Ways to Layer Clothes in Summer Months to Look and Feel Cool

You wish summer was all about tanks and shorts, you wouldn’t have to put thought to what to wear each day. But summer dressing could be tricky. You have the chilly AC indoors to deal with and the sudden drop in temperatures in the evening. So how do you dress up? The key lies in clever layering. You can add a layer to deal with a full day of hot-to-cold or to simply make your overall look interesting. We roped in celebrity stylists Pranay and Shounak of Who Wore What When, who style Radhika Apte to suggest ways to ace summer layering.

1. Play with pastel tones

A trend that has been dominating this year is pastels, we all know that the colours are a perfect pick for the summer season and compliment a variety of skin tones. "One can always make a fun look by mixing two colours and pieces like an oversized trench jacket over a T-shirt or a crop top. Mules and a handbag can be the perfect accessories to compete this look," advise Pranay and Shounak.

Soft hues like mauve, powder blue and mint green can elevate your aesthetic and help you create a chic look, however it’s important to understand the colour balance and proportions in something like this. The duo further explains, "for example, if you are mixing two pastels a colour pop in the brighter shade of the same family can balance the look, if you want to experiment a little more, you could by adding another colour to make an interesting colour block look, colours like yellow and bright blue are trending this summer and you shouldn’t shy away from adding hints of the same in your look".

 

2. Own the sheer trend

The sheer trend isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but this season it brings cool new ways to embrace it. be it Dior, Balmain or Fendi, each had a unique way of showcasing this risqué trend. And as for using it this summer, Pranay and Shounak, suggest you layer the semi sheer maxis over bikini tops or croptops for a more relaxed afternoon and give homage to the 70’s Alberta Ferreti vibe.

 

Alternatively, you can use it as an additional layer over a midi dress for a more dressed up event as seen across the Balmain runway. "It can get tricky to wear what one sees on the runway but this works for all body types and the trend is here to stay," says the duo.

 

3. Invest in folk/patchwork inspired coats

For someone who loves colour and print you can go all out with this trend. "Folk inspired coats are much in trend this summer and you can make it your statement piece by layering it over a monotone look so the intricate lace, embroidery work of the jacket stands out. Be it over a denim on denim or a mix of shades in yellow and brown. This trend is set to steal hearts," says the stylists. 

The bold folk prints of this maximal trend can be paired with stripes and colour too. "Stripes is big this season and we have seen it across multiple runways, from Bottega Veneta to Dior to Missoni, they all had their versions but what caught our attention was the way Marni styled these two trends together," add Pranay and Shounak.

4. Stock up on oversized boyfriend blazers

Everyone loves to steal from their boyfriends closets ! Oversized shoulder padded blazers are a big hit this summer, a perfect layer to put over your denim shorts and summer dresses. Here are a few ways to style them:

This overwear cinches your waist and elongates the legs.

This is a super effortless style and an easy one to go for, layering a blazer works well on almost everything, a T-shirt with jeans or a crop top with skirts. This nostalgic 80’s inspired trend also works very well with wide legged trousers and a fitted shirt for an ultra modern style.

"This trend shouldn’t be something one should shy away from trying and a tip for all the petite girls out there, who might be concerned about anything oversized overwhelming their frame, you could always cuff your sleeves for a better fit and uplift style quotient," suggest Pranay and Shounak.