Cotton and linen are the summer favourites and sporting a crisp white shirt, irrespective of the gender, is the shortest route to making a style statement. An eternal summer favourite, designers claim a crisp white shirt teamed with a pair of denims is all you need to face the heat and look good at the same time.

“Not only does it look good on the wearer, it’s soothing to the eyes too. Even if we end up wearing something light, we invariably feel hot on seeing others sport loud and heavy colours,” says designer Agnimitra Paul. So don’t forget to stock up on lots of pink, purple and blue.

For those who can, skirts and dresses are still the best way to beat the heat. But the good news is that skirts have moved beyond the minis that dominated the fashion scene last season. So flaunt these knee-length skirts that are available both in denim and cotton. Another must-have this summer is the mini dress. Make sure your cupboard has a hand full of these, both full length and knee-length sizes in various prints of floral and abstract.

If the low-waist and the ultra-low that have been dominating the fashion-scape make you squirm, the good news is they are finally out of fashion. High-waist trousers promise to play a key role this summer at least. The trousers are going shorter this summer and three-quarter pants, capris and loose trousers will be the best alternative to full-length jeans.

“We are seeing a lot of straight and loose silhouettes in summer. The fluffy look is so out that its time to wear garments that are on the lighter flowy lines. So georgette and chiffon will still be an important part of the summer fabrics,” feels Abhishek Dutta.

Of course pink doesn’t stand a chance when it comes to men’s accessories. Pink is so last season, feel most designers, that mauves have become the new pink. “Men should sport bright colours like yellow this summer. Earlier, they didn’t really have too many options for evening wear, but now-a-days the summer jackets are an interesting choice,” opines Dutta.