Year of the casual chic

If fashion were an inbox, it's safe to say that nothing that you trash makes its way to the dump. It only hits the recycle bin, to resurface after a few years, or as in case of the cold shoulder, decades. The shoulder-baring trend that was possibly the most rampant this year, made its debut in Hollywood in as early as the 1940s. The likes of Marlene Dietrich have been snapped in cold-shoulder outfits back in the day. There weren't as many takers for the trend then, of course.

However, cut to 2017 and boom! It's part of designer collections, bridal trousseaus and the humble college-goers' closet. "This trend is here to stay," suggests designer Dhrishti Thakker. "It always makes one look sexy, without revealing too much skin." A close second was the off-shoulder. Again, this vintage trend featured in everything from luxury wear to high-street fashion.

Power dressing

While these two made an obvious splash, there have been many other styles that may have missed our attention - until now. Designer Karn Malhotra reminds us that pantsuits hogged the runway too. He shares, "I remember studying in my college years that American women had spent the past 100 years fighting to wear pantsuits. Pantsuits reflect the power in women. It embodies the strength and can leave you spellbound with their confidence, wit and style. It's a wonder that the two-piece garment, which is inspired from menswear, is now among the most pioneering and powerful looks from women today. There is so much that is experimented with the outfit in terms of fabrics, textures, cuts and length."

Athleisure

Speaking of power dressing, athleisure was quite the rage too. And that is why we saw celebrities heading off to brunches wearing their (seemingly) gym wear or ditching the glam quotient to get comfortable in a pair of tights and a sweatshirt. At the airport and film premiers even, it was about comfort over style, this year. Designer Nandita Mahtani is all for it when she says, "Streetwear has never looked cooler and sexier than it has this season. High-street to couture, everyone is still designing and sporting this trend."

Now if you're one for comfort over all else, the pajama suit trend must've been one of your favourites this year. From Gigi Hadid, Rihanna and Selena Gomez in the West to our very own Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra, the ladies lapped up the trend that blended comfort and style seamlessly. While the ladies arguably lead the way in the fashion world, it was the quirky fashion poster boy, Ranveer Singh, who was the first Indian celebrity to make public appearances wearing a pyjama suit. "It is a tricky trend though," warns stylist Anushree Ananth. "It's tricky because to pull off a pyjama pantsuit, your hair and makeup have to be on point. Else, you could end up looking lousy. Not the out-of-the-bed look you'd hope for. Also, you need oodles of confidence to carry off something like that. It's not for everybody. You have to channel your inner Ranveer Singh," she says.

Go metallic

2017 was clearly, a lot of cuts and styles, but as designer Pria Kataria Puri points out, it was about colours too. Metallic, in particular. "This year, metallic was the rage. If you want a bold statement in your outfit, metallic is the way to go," she says. Metallics are more often associated with a party or red-carpet look, but you can make it into a casual-day look as well.

Continues Pria, "Since metallics are such an attention grabber, you can experiment with by pairing the metallic skirt with a black high-neck top and black pointed-toe flats or a pair of sneakers giving it a sporty look. In my opinion, metallic colours are a trendy and fun way to give your day wear an interesting twist. Whenever I'm looking to add a pop of colour or texture to my daytime outfit, my go-to is a metallic piece. The best part is that you can get away with wearing metallics all year round. The silver accordion-pleated skirt has been one of my favourite fall pieces in my wardrobe so far. It's a statement piece that gets a lot of compliments."

The forgettable

There was a much wow factor in the 2017 ensemble, but a fair bit of cringe factor too. Of course fashion today is individualistic, but there are a few trends that got a unanimous thumb down. Like matching floral printed tops and pants. "I'm not a fan of floral prints, to begin with and an entire set is too much for me," says Nandita. For Pria, it was the harem pants. "Harem or parachute pants I think were a mistake because they make your leg look short and stumpy. It's a style that no matter how much you try, always ends up giving a saggy look at the hips and an unflattering lump at the crotch. Also, the oversized poncho! If not paired properly, it gives a completely retro look and going completely retro is something one should really avoid," she adds. Other pet peeves in the 2017 wardrobe popularly include oversized sleeves and unflattering fringes.

Lastly, there's a lot that the year gave us in terms of style, that we're hoping would spill into the next year because we just didn't have enough of it. "Anything that screams athleisure is here to stay," says Dolly Sidhwani. Also, shirt dresses, T-shirts with sassy/quirky one-liners and oversized or boyfriend shirts are a few things that'll continue to be seen in the next year. Anushree is hoping that the mom jeans make an appearance in India sooner or later. "It hit the international market way before but for some reason, hasn't caught on in India. That's a shame because it would totally flatter the typical Indian frame. Here's hoping 2018 welcomes it," she adds.