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FASHION Try out gold-bordered kurtas, crisp dhotis and formal sherwani and churidar sets during the festival of lights, writes Phiroze Kharegat
Let’s begin with casual wear. Go for light colours as it keeps you cool and makes you look cool. You can buy white kurtas with chikan work on it with innovative collars such as the bandgala and Nehru collars. Together with white pyjamas or churidars, the outfit gives you a refreshed image and it works for everything from an early morning puja to a Sunday brunch with friends. Roll up the sleeves to keep you relaxed. If kurtas are too desi for you, buy short ones to wear with loose white drawstring linen pants. You can’t get more comfortable than this. For casual kurtas in silk instead of cotton and khadi, you can buy some smart and traditional kurtas from Fabindia where you can choose from a nice range of dark colours. They also sell cotton kurtas in nice prints and unique colours. But if you like printed cotton kurtas, go for dark colours, otherwise you might look gaudy. If you really need to make a stir at high-profile parties, there is a range of formal sherwani and churidar sets you can buy. If you have the big bucks, go in for a designer set by Manish Malhotra, JJ Valayaya, AD Singh and others, with the embroidery and classic cut. But if you prefer not to splurge, you can get quality sets from fashion outlets and men’s apparel and clothing outlets. Restrict your ethnic wear to just the pant-shirt look-alike. Be adventurous and wear some gold-bordered dhotis with crisp kurtas. These will grab more attention than the sherwanis everyone around you will be wearing. Be careful to tie this garment tight and right as they can be tricky. Otherwise you will be catching attention in more ways than one. Dhotis look traditional, and if you want to experiment, skip the white dhotis and wear maroon and dark blue ones with gold borders. With a matching kurta in a softer shade, it will look contemporary, yet traditional. But don’t stop there. You have got to complete the set. Never ever wear shoes when wearing traditional wear. That can seriously clash with the image you are creating. For some serious ethnic style, buy leather jootis. These have been the footwear of the royalty and have a unique class about them. Men’s jootis place more emphasis on the deigns cut into leather (and the polished or embossed leather jootis are classy) rather than ‘sewn on sequins and embroidery’ that women’s mojris have. Don’t worry about them being too feminine. These are ideal when you have a wedding to attend as you can slip them on and off with ease. Buy neutral shades as they can go with any outfit. Make sure you buy them from good shops rather than the souvenir shops or roadside stalls. But unfortunately, jootis may pinch your feet a bit initially as the leather softens with use and your feet get used to them. Rub a little oil or cream on the insides and it will soften the tough leather. If you don’t have the time, go for leather Indian chappals, which come in browns and match virtually anything. For a slightly more western touch, try black or brown thick leather sandals available in every shoe shop. With the strap effect on the foot, these sandals are fine for ethnic wear although the black may be an overpowering colour. Your best bet are the jootis or the Indian chappals. Sherwani jootis are a little more different. They are peaked at the tip of the toes and have a sleeker shape. Remember to have a good dupatta. Don’t worry, I’m still talking about men’s wear. Dupattas add a touch of elegance to the outfit, whether casual or formal. I would recommend a dark dupatta for the white kurtas. Other shades in this category can go solo. Formal sets usually come together with dupattas in matching colours. Slinging the dupatta around your neck and then over one shoulder looks much more masculine than just around your neck. Do you really want to look like soap stars at a big event? Go for a red long tilak on your forehead. That will definitely make you stand out. — MF
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Women
have yards and yards of crystal-encrusted sarees, flashy rocks on
their fingers and necks, pretty bags embroidered to match their pallus
and perfect stilettos with the attached paayal. The men get
shirts, pants, shoes and car keys to care of. In this day and age
where men have to be as chic as women, this just won’t do. What are
you men going to wear at the Divali or Karva Chauth bash? Here are a
few tips on what you should wear on these festivals.