Say hello to the long waistcoat!

The knee-length waistcoat is the new summer jacket! One look at the Spring Summer 2015 collections and one sees long waistcoats paired with bermuda shorts at Dior and with leather pants at Givenchy. Dries Van Noten's offering saw pairing of loose printed pyjamas with long jackets while high street labels like ZARA and H&M have reinterpreted it in their own way. The waistcoat has emerged to be a dressy summer staple which takes you from day to night when paired with the right separates and accessories. Let's ask our designers about fun ways to play it up or down in ensembles.

Club it with culottes
Designer Nachiket Barve feels that bermudas are far from flattering for Indian girls' thighs. "They should wear it with culottes instead. Opt for long waistcoats in either washed linen or Chanderi if you want to take the safari chic route. Pairing them with rolled hem shorts or a tailored under-the-knee pencil skirt with a blouse for a work meeting is a great idea. Most Indian women are pear-shaped and should opt for day-to-evening culottes. Chanderi fabric works great for a casual look. If you want to go dressy then opt for fabrics like jacquard or dupion silk. Try the variation in jersey fabric if you are a sucker for a sporty chic look," he suggests.

Jacket for summer
Stylist Allia Al Rufai says, "The long waist coat is the perfect alternative to a jacket for summer. In fact it's translated into high street H&M and ZARA. You may wear a pair of shorts of slighted length inside or over a knee-length dress and add a belt to nip it at the waist. Or wear it over long maxi or on a jumpsuit. A structured waistcoat works fairly well over a minimal jumpsuit also with a pair of parallel or high waist trousers. For evening, dress it up by wearing it over a long gown."

A fantastic day look
Designer Nimish Shah says, "Where the waistcoat finishes, add a similar layer. Pair it with a long dresses of the same length and belt it up. Also, the addition of the pockets makes the whole look accessible and utilitarian. It's a fantastic day look and looks looks good with a backpack. Both berumdas and culottes work well for the Indian body type - it's baggy around the hips and the silhouette unexplored and very forgiving."