Winters call for a lot of fabric styling. Flash a picture of the stylish Rani ‘Michelle’ Mukherjee from Black and you’ll know what we mean.

Stark monotones of the blacks, greys, khakis, browns and indigos. The colour went missing, the silhouette was uncluttered, there surely wasn’t any form of excess embellishment, leave alone going over the top.

Sabyasachi Mukherjee had waved his magic wand around this particular look, but you can try it too.

The winter market is full of extraordinary fabrics and weaves. If plain staid isn’t your style, there is a host of texturising and embroidery you could choose from.

Explore the royal silks and drape the exquisite Pashminas. But whatever you do, don’t hide under granny’s shawl or your sports jersey.

So, here’s the GoodLife guide to new-age winter fabrics and styles:

Blend beauty

The blending of fabrics takes a whole new meaning during the Calcutta winter, when the weather demands something mellower than pure wool.

That’s when blends make an entry ?in wool, silks and more. “In Calcutta, the Celsius hardly drops and that’s why I have used mostly silk-wool mixes. Another interesting mix is the silk and linen blend that I get woven in Bhagalpur,” says designer Suchismita Dasgupta of Nextiles.

Though linen comprises 20 per cent of this blend, she says it does enough to lend a classic feel to any garment.

Designer Sayon Mitra’s latest collection also plays around with a wide array of woollen blends. His blends, though traditional in nature, have been “styled in a very contemporary manner.” He uses them to create breeches, straight churidar pants and bandhgalas.

“Classy fabrics such as these blends are apt for structured, symmetrical silhouettes. They have a timeless appeal,” says Sayon.

If too much silk isn’t your style, you could also sample some of the cotton-dominated silk blends available in the market. Matka is a popular option.

Acrylic is also a good choice for winter tops and jackets.

Pure pretty

With heavy woollens being out of practical reach in a Calcuttan’s winter wardrobe, one can easily afford to spend an entire day in pure silks.

Be it raw silk or tussar, these natural fabrics spell royal in big, bold letters. Men’s wear designer Sharbari Datta takes pride in using “nothing but pure fabrics”.

“India has a rich silk heritage. Be it from Bengal, south India, Orissa or Bhagalpur, our silks have an international reputation. Natural coloured or dyed in vibrant shades, these pure fabrics have a different feel altogether,” says Sharbari.

Sayon, too, uses a lot of raw silks, pure jamewars and Pashminas in his winter line, all for “that regal look.”

Texture talk

On the one hand there’s a strong royal look and feel, and on the other winter embellishments work around the tapestry look.

Suchismita uses a lot of textured fabric where the weave is easily distinguishable and hence, easy to emphasise. This does well to highlight the texture of the fabric, to create that perfect carpet-effect. “A cross-stitch pattern, for example, looks great on tweed,” she says.

The threads in winter embroidery, too, are distinct from their summer counterparts.

“I use a lot of woollen yarns from Ludhiana, tweed yarn and matka or noli yarn,” adds Suchismita.

Sharbari likes to employ muted combinations as far the embellishments go. “Black on black or grey on black looks the best for the winter weeks, though festivities might ask for the introduction of some saffron or red influence,” she says.

Indeed, without diluting the warm colour story, tone-on-tone work is a great way to make the ensemble look dressy and add some texture.

Sayon pegs the zardosi look as perfect for a formal winter do.

“Nothing looks as nice as zardosi work on a brocade panel. Pure resham work also looks as beautiful,” he says.

According to him, though the structured winter silhouettes do tempt one to stick to straight and simple geometric patterns, it’s good to “jump the line by introducing some pretty paisleys.”

Add ons

Fabrics and textures apart, winter dressing has a lot to do with the fringes attached to it.

Whether the fringes created on the edges of a stole, or that leather trimming on your jacket, a little extra here and there adds sensual drama to a cool, wintry evening.

One can choose from suede or faux fur to touch up a garment.

Fringing also comes in the form of winter styling. In fact, winter accessories also dip towards cosier fabrics. So, replace the floral, printed canvas bag and go for the leather one. Use suede clutches or raw silk batuas.

Tuck in a checked muffler under the denim jacket or carry off the pink skullcap to break your all-black look.

Pictures by Pabitra Das

Model: Pamela Bhutoria

Outfits courtesy: Nextiles