Fashion is cyclic. What was a rage a decade or two back, and since then forgotten, does make a comeback in a new avatar. Since last year, the fashion trends of the sixties and seventies have witnessed not just a revival but seem to be stuck in the groove. Spring-Summer trends of 2011 revisit the retro look not just in the domestic market but even on international ramps.
    For instance, the maxi dress – which
Bollywood actors of the 70s (Zeenat Aman,
Parveen Babi, Shabana Azmi, Neetu Singh)
sported in several films – is back. The only
difference is that now it is in sheer.
    According to Riddhi and Siddhi Mapxencar, Goan designers based in Mumbai, “Maxi dresses are so designed that they are form fitting at the top – that is, they cling to the body at all the right places and tend to cut in at the waist to emphasise the figure, then roll over the hips and flow down to the feet. New sheer maxi dresses
are adding another dimension to this flattering
form of dress.”

The next trendy apparel is retro pants – bellbottoms and flared pants. The printed variety of the 70s has not hit the ramps yet, but knowing the sudden love of our designers for that decade, it won’t be long before prints stage a comeback. Soon, teenagers and adolescents will be seen romping in jumpsuits and boiler suits. The crisp fabrics with cuffed shorts cinched at the waist would look rather elegant.
    Mumbai designer Archana Kochhar advises, “Add an element of wrinkle and texture to your festive wardrobe this season. Play with the carefree spirit of yesteryear and add a young eclectic vibe to the new-found modern Indianism … be bold and move beyond simple crush dupatta. Go for the wide-legged Palazzo to make a head-turning statement at any party.”
    Trends in this Spring-Summer will emphasise more on the tops – blouses, tunics and crop tops will have more chic and casual look with variegated textures of beading, tie and die prints; dobby embroideries etc. Van Heusen has a whole