TO be casually dressed and yet not be understated is what street fashion is all about. You could be in a pair of jeans or short skirt, coupled with a trendy top or T-shirt and still make heads turn. But ask any designer and they would advise you differently.

For them, street fashion today would mean being in V-necks and tight-fitting denims, hip-huggers and shorts. This youthful look is best complimented with certain ‘with it’ colours like beige, navy, black, grey, chocolate brown and white. For women, there are additional options: lilac, sky blue, chilli red and cobalt blue.

These elements contribute to what is dubbed fashionably casual. "It is what the self-confident and cosmopolitan individual would want to develop as a personal style," explains fashion forecaster Soma Pal. "You are making a statement and yet not sticking out in a crowd.

Already leading labels like Indigo Nation and ColorPlus, which specialise in sporty formals, are coming up with fits that are really tight. Bare arms and short skirts in just about any fabric are adding drama and setting the mood for the season.

Also creating ripples in a big way are diagonal stripes, prints and checks. Stretch pants with five pockets are becoming popular with the not-so-young, while Madras checks and stripes are the hottest things going in semi-casuals.

In menswear too, a wide variety of checks and two-tone colours are showing up in shirts and kurtas — the most popular being earth tones with an emphasis on brown and amber. Designers are speculating that even shades of red and blue with warmer tones will appear in the latter half of 2003.

"Soft blue and deep red have already appeared at upmarket stores," says Pal, who is also an adviser to some leading manufacturers of branded wear. "The inspiration is clearly Italian as jacquards, pinstripes and fine checks are jostling with navy and khaki in both linen and stretch material."

Designer Deepti Dhawan, however, feels: "High street fashion will bring about a rejuvenation of the romanticism of the seventies with inspiration from the Far East." It would be marked by soft colours and styles that would include mandarin collars and tunic blouses.

"Chinese (wide leg) pants will also be in style," predicts Dhawan. "The most preferred fabrics are linen, crisp and stretch cottons with Oriental flower and porcelain prints. Viscose crepes and fine twills will show up in the summer months."

Off-shoulder tops, halter necks, floppy pants, tunic blouses and skirts with long slits are also making an appearance with a number of international brands. Here the prints are soft and decorative with floral and pebble motifs against a background of blue, grey, khaki or white.

ColorPlus, for instance, has come up with its pre-washed casual wear in khaki cottons and close-woven linen. Also on offer is a certain golf ball wash fabric, processed with hi-tech compounds and eco-friendly enzymes, which ensures an even and uniform softness.

Wrinkle-free and micro-sand washed trousers are also new products in the Indian market. These trousers for men and women are available in varying styles like pleated fronts, plain fronts and elasticised waists. Girls in their teens are going for ankle-length, A-line skirts and tunic-shaped dresses that flow away from the body.

Hipsters have lost their tucks and the legs hang loose and straight. Polo shirts, T-shirts and tank tops are gently contoured and cut off at the waist or just skim the hips. Fabrics range from poplin and gabardine to cotton, lycra, jersey and crepe, both in woven and in knits.

There’s still more for this hip generation — two-piece suits comprising jackets and trousers, borrowed from the most traditional men’s wardrobe. While trousers come without tucks and pleats, the jackets have two or three buttons and can be coordinated with plain lycra tops.

"Classic, simple and straight styles in woven and knit fabrics will have very little or no embellishments," predicts Pal. "The accent will be on youth with happy colours like red, blue, orange and yellow scoring over browns and reds."

Adds Dhawan: "The inspiration for the menswear is colonial, with styling details like double-chest pockets, flaps and trousers with military elements dominating. These would mostly be in beige checks on black, with an accent on burnt orange. There will also be new collar shapes for shirts." (MF)