CASUAL WOMEN

The casual dress of the women of kerala at home is the sari preferably handloom or cotton with colored borders or print. The blouse matching to the sari border is worn as the upper garment.

Some lower class ladies wear a mundu and a blouse as the upper garment. In addition to this above they drape over the blouse white cloth or a white cotton towel the end of which is tucked to the right side of the waist and the other end is passed over left shoulders and is left dangling behind.

But in modern times Ladies wear a gown called Nighty that is a relic of the western gown; it is used both during day time and night time. As this is an easy wear to use at home it has found general acceptance.

Fashion Tips for modern women on Casual Wear

Buy your casual clothes the same way you would buy career clothes: always thinking about building your best women’s casual attire wardrobe. For example, when choosing your casual wear for women, choose cohesive pieces and build them around basic styles. For casual clothing the best approach is three colors for the best mix-and-match wardrobe - khaki, denim, tan; black, khaki, white; etc.

And please don't forget about a great casual shoe because nothing kills a chic sporty casual attire like a pair of white running shoes. Stick with a pair of boots or sandals, etc. Use casual accessories and handbags -- especially when it comes to casual wear for women. No two worlds are more distant from one another than the classic look and women’s casual attire. Please don't try to mix gold and diamond watch with a sweatshirt unless you're Queen Latifah. Try to stay away from mixing styles.

Keep your casual clothes in good shape -- don't be lazy if they need to be ironed then iron them, if they need to be cleaned then clean them, you get the point.

Stay far away from womens casual wear clichés - like baggy sweats. Baggy sweats are for lounging around the house only and if you are certain no one will see you out of your standard casual clothes. Remember today you might have a reputation to up hold. Instead, opt for some in style women’s attire, a great track suit that comes with a strong fitted look in fun colors and rich fabrics.

Don't get ridiculous or outrageous about casual attire for women. Remember it is just a style which can be fun and look good at the same time. So, if you're working in the garden or cleaning the house, then wear whatever works for you and leave your casual clothes for those right days.

Women's Wardrobe

Building a wardrobe means having the minimum amount of clothes to get you through the maximum number of occasions in style.

Before You Build Your Wardrobe Once you know your lifestyle needs, get into your closet and see if you have what you need. First try everything on to make sure your clothes still fit. Look in a full length mirror with good lighting. Look at all angles. Look at the side. Look at the back. Move in your clothes to make sure they really do fit well.

By getting into your closet and trying all your clothes on, you actually have the opportunity to shop your closet. You may find a suit with hopelessly out of date shoulder pads. Get rid of the jacket but you can still wear the skirt or the pants with other outfits.

Now that you've gone through your closet, what's left? Do you have what you need? What's missing? This is the time to start your shopping list. You may find that you have a great dress that you never wear because you don't have the right shoes. Write it down and take this list shopping with you.

Fitting Your Wardrobe to Suit Your Needs

To build a wardrobe that best suits your lifestyle, you have to think about your lifestyle needs. Which means looking at your calendar each season and also see how you spend your day. Do you wear a suit to the office? Do you spend a lot of time outdoors doing sports? Think about your needs. Once you determine the clothes that no longer fit or suit your lifestyle, get rid of them and make room in your closet for the clothes that you feel comfortable in and really enjoy wearing.

Wardrobe Staples

When building a wardrobe start with the classics. They're the things you reach for over and over again. They usually have simple lines and a timeless style. They look great on their own and great with trendy items.

When you build your wardrobe on classic designs in neutral colors, it's easy to bring in patterns or color for pazzass.. You can't go wrong with a classic fitted suit in a seasonless fabric, black pants, a crisp white shirt and a simple black dress. Then add on accessories to give it your own personal style.

Shopping

Don't spend a lot of money on generic items like simple tee's or cotton summer dresses and especially not on trendy items that will be in this year and then hopelessly go out of style this time next year.

No matter the cost it if it doesn't fit, and flatter your body, don't buy it unless you're willing to invest money in having it tailored. You'll know you've succeeded in building the right wardrobe for you when you can say "I'm not sure I know what I'm going to wear, but I know it's in my closet!"

Dress for all seasons

Be it summer, winter, spring or rain, skirts will always stay put on the fashion circuit. Worn for both style and convenience, skirts remain favourites for women of all ages. Be it for a night out or a formal dinner, the skirt has definitely not lost its charm. Though not native to our country, this outfit has undergone several changes so that it appeals to almost every body type as far as

Denims

the Indian figure is concerned.If you’re wondering what kind of skirt to wear to that rain dance or to a business meeting with your boss, current trends would help you make the perfect decision. The evergreen denim skirt is most popular among youngsters and looks absolutely stunning when teamed with almost any kind of top. “It is the most convenient creation as one only has to change the top according to the occasion”, says Shaima Iqbal, a student.

Knee-length flared skirts, which go well with almost all body types and the short printed cotton skirts are doing the rounds this season. Ameetha Mathew, a fashion designer says: “Short skirts are generally preferred by those with a slim figure because they accentuate one’s body.”

Partywears

Lycra skirts are the hottest on the party scenario. According to Hasmita, a student and a regular party bird: “Lycra skirts have been in for quite some time now and continue to be among the hot and happening party outfits practically through all seasons. The fact that Lycra is easily washable and wearable contributes to its popularity.”

Knee-length crushed skirts are also an option for a party. For formal occasions, a straight cut knee-length skirt and a shirt with three-fourth sleeves is recommended. A blazer can be added on for extra formality.

“Mini skirts in checks are back with a bang and almost all college goers are making sure of purchasing at least one of this kind to complete their wardrobe”, says Geeta Bhatheja, owner of an apparel shop, off Commercial Street.

The ankle-length ethnic skirt tops the list of fashion no-nos. Knee-length pencil skirts have fallen out of favour and divided skirts are long forgotten. Metallic colours

As far as colours are concerned, white, pink and pastel shades are most suited for this season. Model and upcoming actress, Priyanka Balgannwar feels “Floral prints are in and so are the metallic colours.”Dark colours are out except for black of course.Black, as always never goes out of fashion and is very trendy especially when worn at night.

As important as it is may seem to many to flaunt a style, one must not forget to marry the style with the right attitude.

Tunics – Smart and stylish

The little black dress has always been considered a classic piece young women cannot do without. For most Indian women, the stylish black dress was also a reminder to the fact that they needed to knock off a few kilos to look truly flattering in the outfit. With a vengeance, dresses are back in vogue and are now made to suit Indian women. The Wills India Fashion Week and the Lakme Fashion Week had many designers showcasing dresses and tunics for spring/summer 2008 as well.

“Dresses compliment the average Indian woman and help to hide her flaws. Dresses can be styled to suit any occasion and season,” says designer Kedar Maddula. The change began when college goers turned to the kurta and wore the thigh-length versions with denims and trousers. Tunics, an extension of the same trend, took over a year ago. Tunics with asymmetrical and symmetrical hemlines in bright floral prints, or in plain cottons highlighted with large buttons, made their way into many wardrobes. Wear them with calf-length tights, capris or denims and you cannot go wrong.

Branded variety

Shirt dresses with collars and a waist belt are classic pieces today, says Kedar. If you’re wearing tights or capris, choose shirt dresses and tunics that do not go below the mid-thigh level. Dresses that stop at or above the knees are best worn as single pieces. “This time there’s a lot of demand for dresses, especially since there’s more variety. Leading brands like Ginger, Code, Pepe and Jealous now have tunics and dresses in fabrics ranging from soft cottons to jerseys. Brands like Allen Solly have shirt dresses and tunics in cottons with subtle floral prints ideal for work wear.

A twist to the whole phenomenon of dresses and tunics is the shift dress. Reminiscent of the 60s, these dresses in a-line cuts are structured on top and flowy below the waist. For the adventurous, there are the bubble skirts and voluminous dresses of a similar kind.