Fashion trends for this summer will be as exotic as the Orient, as sleek as sheaths, as versatile as two-season designing will permit, and as fashionable as ever. Both women's and men's clothing will essentially follow convention, yet there will be twists of the bizarre.

Women's bathing suits will be sheer; cocktail dresses will be bell-shaped. Men's jackets will be checked; haberdashers will also offer open-toed beach sandals.

The two most notable trends, however, in men's and women's summer clothing are the importation of Far Eastern patterns and designs for men's sport clothing and beachwear, and the designing of women's clothing for versatility--indoors and out and summer and fall.

Transitional cottons--warm-weather dresses with a look to the fall--take center stage in women's fashions for the season. Light enough for summer comfort, they emphasize color combinations that look right for fall.

Plaids and stripes are dominant in cottons. Especially popular are the red Steward plaid and an elephant gray ombre plaid. With the exception of the Stewart, most of the current plaids tend toward muted, blackened colors. Quilted plaids are also in the running.

Narrow strips combine khaki color, ruddy brown, and chocolate brown with black for another distinctive pattern of the year. Dramatic paisleys are popular on lightweight cotton challis dresses. Offbeat colors--for example, an olive, turquoise, and pink combination--often add an imaginative touch.

Transitional Styles

The styles of the transitional cottons range from slim sheaths to full-shirted shirt-waists. In general, they give a look which is citified and cool.

Dresses with accompanying jackets or coats fill the practicality-plus category. Their cool-cut, sleeveless bodices assure comfort when temperatures climb and the jackets are removed. These double-duty dresses meet the challenge of air-conditioning, which makes keeping warm indoors almost as great a problem as keeping cool outdoors.

Jackets are fitted and bloused, fitted and fastened in back, or lean and straight. Above-the-waist jackets feature the new Directoire bustline. Many dresses effect the two-piece look and Directoire line by a combination of solid color with pattern.

Bell-Shaped Sheaths

Jumper-like sheaths with jackets are dressy enough for cocktail wear in hot weather. The newest style for the belle of the ball, however, is the bell-shaped look. This relative novelty in dressy styles is smooth in front, curves out from the waist, and develops more fulness in back.

The slim black silhouette is also popular in midseason dressy wear. Rear-view interest is achieved with blousing, panels, and more concentrated fulness at the back.

Silk is becoming more popular this year as a material for dressy junior sizes, although cotton is still the predominant fabric in the junior miss dresses. Cashmere-type cottons are gaining popularity this season, and cotton knits are being shown for travel wear.

For the sun-and-fun bound traveler or the back-yard barbecuer, vacation separates are the perennial favorite. To stay comfortable and versatile, the vacationer can wear a one-piece playsuit with an accompanying skirt--on the beach, skirt off; for a lunch date or shopping jaunt, skirt on.