and get enough of your spa weekends, shopping holidays, and loads of R038;R.