For a slice of style

Cutouts are for summer. As the season gets hotter by the day, lets take a peek at some breezy fashion and ventilation in clothes that make you sizzle in style and help combat the heat.

Outfits with openings at specific points enable the body to breathe easy through lighter and airy material. So cool down with some hot trends in cutout ensembles to overcome this sweaty spell.

“You probably won’t like walking under the sun without the right choice of wardrobe. One must balance the heat with a suitable fabric and not get bogged down by its heavy weight instead,” advises designer Ridhi Arora. “Often, crop tops and mini-skirts look difficult to carry, if not comfortably worn. So, selecting an appropriate piece for the humid weather becomes a chore. Causing an end to this worry, cutouts come as a convenient dress code,” she advocates.

Those less adventurous can opt for this attractive sartorial makeover, only to look fresh and funky for a change. The idea is to reveal a wee bit of skin; it’s no harm to go boldly sexy with grace after all. As long as vulgarity doesn’t sneak in to disturb the order, the charm is taken well care of.

“Conservative dressing has been a part of our desi culture, so keeping Indian sensibilities alive, the art of skin-exposing is done with immense care and wit,” explains the contemporary draper.

“You see, it all depends upon the size, shape and placement of the cutouts. But one can’t stop creatively exploring the trend. A lady with an hour-glass figure would definitely look stunning if she slips into a form-fitting dress to outline her chiselled frame,” says designer Fatma Shaikh.

It goes without saying that cutout silhouettes create a peek-a-boo effect to tease the eye. Innovation is the key to beget innumerable styles, although key-holes on the back as well as at the waistline are widely known. Other options like arm hole cutouts, or the sides and front (upper chest and belly-baring), shoulder slits, high-neck cutouts, round/triangular/rectangular back cutouts, frontal bodice opening, diamond slices, navel cutouts, midriff cutouts, hip-clefts, abs-vents, et al can also be put to advantageous use under the sewing machine.

Couturier Asa Kazingmei shares her inclination towards the edgy stuff on the designing graph: “I thought of creating something feminine with oomph, high mass appeal and glam quotient on the fashion-meter. You need the right attitude and confidence to effortlessly pull off such an outfit. Attire with cutouts are all about exuding an infectious aura,” she adds.

Apart from apparel, this sculptural impact is delivered on accessories like shoes, bags, sandals, jewellery and boots too.

Speaking about an ideal palette for cutout dresses, Arora picks pastel shades and some solid colours as its summer contents. For Shaikh, dark and black hues form the shade card, while Kazingmei recommends orange as the next black, besides bright reds and midnight blue as other alternatives.

Strikingly enough, when dual tones are used, cutout fashion conjures up an optical illusion to the eye. “But one must master the appropriate technique of creating it flawlessly,” cautions the draper.

Incidentally, cutouts are also flaunted in pairs instead of a single piece. Laying emphasis on its flexibility, Arora says, “Separates are available in cutouts in different combinations, such as crop top-skirts, crop top-pants, blouse and shorts, etc. It’s all about how aesthetically you can use them.”

Cutout gloves and coats can be some more add-ons to team up with.

If it’s an off-shoulder dress or a cutout number, choosing compatible inners or lingerie is a necessity. “Shop for a convertible style, so that you can wear it with or without the straps, as you wish,” advises designer Nidhi Munim.

As far as fabrics are concerned, designers suggest linen, cotton, polyester, crape and spandex as the best bet, whereas in the prints section, fashionistas can go offbeat with graphic, geometric, baroque, pop-art, jacquard prints, as well as embrace conventionality with animal motifs, floral themes, stripes, dots, embroideries and so on.

Keywords: off-shoulder dress, linen, cotton, polyster, crape, spandex, graphic, geometric, baroque, pop-art, jacquard prints, animal motifs, floral themes, stripes, dots, embroideries, Couturier Asa Kazingmei, crop top-skirts, crop top-pants, blouse and shorts, pastel shades, solid colours

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