Playing with colours

STYLE QUOTIENT

A day dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached matching bodice. It can be with or without sleeves and is usually one or two inches above the knee. Chennai-based designer Shweta Patwari says it is the colour that separates a day dress from an evening dress. “Colours matter a lot.

The day dresses usually have a white base with a pattern,” she says. “Day dresses are all about playing with colours. And the colours they are available in are happy shades like pink, yellow and turquoise blue,” she says.

Shweta says day dresses are available in a variety of styles. She informs about the beach dresses which have a flowery pattern and an empire waistline. “Those look quite cute and usually have spaghetti straps,” she adds. Shweta also speaks about the dungaree-style dresses which are basically styled like jumpsuits but without the divider.

“These are usually loose-fitting and can also be worn with t-shirts if you are uncomfortable wearing sleeveless,” she says. She informs that candy colours like red, electric blue, green and yellow look really well on the dungaree-style dresses. “You can also pair them with pencil jeans,” she says. She also speaks about the ganji-style dresses. “Those usually are sleeveless and have broad shoulders and a lot of patterns,” she says. She informs that these can be paired with leggings and jeans too.

Shweta says that the material is of utmost importance while purchasing a dress. “If you are of medium to large built, you need to go for something in cotton mixed with lycra, so that it is of medium fit but not body hugging,” she says. “Also, empire waistline and balloon dresses should be avoided,” she adds. Women with short height and a large built should avoid geometrical designs and go for plain colours. “The half jumpsuits should be in a mix of cotton and lycra which will give them a good fall,” she says. Dresses are usually present in either cotton or ganji material, she informs.

As far as accessorising is concerned, Shweta says neckpieces are a big no-no. “The point of a day dress is to have an open-neck style,” she says. “You can wear the dungaree dresses with a lot of bracelets and the beach-style ones with anklets, bangles and earrings,” she adds. But one thing you should avoid are shrugs. “Shrugs don’t look good with them,” says Shweta. She also informs that these dresses can be as casual or formal as you want them to be. “You can go for a movie, a lunch and if you team them with a top, you can wear them to college too,” she adds.

An elegant look

Divya Dharwar, an engineering student, says she wears dresses to occasions like birthday parties. “If you can carry them off, there will be no problem as such,” she says. A big fan of colours, she likes to experiment with a variety of shades. “I have dresses in pink, red, white, creams and other colours too,” she says. As far as accessorising is concerned, she says shoes are very important. “Also if you have a plain-looking dress, you can use accessories like big belts,” she says