Happiness is in the air and I have a feeling this happiness quotient seeps through the clothes we sport. In my profession, we dive head long into this sudden frenzy and quick-fixing of “what to wear”. I call it the inevitable clothes-rush and I have figured it is directly proportional to the number of listings popping up on our planners.

Indians are brought up on colour. It is ingrained into our systems. The clothes we wear, the food we eat, the traditional crafts and the various forms of art we see around us are all so energetic and alive with shades. A justified example would require the thoughts to envisage the barren lands of Ladakh, the pine scented breeze of the East and the sand dunes of Rajasthan. The brilliantly hued clothes the local gentry of these areas wear, catapults the visual image we conjure up in our minds about these terrains, into a colourful, rich and lively one in an instant.

India has a rich culture and an enormous history of costumes. We have a blend of outfits, and thus a vast selection. Men and women can choose from an array of ensembles and during the celebrations, it is even more fun experimenting with different looks. From the traditional wear to the crispy and glamorous; from the classics to the contemporary; from the saris and kurta-pyjamas for men to fusion for both, the range is amazing.

Latest trends

One can experiment with the fabric varieties and get away with a lot of new breed of blends. Some fabrics are loud and are able to carry on without the addition of any surface texture and are preferred in very subtle styling. Some are mute and require value addition. Silks and heavier weight fabrics can be carried off with aplomb. Light weight outerwear additions are a possibility. They look pretty and bring on a stylish touch. The trend this season is a mix of textures and subtle solids. Bold prints are very strong and make a tough statement. Beautiful blends are in and here to stay.

When “dressing-up” calls, we think of a sure-shot successful way and colour is definitely a winner. Festive times demand cheerful colours, and the choices range from warm to the easy cool ones, from the vibrant to the calm tones and the emphasis this season lies in the warm tints of gold. The secret behind adopting a style is to follow fashion trends closely. The silhouettes, colours, fabrics and design details tend to follow a definite path each season and it is easy to track them. The fine points when correctly incorporated in garments and related accessories give out the best visual effect.

Tasteful dressing

Wispy long delicate silhouettes and snug gladiator fits for women are the forms to swoon over this time. These are able to merge beautifully with the Indian traditional wear. The maxi look is here and is visible in the long kurtas. Embroideries enhance the ensemble and crystal bling and swarovski work remarkably.

For women who prefer to flaunt the classic sari, tiny embroidered blouses work best. Small details like a sleeve variation, placement of the closure, the neckline detail and the work, all combine to give the best result. Emphasis can be given with stunning encrusted jewellery clasps at the back or on the shoulder of the blouse. The ones who swear by an Indian salwar or a churi set, can have variation in pyjamas and the kurtas. The trend is turning towards the closer-to-the-body, away the voluminous overdone kalidar. A good option is the “bias”. Emphasis still prevails and embellishment can be added in classic areas around the neck and sleeves or at more experimental parts like the back or the seam lines. Mix and match of fabrics also works awesomely.

Men have the choice of perking up the traditional wear with minute changes and additions. A dhoti instead of the classic pyjama makes the outfit more flamboyant. The more enthusiastic men could work on the different drapes of the dhoti. Experimenting with the kurtas in the cut and small details like the length, the opening, the value addition and colour work together to get the best result. Dishy pants and out-of-the-box shirts with tasteful embroideries are a rage. The biggest change however in men’s clothing is the introduction of this fantastic colour palette which has revolutionised the whole concept of men’s wear.

Getting back to where we started, the festivities are here and how. Dress up your best and enjoy the celebrations.

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An interesting, but lesser-known fact is that contemporary fashion originated under the rule of Louis the XIV in France. He was a visionary who catered to style at its best. Those were the times when a man’s clothes identified his social rank and occupation. The clothes changed over the centuries. Costumes gave way to simpler and uncluttered garments and the world saw a lot of transformations. The last century has been truly inspiring in terms of the changing pattern of men’s attire. After many such transformations we now have what we call the “uber chic male”.

This write-up will venture into various sections of the contemporary man’s “work wear” and tread softly into his formal attire. Men’s standard work wear can be broadly put into three categories, namely the formal wear, casual wear and the casual formals.

Even though men don’t have as many choices as women, they do have the basic options. The secret of a well-dressed man lies in the basic items of clothing he possesses; a list which may include

• A classic suit
• A casual jacket-trouser coordinate
• Classic work shirts
• A blend of formal and semi formal trousers
• Denims
• Some T-shirts
• Few essential accessories

This list can be built up and hence remains the most effective base to fabricate upon. Once a concrete foundation is set, maintaining the fundamentals is quite easy. Teamed with a few well-chosen accessories, these basics allow easy cross over from one scene to the other.

Formal wear

Formals are by far the most important area of work wear for men. Suits are a man’s trump card, somewhat equivalent to a woman’s LBD [the little black dress]. Suits profess sophistication, taste, success and an aura of grandeur. It is an ensemble, which never fails and can be worn to a business meeting, dinner party, any formal day function or even a wedding.

The secret behind a great fit in a suit is, it should sit close to the body no matter what the style. It must not crumple at the armhole or at the buttons, and the trousers should be wrinkle free. It is advisable to have it tailored. The permutation-combinations range from lounge suits or the two-piece suit, three-piece suits and double-breasted or single-breasted suits. A lot more variety is possible with the choice of fabric and colour.

Casual formals

Wearing a suit can be extended into casual wear too. The original “Friday dressing” phenomenon has now become the new mantra for dressing up from Monday to Friday. The first four days of the week usually carry slightly more formal attires than Fridays. Going with this motion, softer jackets in linen or corduroy can replace the constructed jackets. Blazers work very well in the casually formal segment, as they are undoubtedly the most stylish of the jackets. For a more relaxed look, the stiffness of the collared shirts should be swapped with easier open-neck shirts and combined with semiformal pants. Denim is a great option too… of course denim always needs to be dressed-up or dressed-down with the help of a few appropriate accessories.

Casual wear

Casuals are an area, which needs very fine-tuning, as one tends to take the term “casual” real literally. The fit of the garments is of utmost importance at all times. The look should be tasteful and the coordinates easy on the eye. Casuals should be reserved for the weekends and for events that specify dress code as casual. Soft easy-fit trousers in linen, gabardines and medium-weight fabrics combined with tucked-out shirts are perfect. Combined with the correct footwear, this look can actually be very pleasing to the eye… not too tough and yet very crisp.

Accessories

Men’s accessories are ideal items to experiment with. Tans and blacks are the staple colours for footwear, belts and wallets. Watches are another article, which speak a lot about the look and the lifestyle.

The younger fashion-conscious male experiments a whole lot with combining different elements in an ensemble. The ramps are buzzing with style quotients like open footwear with jackets and tailored soft pants, soft jackets with shorts, in a huge palette of colours. We must admit that appearances do matter. Because, it is true that people tend to make up their minds, about an individual within the first 30 seconds or even less of visual contact.

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We are not Einstein!

I find one anecdote quite amusing. Einstein once told his wife – who wanted him to change into better clothes to meet the German ambassador – “If they want to see me, here I am. If they want to see my clothes open my closet and show them my suits”.

Most of us are definitely not Einstein! We are women, and we feel good about dressing up. It is an art to look well-turned-out and some effort is required here.

Projecting a look is a sensory driven thing. Our eyes, nose and ears constantly perceive the visual appearance, body language, speaking capabilities and the whole ambience we carry with ourselves. We need to focus on how to look more crisp, what colours to opt for, how to figure out which is the most suitable silhouette, and how to accessorise the ensemble. All of us have our own favourite colour and the silhouette we prefer. Some of us are better judges as to what to pick up while shopping. But the minute details are the ones that make or break the impression we create. What we wear and how we choose what we wear is based on a whole lot of factors.

Silhouette

From a distance, the most dominant visual element to get noticed is the silhouette or the outline of the total “you”. Shape of the body is defined by the silhouette. This silhouette can be modified by adding fabric, padding the garment or corseting the waist/bust to attain a special effect or emphasis. Remember to leave appropriate air space between the body and the garment worn. A closer fit requires less air space between the body and the clothing and vice versa.

Proportion

On a closer front, proportion between the various parts of the ensemble is an important point; and the most common one to be overlooked. In simpler terms, the visual weight of the garment should have a balance. The ratio of the sleeves to the total outfit, the depth of the neckline, the top garment versus the bottom garment, the size of the buttons, pocket placement… all holds enough significance to create the correct “look”.

Colour, texture, design

While selecting an outfit, one must think about the colour, texture and design element. Tonal colours tend to visually elongate the body while dark colours tend to reduce the width. Cool colours ooze out soft calm whereas warm colours add to the glow of your skin tone. Fresh colours around the face brighten the same.

Texture of a fabric defines the feel and fall of the clothing item. Patterns on the surface like prints and stripes can be used to awesome advantages. Prints liven up the ensemble. However selection of prints is an area to be careful. Larger frames in a large print will leave the viewer counting the patterns needed to span the girth. Emphasis on an item of clothing that diverts attention away from the problem areas shows the amount of thought and hard work that has gone into the selection of clothing.

The key to successful dressing also lies in the instant transformation from work wear to evening wear. Dressy accessories add value to the ensemble. A smart hand bag, trendy scarf, chic shirt under the work jacket and a smart pair of stilettos work amazingly to transform the work attire into a slightly sensuous evening one. It makes sense to add a bit of zing to the regular face paint to uplift the glamour quotient.

Givenchy once commented, “The dress must follow the body of a woman, not the body following the shape of the dress.”

I have noticed that women tend to be very picky about minute body flaws. It could be fleshy arms or wider hips or something as understated as broad shoulders. However, these details can be successfully camouflaged and a package that comes forth is what the world views.

World looks at the package, that is you.

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