THE best thing about Indian winters is that it is neither too cold to be dressed as a buttoned-up zombie, nor warm enough to be prancing about in T-shirts and shorts. The season allows you to strike the crucial balance between the casual and the formal. So, you can look good and feel even better.

It is also the time to develop your own style, regardless of the prevailing trends and the dictates of designers. Adding to the flavour of the season are the endless rounds of parties and carnivals, romantic dinners and night-outs, when you need to be at your fashionable best.

So starting with footwear, check out for something comfortable and suited to the occasion. Slip-ons are clearly out, as they look too casual. But grunge boots with trousers are fine, if that’s your style. Keep experimenting.

In trousers, if cotton is tough to manage, go for stretch fabric with a blend of cotton, which is ideal in present weather conditions. Synthetics too are fine, only that you need the figure and constitution (and of course, loads of attitude) to carry them off with aplomb.

For women, the top need not be too formal. An embroidered blouse with fitted trousers can help give you that schoolgirl feel, yet make you look a little older. Throw a jacket over it.

If you are into skirts, try some of those colourful, hand-printed (or painted) lehngas with a simple white blouse. A stole or wraparound would complete the look.

The salwar-kameez is an equally versatile garment for such occasions. Its biggest advantage is that it works fabulously on women of all sizes — full-bodied, slender, short or petite.

Sarees, however, deserve a bit of extra care. The pallu can be your biggest nightmare as it is never easy to decide on whether you need a wide, ornate border, or a simple hand-painted one, or some of those fancy, fusion designs that are currently a rage.

For men, the best thing going is that for jeans and trousers, creases are out. These could be teamed with non-structured jackets or shirts with small collars and supple shoulders. Broad belts and colourful bandannas are optional.

Jackets must not be contrasted with trousers. Instead, it is always better to work around tone-on-tone shades — even with the T-shirt, or shirt, as the case may be.

Velcro fastenings, bold top stitching, zip-up fastenings in place of buttons and patch pockets are some recurrent features that make jackets look right in informal dos or night outs. Dartless, pleatless trousers combine perfectly with them.

Drawstring trousers, pants with patch pockets and silk pajamas with singlets are some of the other options men are pursuing these days. They give the straight and comfort-fit look and, in fact, are greeted with much approval. Short and slim-fit shirts can be tried too.

Dining out gives men the added opportunity to try on ethnic wear they would have otherwise have thought twice about. A formal Indian outfit is always the best bet when in doubt over whether to go in for a eastern or western look in a restaurant.

Here, the basic ground rules are (a) stick to the layered look — kurta-churidar layered with bundi and stole; (b) embroidery, if any, ought to be extremely subtle and tonal; and (c) sherwanis and angarkhas must be reserved for formal occasions.

In all this, choose the colour that complements your complexion in artificial lighting conditions. Colour also defines size. Mixed shades like grey, beige and khaki are considered safe against indoor illumination. (MF)