Up until a few years ago, formal or corporate wear in the Indian context, would equal starched cotton sarees for women and plain trousers and shirts for men; these shirts were more often then not, limited to solid colours like black, blue and grey. This is not quite the case any more. Formal wear for both men and women has undergone tremendous change, right from cuts to colours.
Due to the highly westernised nature of formal wear today, both women’s and men’s attire has to keep up with the changing trends abroad yet continue to suit the needs of the Indian market.
Most companies today expect their women employees to dress themselves in Western formals including pencil skirts and well-fitting trousers which were previously unheard of. International brands like Van Heusen and Marks & Spencer are catering to just such a need. The brands focus mainly on corporate employees and their requirements.
Most of the women’s formal wear for this season comes in pure cotton and linen. Marks & Spencer has an entire line dedicated to linen, simply called ‘Love Linen’. The shirts in this collection are mainly white with a few shades of green. They are simple with elegant embroidery or self design on them. The shirts come with a tapering fit. The trousers are available in darker colours like blacks, browns and greys. These are made in stretch fabric and come in two styles-straight legged and boot cut. Those made of linen come in light shades like blues and whites.
Pick of the season
Cool colours are obviously the pick of the season. Light shades of blue and green and classic whites never go out of fashion. The palette is pretty much the same for men and women, except pink seems to be more the “in” colour for men rather then women! To add some zest to these colours, are the all time favourite  pin stripes.
As summers are getting hotter, sleeves are becoming shorter in formal wear as well. This is to make things a little more comfortable yet keeping it formal, in the traditional sense of the term.
It is no longer mandatory for shirts to have full sleeves; half and three-quarter sleeves are doing the rounds. Collars seem to be getting a make over as well. Wider collars are just as popular as narrow collars.
Men have a much brighter palette to choose from now. Van Heusen collection titled ‘World Wear’ is one of the most vibrant collections available for men. Solid colours are passe. Even if there is a single colour, most of them have self designs. Pin stripes as well as solid stripes are available. A whole array of designs in pink are available just for men.
Straight cuts
The World Wear collection is a hundred percent cotton, some of the material being imported from Italy. Straight cuts are no longer the only option. ‘U’ cuts come under the formal banner too. Details right down to the buttons are looked into. Trousers are now preferred flat than pleated. Most trousers are made either of cotton, non-crease material or linen. Colours for the trousers remain much the same.
When it comes to blazers and suites, there are three basic designs which have been developed. The Gianni style which is more tapered and well fitting. These are mainly preferred by the women and are flying off racks in every store. The Italian style was introduced three months back and has no pleats. The Relaxed style has the regular fit. Blazers are made of wool with cotton blend.
The higher the wool composition the more expensive they are. For the Indian weather conditions however, a lower wool composition will do. Though there has not been much of variation in their colour, the more vibrant shirts give the blazers a much needed face lift. Plum and burgundy coloured suites are preferred by most for semi-formal and party occasions.  
With this new variety, people have plenty to choose from. It allows for corporate employees to be relaxed and comfortable with their outfit and yet be dressed for the occasion.