Refresh your summer wardrobe with these cool options

Summer is the time to stay super cool and comfortable! Sounds impossible? Not really, not when you have an array of wonderful natural fabrics to choose from.

There is no better bet than cotton to beat the hot and sultry days. This is primarily because it is made from natural fibres, and therefore absorbs sweat well, breathes easily and cools well. No wonder that handloom Cotton sarees and cotton outfits are everybody’s summer staple!

From mul, Jamdhani muslin and Bengal cotton to Mangalgiri, Kota and Pochampally, our country have a wide variety of cotton fabrics in soothing colours and earthy tones. Today, there are also many organic cotton clothing options, which are chemical-free, environmentally friendly and good on the skin.

Made from the fibre of the flax plant, this fabric is an increasingly popular choice among new-gen women. Although linen tends to wrinkle easily, it makes up with its casual elegance and convenience. It can also be easily ironed.                                                           

Apart from pastel shades, linen sarees today come in a whole range of bright and beautiful colours, embroidery and embellishments. And when linen is mixed with silk yarn, the result is even more stunning. So, bring alive the summer evenings with the best of linens and linen silks!

This soft, natural fabric helps you stay cool and look elegant too. Light soft silk and tussar silk weaves in pastel shades and muted tones are perfect for evening wear. Also take your pick from light kanjivarams, Chanderi, kota silk, and printed silks with Kalamkari and Ajrakh motifs.

Cotton combined with silk is the most alluring combination for day-time wear during warm days, as it gives the double benefits of lightness and breathability. In fact, silk-cottons are very commonly seen during weddings in South India during the scorching summer months.

Up your cultural quotient with khadi this summer. This fabric is light,  easy to wear and keeps you cool. Although khadi fabric has a coarse appearance, Indian designers have worked around it to make it look trendy and fashionable. There is something about khaddar that helps you find your inner zen. So, cool off in handspun khadi or wear it to work, the choice is yours!

If you are willing to shell out a little more, look at sarees in chiffons and crepes. They are really soft and easy to drape and provide oodles of comfort and style.