Metrolife: Cotton is the way to go!

With the temperature rising rapidly in the past few days, fashionistas are getting ready to go back to their summer companion -- cotton-- to soothe themselves from the harsh heat.

Though cotton has always been a summer-friendly option, there are many who still are of the notion that this fabric is not glamourous enough for a red carpet event and best suits as a casual wear.

Metrolife spoke to a few designers, who are breaking this idea saying if cotton outfits are accessorised the right way it can be suitable for any occasion.

Yuti Edward of label ‘UDD’ is using cotton in an extensive manner. Her latest collection has saris, dresses, kurtas, dupattas and blouses entirely made with handspun khadi.

“For me, personally there is no fabric as versatile as cotton. You can dress up or dress down with a cotton outfit just by adding interesting layers and accessorising it. For example, for a formal event, one can put on a cotton sari and wear grand silver accessories like a heavy neckpiece and make a statement by drawing your eyes big and wearing a simple yet bold round ‘bindi’. And for a causal event, smart layering is the way to go. Wear a cotton dress with a floor length cotton jacket over it. This doesn’t look over-dressed but makes one look chic,” says Yuti.

Cotton she points out is for people who are breaking fashion myths and are comfortable in their own skin. “It is not just the comfort factor, cotton fabric has a number of skin benefits as well. Since cotton is natural, it is breathable and is absorbent by nature. This keeps the skin relatively fresh and minimises the possibility of rashes due to excessive sweating,” she says.

“I use traditional fabrics like cotton handloom ‘ikats’ and make bohemian dresses and light-weight jackets for the summers. There are a lot of variations of cotton outfits that one can find today be it saris, lehengas, dresses, jackets, kurtas or skirts,” Yuti adds.

Designer Riddhi Jain uses cotton extensively for her loungewear brand ‘NeceSera’.

“Cotton is an absolute wardrobe must-have during summer because of its durable nature. I use ‘Pima cotton’, and also blend cotton with ‘modal’ and ‘spandex’ in order to improve the hand feel of the fabric,” she says.

While she feels that cotton is definitely an everyday essential, Riddhi says cotton is still not considered as a popular fabric for formal events. “For using cotton in a formal occasion, woven cotton is definitely a better idea than knit cotton. It is also important to play around with colours to make it look more stylish. Sporting a Pantone colour according to the season will add to the fashion element of the outfit,” says Riddhi.

Cotton can be used in all kinds of outfits, depending on the weave of cotton. It can also be used for tops, bottoms, skirts, dresses and even sweaters for the winter. It is also blended with other yarns to change the look and feel of the fabric to make different kinds of outfits.

Ranu Bathwal, founder Popup Galleria says that this season, there has been a lot of focus on using cotton by the mainstream designers. Cotton with blends is the new found love among them. “Cotton-Lycra and Cotton-Polyester blends are most popularly used. These apart, denim-cotton blend for skirts and shorts are becoming a rage and everyone seems to be loving this combination. Cotton fabric can be used to create looks suitable for casual to semi-formal events. Cotton thus makes for a very versatile fabric,” says Ranu.

With so many ways to dress up in cotton fabric, and given the skin benefits, looks like our summer wardrobe is sorted finally!