A sip of coffee, fried crispy fritters and long drives on shiny, slippery roads are a perfect indulgence to enjoy the monsoon music of pitter patter!
Cut to 2024 rainy season and the only change that you could add to this backdrop is the costume. The monsoon wear currently trending on the fashion metre keeping the muggy days and breezy nights in mind is the shacket.
All-weather friend
A combination of shirt and jacket - shackets are a versatile topwear as it could be worn from monsoon to spring to fall to winter, pretty much as an all-the-year-round garment. You may clad yourself in a shacket to keep yourself warm when it’s cold or else show your swag in it during a lighter summer.
Trendsetters may cultivate their smart, uber cool and stylish side with a hoodied and zipped shacket or wear it like a long-sleeve loose button-down shirt. Plus, one could leave the same open with a shirt peeking from inside.
Fashionistas may call it a jacket styled as a shirt or a thick shirt slipped in as a jacket. Given India’s humid tropical monsoons, shackets can shield your body in a slight drizzle and make you feel comfortable even if you are partially wet. It gives peeps a cozy, casual vibe when they are always on the move. A shacket with a belt and paired with tight jeggings and gumboots is an apt get-up to up the style quotient with a hint of oomph.
Accessories to match
Scarves, clutches, umbrellas, parasols, velvety hats, sling bags and what not could amp up your fashion awareness if you throw a shacket on your back.
“When styling shackets, choose accessories that complement their versatile nature and enhance your overall look,” suggests designer Masumi Mewawalla. Options like chunky knit scarf, silk scarf, beanie, woven belt, layered necklaces, statement earrings, cross body bags and so on are up for grabs this season.
“The shacket is a wardrobe essential. For an edgy, grunge look, an olive green handwoven cotton shacket with a trucker hat fits the bill to the tee. Besides, a faded back raglan tee, silver rings and a pair of relaxed-fit linen pants in olive green are suitable for the sweaty and sticky Indian weather,” recommends Prakhar Roy, founder-creative director of fashion house Zero Tolerance.
Tops to flaunt
Roy insists that “all-season hand-spun fabrics featuring traditional embroidery details in contemporary style and entirely handmade by skilled artisans can make a wearer stand out of the crowd.” Embroidered linen half sleeve shirt in earthy tones gives out a relaxed vibe and is ideal for casual lounging. Also, a medium-weight khaddar diamond weave shacket in striking blue can go along with a light-coloured shirt in handwoven fabric. Plus, a crisp black Giza cotton shirt can best complement a lightweight grey shacket for an effortless look.
“While pairing tops with shackets, pick items that replicate a casual and layered look,” offers Mewawalla.
For womenswear, basic T-shirt, turtleneck, crop top, tank top, button-up-shirt, graphic tee, light sweater can come in handy depending on the prevalent season. For menswear, a basic T-shirt, polo shirt, Henley shirt, long sleeve tee, button-up shirt, sweatshirt, thermal shirt are ideal choices.
The above-mentioned garments gallery provides a slew of styles and degrees of warmth for making a variety of choices to wear under a shacket.
Prints & patterns
According to Roy, hand embroidery adds an interesting facet to shackets. Pieces in silk threads, nice brown iconic flannels, dual Pantone tinges and abstract prints and patterns are the current flavours of the season. “It is wise to mix and match whatever is available to you and assemble your outfits judiciously to elevate your attractiveness,” he shares.
Mewawalla asks fashionistas to “play up their print and pattern game on shackets with a touch of uniqueness.”
Classic options like plaid and houndstooth render a timeless appeal while camouflage prints exude an element of enigma. Stripes may unleash a casual look whereas floral prints can lend that vibrant feminine feel. To make a bold statement, animal prints are a great choice while modern geometric patterns, chequered designs and solid colours will unveil a wise range of options. Last but not the least, colour block patterns will punctuate a dynamic, contemporary essence.
Fashion designer Nidhi Munim prefers “nice floral designs, geometric patterns and abstracts to add a dash of fun to one’s wardrobe” because she reasons that “it’s a perfect time to tap the uncharted terrain and embrace the wild, playful and frolicking side of the fashion junkie’s personality uninhibitedly.”
Material impact
Monsoon magic casts its spell on people’s lives and the biodiversity in Mother Nature. There are many fabrics that ideally go with shackets keeping the soggy Indian monsoon, moulds and discolouration in mind. “Exercising prudence is key in monsoon. Choose fabrics for shackets that can handle moisture and resist molds,” Mewawalla drops tips.
Cotton blends for breathability and quick drying, polyester for durability and moisture wicking, nylon for water resistance as well as denim for sturdiness are fitting fabric selections for monsoon get-ups. “However, denim dries at a slow pace,” reminds the couturier.
Roy insists that “100% yarn-dyed soft cotton fabrics and light, airy linen” are rightly tailored for the rain fiesta.
Draper Munim remarks that “it’s important to remain stylish in monsoon as it’s a refreshing season, notwithstanding the dark nimbus clouds and the bouts of sudden rains that one has to negotiate occasionally.” She pushes for quick-dry fabrics like nylons, polyesters and blends that allow ventilation. She further stresses on “functionality of fashion” and presses for “short-sleeved shirts with special coatings that repel water.”
Another barometer of evolving fashion is layering. Lightweight nylon jackets can be seamlessly layered with patterned shirts in neutral colours. This apart, shirts with roll-up sleeves laced with lots of detailing in solid neutrals are quite a craze now.
Bottomwear bets
A bottom wear can be the high and low point of an outfit. A daggy or an ill-fitting garb might mar the overall look while a proper choice could turn out to be an eyeball stealer. A pair of comfortable khaki cotton/linen jorts, lightweight cotton or linen shorts and high-waist pure cotton trousers can enhance a clotheshorse’s shacket story.
Munim advises to ‘pair shackets with neutral trousers to balance the look’. “When teaming bottomwear with shackets, consider options like jeans for a classic look, leggings for comfort, chinos for a polished appearance and corduroys for added texture and warmth. Further, cargo pants convey a rough and tough style, trousers deliver a more tailored look, while skirts and shorts map an experimental effort hinging on personal styles,” infers Mewawalla.
Best foot forward
Stylistas may show their class in shackets with the correct footwear. “You may evoke your fixation for footwear to accentuate your shacket profile,” helps Munim.
“Loafers with thick soles and high-top Converse shoes are the most sought-after picks of this season,” confirms Roy.
Mewawalla lays an emphasis on “ankle boots, sneakers, loafers for a refined look and boots during a breezy, cool weather.” She further backs “Oxfords for oozing out smartness” and sandals she thinks “are the only flawless resort on the warmer days.”
Monsoon palette
A spray of shades moistens the monsoon canvas to paint a beautiful picture. One may soak in the petrichor with the first burst of showers, squelching through the slippery watery path. Solid colours or pastel tinges can fill in your wardrobe palette.
“The monsoon shade card for shackets typically mirrors colours that reflect the mood and atmosphere of the rainy season. The hues are often rich, earthy and muted complementing the overcast skies and lush landscapes.
Olive green, deep navy, mustard yellow, charcoal grey, burgundy, forest green, rust and dull orange, moss green, light green, light blue as well as the all-time favourite black and white can be incorporated in one’s outfits to explore the monsoon tints.
