The way fashion lines have blurred, calling 2013 the year of contradiction doesn’t sound off the mark. Times are changing and seasonal trends are fashionably overlapping, inevitably making the Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer demarcation go for a toss. Else by normal standard, flaunting a jacket in sweltering and humid conditions would have been a fashion harakiri, but not this time.

Jackets reigned in designer Jil Sander’s S/S 2013 collection at the Milan Fashion Week. Simply crafted, they reflected her minimalistic vision in black, blue and earthy brown. Paul and Joe had conventional ones in stripes, metallic and monochromes. While Miu Miu teamed light and dark shade summer jackets with tie and dye short dresses and long skirts.
Back home, designer Krishna Mehta has sculpted them in a formal way, with silks and chanderis being the dominating fabrics of her breezy jackets. Not so long ago, the Lakme Fashion Week witnessed the talented Masaba Gupta promoting long and short summer jackets on the ramp.
Pointing out the subtle difference between the jacket’s summer and fall look, designer Harsh Gupta of the label Harsh Harsh says, “Spring jackets are more about style, ease and a lot more of styling than a necessity. It’s an interesting additional piece to complete the desired look in summers, whereas fall-winter jacket are purely of an essential piece than just a trendy styling piece. Fabrics also differ, jackets in leather, suede, fur, nylon in deep tones, essentially make it to the winter wardrobe. While linen or cotton-based jackets in powdery colours reflect the summer story.”
Declaring it a must-have of the moment, Harsh’s Spring/Summer line includes one-buttoned light-weight denim jacket and a white linen jacket with narrow lapel.
The designer takes the idea forward with some interesting details, “Summer jackets look beautiful with pristine white tops or shirts. Team it up with jeans or fine linen trousers to look chic. For fabrics I recommend Egyptian linen, mercerised cottons along with light-weight denims. Soft prints, tiny polka dots and jail-house stripes in cotton summer jackets along with solid colours are calling the shots.”
“For a complete look, a light denim summer jacket with knee-length skirt and a tube or tank top has elegance written all over it. Linen jackets in beige, pastel or white hues teamed up with white shirt and narrow trousers and a scarf casually wrapped around the neck can take you places,” adds the designer.
Designer Megha Garg’s jackets come in sheer fabrics and she has lined up quite a few stylish pieces in her S/S line. “Cape jackets in ivory have a new feel to it, plus they drape beautifully. Besides that, you cannot miss the prints. I have deliberately stayed away from the staple floral prints as that seems like a predictable option. Instead, sketches of Krishna in an aquatic theme dominate the line. While the motifs come in yellow and blue, the base fabric is of neutral shade. The silhouette of shirt has been impersonated for my printed summer jacket creations,” informs Megha.
Designer Abhishek Dutta picks out cotton and linen as his choices. “Maxi and jackets make a good combination. Keep the seasonal distinction alive by strictly keeping faux fur and thick fabrics out of reach. Slim-fitted, short jackets are ruling the roost. I like them in earthy tones with minimally embellished patchwork, big polka dots or prints used sparsely. You can play around the sleeves, by keeping it half or going completely sleeveless,” he adds.